First cause

First Cause is a phrase used alternately to refer to the Cosmological argument for the existence of God, or as an alternate noun for God itself among individuals uncomfortable with the historical and religious meanings associated with the term. Using "First cause" in replacement of "God" may also indicate that the writer has a different conception of God than what the popular definition entails.

The Concept of First Cause in World Religions

Christianity

References to God in the New Testament vary, however, overall they demonstrate an incorporation of the first cause. It should be noted, however, that the Chrisitian conception of God, the holy trinity, is more complex. The following example(s) illustrate(s) this:

Revelation 1:8 - I am Alpha and Omega, the begining and the ending... which is, which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

The Christian tradition, one might argue, sees the divine as both cause and effect.

Islam

In Islam all creation is attributed to Allah (the proper name for God in Arabic), the one and only God for Muslims. He is clearly identified as the "first cause" in numerous occasions in the Quran. Three instances follow:

13:16 …..Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme

57:3 He is the First and the Last and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He is Knower of all things

112:1 Say: He, Allah, is One

112:2 Allah is He on Whom all depend

Referring to the first cause argument the Quran addresses the non-believers:

52:35 Or were they created without a (creative) agency? Or are they the creators?

52:36 Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, they are sure of nothing.

Judaism

Other Religions

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