What Caused God?
Christians often argue for God’s existence by suggesting that the universe needs an initial cause. But what caused God?
The argument alluded to in the question is the cosmological argument for God. This argument has been made in several versions over time, but perhaps the most well-known variant of the argument is known as the kalam cosmological argument, about which Christian philosopher William Lane Craig has written and spoken extensively, beginning with his 1979 book, The Kalam Cosmological Argument. A rigorous examination of this argument and its sub-arguments is beyond the scope of this article, so those wishing to dive deeper are referred to an article written by Craig in Truth: A Journal of Modern Thought.
A slightly less technical presentation can be seen in Craig’s debate with the late Christopher Hitchens recorded in 2009.
Disclaimer: Craig cites the standard (big bang) cosmological model as scientific evidence that the universe had a beginning (i.e. is not eternal). While I find the use of this model to be helpful to remind the skeptic that it is not just the theologians who argue for a beginning of the universe, I do not endorse the timeline inherent in this model, namely that the creation event took place 13.8 billion years ago, as it conflicts with the clear teaching of Scripture. Related: “The Problems With Distant Starlight.”
The Kalam Cosmological Argument
Whatever begins to exist has a cause of its existence.
The universe began to exist.
Therefore, the universe has a cause of its existence.
God: The Uncaused Cause
A common rebuttal to the kalām cosmological argument is that the argument must also apply to the creator, lest it commit the fallacy of special pleading. This rebuttal, however, misses a crucial point–that the creating entity of all material things cannot itself be material–it has to be immaterial. In his debate with atheist Christopher Hitchens (linked above), Craig reasons thusly:
“Now, as the cause of space and time, this being must be an uncaused, timeless, spaceless, immaterial being of unfathomable power. Moreover, it must be personal as well. Why? Because the cause must be beyond space and time. Therefore, it cannot be physical or material. Now there are only two types of things that fit that description: either an abstract object like numbers, or else a personal mind. But abstract objects can’t cause anything. Therefore, it follows that the cause of the universe is a transcendent, intelligent mind.” (19:08)
Scriptural Support
Scripture supports these attributes of God:
God created all things: Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:9; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16
He is uncaused, timeless, spaceless (i.e., eternal): Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 57:15a; 2 Peter 3:8
He is immaterial: John 4:24
He has unfathomable power: Job 11:7-11, 32:23; Psalm 66:5-7; Matthew 19:26; Jeremiah 32:17, 27
He is personal, living: Genesis 6:6; Isaiah 1:18; Jeremiah 10:10; Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 5:8;
Simultaneous Causation
Without time, there can be no “before,” or “after”–there can be only “now.” So, in the absence of time, something either “always has been” or “never will be”–it either “is” or it “isn’t.” Scripture tells us that God is eternal, which means He has no beginning and no end–He is timeless–from everlasting (past) to everlasting (future), He is God.
But time and space had a beginning (Genesis 1:1).
So how do we create spacetime before time exists?
Causes can be prior to their effects in one of two ways: temporally, and logically. Immanuel Kant used the illustration of a heavy ball resting upon a cushion from eternity past. What causes the concavity of the cushion? Neither the ball nor the cushion have temporal priority over the other: the ball never began to rest on the cushion, and the cushion never existed without the ball resting upon it), so there is no temporal prior cause.
If the cause-and-effect relationship cannot be temporal in nature, then it must be logical. The ball is logically prior to the cushion’s concavity, and thus is the cause of the concavity.
“God is not chronologically prior the universe, but He is causally prior to it.”