The argument is formed as follows:
1 Every natural, innate desire in us corresponds to some real object that can satisfy that desire.
2 But there exists in us a desire which nothing in time, nothing on earth, no creature can satisfy.
3 Therefore there must exist something more than time, earth and creatures, which can satisfy this desire.
4 This something is what people call "God" and "life with God forever."
Standard Objections
This argument, famously proposed by CS Lewis, was never supposed to prove God's existence, but is often used erroneously for that purpose.
Premise 2 refers to a desire which nothing can satisfy. Perhaps CS Lewis felt such a desire, perhaps many people do, and their belief in God satisfies that desire. But not everyone does, so this desire does not demonstrate the existence of God. A desire to have an explanation for everything, a desire to live forever, a desire for an eternal life with no suffering, all of these desires can be met by imagining gods. They do not provide evidence that those gods are real. The thought an idea of God is real - but God is not necessarily real.
Bearing in mind that the authors are using this argument to demonstrate the existence of the Christian God, then the argument fails by assuming that is the only God who can satisfy the desire it refers to. There have been, and still are, many gods who can fulfil the desire to believe in gods.
The argument confuses needs and desires. natural innate desires for food and water and shelter are fundamental needs for life. If we need to eat, it is because we need to replace lost energy. Our physiology provides the signals to the brain which we experience as hunger. The desire to eat is something completely different and is more accurately described as a craving. It can lead to obesity. Such desires can be psychological in nature, or a result of peer pressure, culture, advertising etc. So is God a human need? Obviously not, because people are able to live happy and fulfilled lives without God. God is therefore a desire or a craving.
The argument is based on the assumption that a desire for something can prove that it exists. This is a false assumption. We can’t prove the existence of Santa Clause because we desire gifts on Christmas day. We can't prove food exists because we desire food. A desire for paradise and eternal life with God doesn’t prove that they exist.
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