Desire for Beauty, Sex, Food, Sleep, etc

One clue that Timothy Keller gives to God's existence is the desires that we all have built into us. We all have desires so the fulfillment of those desires must exist. Not that the desire for a steak dinner means we will necessarily get a steak dinner. But surely the appetite for food in us means that food truly does exist.


He writes, "Isn't it true that innate desires correspond to real objects that can satisfy them, such as a sexual desire (corresponding to sex), physical appetite (corresponding to food), tiredness (corresponding to sleep), and relational desires (corresponding to friendship)?


"Doesn't the unfulfillable longing evoked by beauty qualify as an innate desire? We have a longing for joy, love, and beauty that no amount or quality of food, sex, friendship, or success can satisfy. We want something that nothing in this world can fulfill. Isn't that at least a clue that this "something" that we want exists? This unfulfillable longing, then, qualifies as a deep, innate human desire, and that makes it a major clue that God is there."


To read 2 dozen or so more clues for God's existence check out Alvin Plantiga right here. Keller writes, "Most readers who take the time to think through Plantinga's list will find some items compelling and others not. However, the accumulated weight of the ones you find appealing can be very formidable.