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WHAT IS NOT—DHAMMA
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created all superstition and thereby destroyed the growth of Samma Ditthi.
Of these arguments against belief in the existence of God some were practical but the majority of them theological. The Blessed Lord knew that they were not fatal to the belief in the existence of God.
It must not, however, be supposed that he had no argument which was fatal. There was one which he advanced which is beyond doubt fatal to belief in God. This is contained in his doctrine of Patit Samutpad which is described as the doctrine of Dependent Origination.
According to this doctrine, the question whether God exists or does not exist is not the main question. Nor is the question whether God created the universe the real question. The real question is how did the creator create the world. The justification for the belief in God is a conclusion which follows from our answer to the question how was the world created.
The important question is : Did God create something out of nothing or did he create something out of something ?
It is impossible to believe that something could have been created out of nothing.
If the so-called God has created something out of something, then that something out of which something new was created has been in existence before he created anything. God cannot therefore be called the Creator of that something which has existed before him.
If something has been created by somebody out of something before God created anything then God cannot be said to be the Creator or the first Cause.
Such was his last but incontrovertible argument against belief in the existence of God.
Being false in premises, belief in God as the creator of the universe is Not—Dhamma. It is only belief in falsehood.
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