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Anselm was a brilliant Latin scholar who became a Benedictine monk to the disappointment of his father, who wanted him to enter politics.  After Anselm became a monk, he “proved” the existence of God as follows:

Anselm was a brilliant Latin scholar who became a Benedictine monk to the disappointment of his father, who wanted him to enter politics.  After Anselm became a monk, he “proved” the existence of God as follows:

:Everyone, even a fool, can conceive of a variation in perfection of a being.  In other words, some beings are more perfect than others with respect to justice, wisdom, strength or other desirable attributes.  Because there is a variation, with some wiser and stronger than others, there must be a ranking based on perfection, and there must be a being who is most perfect (ranked #1).  But “existence” is an attribute of perfection:  it is more perfect to exist than not to exist.  Therefore the most perfect being must also exist.  Therefore God, defined as the most perfect being conceivable, must exist.

:Everyone, even a fool, can conceive of a variation in perfection of a being.  In other words, some beings are more perfect than others with respect to justice, wisdom, strength or other desirable attributes.  Because there is a variation, with some wiser and stronger than others, there must be a ranking of who is more perfect, and there must be a being who is most perfect (ranked #1).  But “existence” is an attribute of perfection:  it is more perfect to exist than not to exist.  Therefore the most perfect being must also exist.  Therefore God, defined as the most perfect being conceivable, must exist.

Each student is invited to read and reread that argument until it sinks in.  Explained slightly differently, it defines God as the most perfect being conceivable.  Conceive of the most perfect being, and existence must be an attribute of that being because it is better to exist than not to exist.  Thus the most perfect being conceivable (God) must exist!

Each student is invited to read and reread that argument until it sinks in.  Explained slightly differently, it defines God as the most perfect being conceivable.  Conceive of the most perfect being, and existence must be an attribute of that being because it is better to exist than not to exist.  Thus the most perfect being conceivable (God) must exist!

To this day this "proof" is taught to college students in philosophy or religion classes.  Some students and professors claim it has a flaw, while others find it to be extremely insightful.  It was enormously important historically in the way that it opened the door to the use of logic in religion.

To this day this “proof” is studied by college students in philosophy or religion classes.  Some students and professors claim it has a flaw, while others find it to be extremely insightful.  It was enormously important historically in the way that it opened the door to the use of logic in religion.

Anselm also had a logical proof for the existence of Jesus Christ.  In the feudalism of Anselm’s day, the severity of criminal punishment depended on who the victim was.  Someone who committed a crime against the king would be punished more harshly than someone who committed the same crime against a peasant.  In practice the same can occur today, such as punishing a highly publicized crime against a policeman or top government official more harshly than a similar crime against an unknown person.  Anselm wrote a paper entitled “Cur Deus homo?” (“Why Did God Become Man?”), in which he explained that man's sin against the infinite God would require infinite punishment, and nothing done by an ordinary man could fulfill or satisfy the infinite punishment.  Instead, only an infinite man (Christ) could provide full satisfaction because the victim of the crime or sin was the infinite God.  Hence the existence of Christ is essential as a matter of logic, in addition to faith.

Anselm also had a logical proof for the existence of Jesus Christ.  In the feudalism of Anselm’s day, the severity of criminal punishment depended on who the victim was.  Someone who committed a crime against the king would be punished more harshly than someone who committed the same crime against a peasant.  In practice the same can occur today, such as punishing a highly publicized crime against a policeman or top government official more harshly than a similar crime against an unknown person.  Anselm wrote a paper entitled ''Cur Deus homo?'' (“Why Did God Become Man?”), in which he explained that man’s sin against the infinite God would require infinite punishment, and nothing done by an ordinary man could fulfill or satisfy the infinite punishment.  Instead, only an infinite man (Christ) could provide full satisfaction because the victim of the original crime or sin was the infinite God.  Hence the existence of Christ was necessary to fully redeem the sin, as a matter of logic.

In his personal life, Anselm was appointed as the archbishop of Canterbury, England, which he accepted reluctantly.  He became determined to reform the English Church and he fought against efforts by the King of England to control or interfere with the Church.  At one point Anselm presented his grievances against King William to Pope Urban II.  These conflicts were precursors to the departure by the King of England from the Catholic Church centuries later, when the king formed his own church and refused to recognize religious authority in Rome.

In his personal life, Anselm was appointed as the archbishop of Canterbury, England, which he accepted reluctantly.  He became determined to reform the English Church and he fought against efforts by the King of England to control or interfere with the Church.  At one point Anselm presented his grievances against King William to Pope Urban II.  These conflicts were precursors to the departure by the King of England from the Catholic Church centuries later, when the king formed his own church and refused to recognize religious authority in Rome.