Arguments for God's Existence from Contingency

[LadyForCamus]

I am not stringing claims together. I will discuss the reasons (which are different than the premises themselves) to believe the premises are more plausible than their negation. 

For reference:

1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence (either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause).
2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God.
3. The universe exists.
4. The universe has an explanation of its existence. (from 1 and 3)
5. Therefore, the explanation of the universe’s existence is God. (from 2 and 4)

Come back with a sound premise, in which the conditional relationships justify their contraposition, arranged into a valid form.  These are the requirements of a compelling argument

But, but!  It's not so simple as that!  People write books about this stuff, you know!  😏

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I prefer discussing the modern version of the Argument from Contingency:

1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence (either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause).
2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God.

You have provided zero justification for this premise.  You're simply assuming from the two possibilities in premise 1., that the latter is true, and the former is not.  Please explain how you have ruled out the possibility that the universe exists necessarily by its own nature.

And, even if we grant you (without any justification at all) that the universe is contingent upon something else, how did you determine that "something else" is a thinking agent who continues to actively participate in his creation?  Also, what's with this additional assertion that if it is true that god doesn't exist, then there is no explaination for the universe?  How on earth have you determined that?

You see, it's not up to us to offer defeaters, Steve.  You have to demonstrate the truth of your premise. If your evidence for premise 2. is: 'I can't think of any other explaination but God. What else could it be?'  Well...you know exactly what's wrong with that, don't you?