Aquinas' five ways

[ithinkjesusiscool]

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Wikipedia calls them: the argument from motionthe argument from causationthe argument from contingencythe[argument from degreethe argument from final cause or ends It seems to me that one can look at them in two ways. In no ways are the unrelated. Either you look at them from intelectual philosophy, I mean like yo do at the University, or pastoral counseling. I quote Catholic Answers: In the preceding article (ST 1:2:2), he asks “whether it can be demonstrated that God exists” It seems that the five ways are something for us who already accepts that God exists. ie not written for atheists. Do you agree? Another quote: Finally, the five ways—not proofs—take as a starting point the validity of our sense perception, which is enough to disqualify them as proofs per se. They actually seem, at least to me, to be very pastoral, ie leading the person into a greater understanding of God. This understanding seem to be pastoal and philosophical. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/five-ways-or-five-proofs The argument from contingency to me seem to be a philosophical way in order for us to look at what we already know. My argument, could be, that pastoral counseling is all about getting us to relise what we already know as human beings (and sometimes some church terminology is explained). We already know that God exists and that we are contingent beings. The five ways could be used in this process. Then we have phiolosophy which is all about giving intelecual explanation to what we already know. Thus we have two ways of looking at the five ways. either from a pastoral way or a philosophical way. I am not really sure about what I am thinking. What do you fellow contingent beings think about this topic?