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God Bless
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Coincidence or Intelligence? The Puzzle of Our Existence
(Note: This outline of the content of this site is a work in progress and will be updated regularly to include newly written articles.)
Everyday that passes, mankind makes numerous important decisions that heavily impacts our lives.
Can we afford this mortgage or new car payment? Is this new career move going to be beneficial down the road? Can I trust this person to watch my children? Should we get married? Will we be happy moving out of state or country?
These questions, and countless others, typically have one thing in common when it comes to their answers. The commonality is that none of these types of questions will typically have an absolute answer. That is to say, we cannot be absolutely sure we are making the correct decisions. We evaluate the available evidence and make an educated decision based on that evidence. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of our decisions are made in this manner. We atypically have absolute proof available when making our decisions.
Given our current income and monthly debt, we can indeed afford this new mortgage payment. The income adjustment from switching careers will yield greater income. We love each other and have a similar outlook on life. We have grandma living in close proximity and the children would have to change schools.
These decisions are determined from the currently available evidence. However, when things change, what once seemed like the correct decision can become apparently wrong.
Monthly income has dropped significantly after getting laid off. The new career requires an additional hour of commuting which is beginning to take its toll. We realized we are not so compatible after all. Grandma has passed away and the children are not attached to their school.
This same method of important decision making should also be used when compiling your world view or your outlook on life and our existence.
- What is "God" or the eternal, supernatural, incomprehensible cause of all existence? Is "God" intelligent? Is "God" everything, everyone, and everywhere? Or is "God" purely coincidence?
- Is there an afterlife? If so, can we manipulate our afterlife by our actions on earth?
- Who are we ultimately and morally responsible to? Ourselves, or the survival of mankind? An intelligent "God" or simply no one?
- If "God" is intelligent and has been influencing mankind, are there any existing religions that stand out and match up with the evidence?
I believe and have an argument that Christianity is the best fit for the above questions and for the puzzle of our existence that makes perfect logical sense.
Aside from the above introduction, this article will also outline the different arguments and cross reference other articles, so let us get started.
Laying the Foundation
Before we present any arguments, it is imperative that we are on the same page. We would like to clear up the "Common Misconceptions about Science and Religion" and clarify some key ideology about "God" and religion with the article, "Does God Exist?" We would also like to provide "Absolute Proof that Miracles Exist and the First Step that was Taken for You" and finally if you wish to read the site introduction, testimony of the Blogger, or the ground rules of the site, please see our "Welcome and Introduction."
Cosmological Argument
"Answers in the Cosmos" provides an in dept overview of scientific theories and discoveries made within the past century. Many support the Big Bang which models how our universe evolved from an initial hot and condensed state, to an expanding and cooling current state. This theory has strong indications that our universe is not the eternal source of everything in existence, and therefor has an external supernatural cause. It goes further to explain where current astrophysics is headed by attempting to combine the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics so that they can see beyond the Big Bang.
The point of this argument is to illustrate that evidence indicates this universe had an external, eternal, supernatural cause and this cause is unlikely to ever be observed by science or ultimately be found due to the recursive principle.
Waiting on mankind and science to formulate your decision on this topic is putting your faith in ignorance.
Evidence Surrounding Jesus Christ and Early Christianity (TO BE DONE.)
A future article will provide evidence for the vast discoveries of New Testament manuscripts, and explain how the majority of Historical Scholars find the New Testament historically reliable. This article will also explain and counter common arguments that arise on this topic.
Contradicting the Contradictions in the Bible
What Day was Jesus Crucified?
Other Important Considerations (TO BE DONE.)
This section will contain additional articles detailing other important considerations that are left up to the reader to judge and interpret.
Current Ideas
-Complexity
-Morality
-Spirituality
Putting the Puzzle Together
When we put the pieces of the puzzle together, what we are left with is a complete picture. If we assume that "God" is an intelligent being and has indeed been interacting with his creation, then the most obvious picture is that of Jesus Christ.
The alternative is that our existence, this world and this moment are nothing more than pure peculiar coincidence.
Romans 1:20 states "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
The pieces are in place; the puzzle is complete and it is pointing to Jesus Christ. The only question left is if you believe that The Puzzle of Our Existence is Coincidence or Intelligence?
This literary work is simply to lead you to the water of Jesus Christ and show, what I feel to be, sufficient evidence to give Christ a chance to work in your life. The ultimate evidence cannot be given by science or by man, as it lies within you, in faith and spirituality, if you decide to drink.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. - Hebrews 11:6
Appendix A: Additional Articles
Human Beings Should not be Followed - Advise against letting fellow human beings heavily influence your decisions about God.
God Bless
Everyday that passes, mankind makes numerous important decisions that heavily impacts our lives.
Can we afford this mortgage or new car payment? Is this new career move going to be beneficial down the road? Can I trust this person to watch my children? Should we get married? Will we be happy moving out of state or country?
These questions, and countless others, typically have one thing in common when it comes to their answers. The commonality is that none of these types of questions will typically have an absolute answer. That is to say, we cannot be absolutely sure we are making the correct decisions. We evaluate the available evidence and make an educated decision based on that evidence. The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of our decisions are made in this manner. We atypically have absolute proof available when making our decisions.
Given our current income and monthly debt, we can indeed afford this new mortgage payment. The income adjustment from switching careers will yield greater income. We love each other and have a similar outlook on life. We have grandma living in close proximity and the children would have to change schools.
These decisions are determined from the currently available evidence. However, when things change, what once seemed like the correct decision can become apparently wrong.
Monthly income has dropped significantly after getting laid off. The new career requires an additional hour of commuting which is beginning to take its toll. We realized we are not so compatible after all. Grandma has passed away and the children are not attached to their school.
This same method of important decision making should also be used when compiling your world view or your outlook on life and our existence.
- What is "God" or the eternal, supernatural, incomprehensible cause of all existence? Is "God" intelligent? Is "God" everything, everyone, and everywhere? Or is "God" purely coincidence?
- Is there an afterlife? If so, can we manipulate our afterlife by our actions on earth?
- Who are we ultimately and morally responsible to? Ourselves, or the survival of mankind? An intelligent "God" or simply no one?
- If "God" is intelligent and has been influencing mankind, are there any existing religions that stand out and match up with the evidence?
I believe and have an argument that Christianity is the best fit for the above questions and for the puzzle of our existence that makes perfect logical sense.
Aside from the above introduction, this article will also outline the different arguments and cross reference other articles, so let us get started.
Before we present any arguments, it is imperative that we are on the same page. We would like to clear up the "Common Misconceptions about Science and Religion" and clarify some key ideology about "God" and religion with the article, "Does God Exist?" We would also like to provide "Absolute Proof that Miracles Exist and the First Step that was Taken for You" and finally if you wish to read the site introduction, testimony of the Blogger, or the ground rules of the site, please see our "Welcome and Introduction."
"Answers in the Cosmos" provides an in dept overview of scientific theories and discoveries made within the past century. Many support the Big Bang which models how our universe evolved from an initial hot and condensed state, to an expanding and cooling current state. This theory has strong indications that our universe is not the eternal source of everything in existence, and therefor has an external supernatural cause. It goes further to explain where current astrophysics is headed by attempting to combine the theories of relativity and quantum mechanics so that they can see beyond the Big Bang.
The point of this argument is to illustrate that evidence indicates this universe had an external, eternal, supernatural cause and this cause is unlikely to ever be observed by science or ultimately be found due to the recursive principle.
Waiting on mankind and science to formulate your decision on this topic is putting your faith in ignorance.
A future article will provide evidence for the vast discoveries of New Testament manuscripts, and explain how the majority of Historical Scholars find the New Testament historically reliable. This article will also explain and counter common arguments that arise on this topic.
Contradicting the Contradictions in the Bible
What Day was Jesus Crucified?
This section will contain additional articles detailing other important considerations that are left up to the reader to judge and interpret.
Current Ideas
-Complexity
-Morality
-Spirituality
When we put the pieces of the puzzle together, what we are left with is a complete picture. If we assume that "God" is an intelligent being and has indeed been interacting with his creation, then the most obvious picture is that of Jesus Christ.
The alternative is that our existence, this world and this moment are nothing more than pure peculiar coincidence.
Romans 1:20 states "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."
The pieces are in place; the puzzle is complete and it is pointing to Jesus Christ. The only question left is if you believe that The Puzzle of Our Existence is Coincidence or Intelligence?
This literary work is simply to lead you to the water of Jesus Christ and show, what I feel to be, sufficient evidence to give Christ a chance to work in your life. The ultimate evidence cannot be given by science or by man, as it lies within you, in faith and spirituality, if you decide to drink.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. - Hebrews 11:6
Human Beings Should not be Followed - Advise against letting fellow human beings heavily influence your decisions about God.
God Bless
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Does God Exist?
By now I hope some points are beginning to set in or are already agreed upon and your mind is starting to become clear from some of the common misconceptions and logical flaws in people’s reasoning when it comes to God.
I would like to continue to chisel away the logical flaws in reasoning and bring forth some additional clarity with this next article that I have titled “Does God Exist?” The answer may surprise you.
When you hear the word “Religion” or “Religious” many key terms flood your mind. For instance, some may be spiritual, faith, beliefs, God, afterlife, purpose, etc. Some non-believers may also wish to add irrational, ignorant, outdated, brainwashed, unscientific, etc. What is the actual meaning of religion?
I personally believe religion should be a set of beliefs based around science, philosophy and faith. However, at its core, religion is simply a specific set of beliefs about our existence. What is the eternal first cause of all of existence, and is it intelligent? Is there life after death, and can we manipulate where we end up? How should we live morally, and is there a standard? With whom do we place our faith?
Simply put, your religion is your worldview and your outlook on the important questions of life. While I will not go as far as to say everyone has a religion, I will say there are some definite religious or religious like groups that would simply never consider themselves religious.
Atheists surely have a specific set of believes about our existence. They believe “God” does not exist; they believe there is no life after death; they believe we should govern our own individual moral rules and they put faith in man. The pure atheist has made just as many choices about the world as “religious” people.
My point is that when people attempt to single out “religious” people, also known as people with a specific set of beliefs about our existence, their query is coming back with millions if not billions of results. Not a very successful way of singling people out for hypocritical criticism for their beliefs.
Let us take this one step further and give the general definition of “God.” At its core the term “God” is the supernatural eternal source that created everything in existence. “God” is “Infinite,” “God” is the “Alpha and the Omega,” “God” is the “Always Has and Always Will Be” cause of everything. Now people’s view on “God” will obviously vary. Some people believe “God” has intelligence and willed existence into being. Some people believe “God” is everything in existence and we are all part of what makes up “God.” Some people believe “God” is the universe, or the Big Bang, or what came after the Big Bang and that there is nothing mystical or spiritual about existence and it is all simply a peculiar coincidence. However, as I explain in Answers in the Cosmos, scientists implicate this universe is not eternal and had a definitive beginning and will have an end, meaning universe itself had to have an outside eternal cause.
So if we are to give an answer to the question, “Does God Exist?” This answer is a resounding yes. An eternal, supernatural, miraculous, first cause for all of existence, does indeed exist, or simply put, we would not be here.
The purpose of this article was to clear up the meaning of some specific terms and to break down the walls of segregation between so-called “believers” and “non-believers.” It demonstrated that most of us are people with a set of beliefs about our existence. One in particular is our belief about “God” also known as the indisputably existing, eternal, supernatural, incomprehensible, miraculous, ultimate first cause of everything in existence.
Our views will obviously differ from person to person, as does happen with just about every topic, but it is indisputable, that “God” does indeed exist.
Impressive foresight for first century AD. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." - Revelation 1:8
I would like to continue to chisel away the logical flaws in reasoning and bring forth some additional clarity with this next article that I have titled “Does God Exist?” The answer may surprise you.
When you hear the word “Religion” or “Religious” many key terms flood your mind. For instance, some may be spiritual, faith, beliefs, God, afterlife, purpose, etc. Some non-believers may also wish to add irrational, ignorant, outdated, brainwashed, unscientific, etc. What is the actual meaning of religion?
I personally believe religion should be a set of beliefs based around science, philosophy and faith. However, at its core, religion is simply a specific set of beliefs about our existence. What is the eternal first cause of all of existence, and is it intelligent? Is there life after death, and can we manipulate where we end up? How should we live morally, and is there a standard? With whom do we place our faith?
Simply put, your religion is your worldview and your outlook on the important questions of life. While I will not go as far as to say everyone has a religion, I will say there are some definite religious or religious like groups that would simply never consider themselves religious.
Atheists surely have a specific set of believes about our existence. They believe “God” does not exist; they believe there is no life after death; they believe we should govern our own individual moral rules and they put faith in man. The pure atheist has made just as many choices about the world as “religious” people.
My point is that when people attempt to single out “religious” people, also known as people with a specific set of beliefs about our existence, their query is coming back with millions if not billions of results. Not a very successful way of singling people out for hypocritical criticism for their beliefs.
Let us take this one step further and give the general definition of “God.” At its core the term “God” is the supernatural eternal source that created everything in existence. “God” is “Infinite,” “God” is the “Alpha and the Omega,” “God” is the “Always Has and Always Will Be” cause of everything. Now people’s view on “God” will obviously vary. Some people believe “God” has intelligence and willed existence into being. Some people believe “God” is everything in existence and we are all part of what makes up “God.” Some people believe “God” is the universe, or the Big Bang, or what came after the Big Bang and that there is nothing mystical or spiritual about existence and it is all simply a peculiar coincidence. However, as I explain in Answers in the Cosmos, scientists implicate this universe is not eternal and had a definitive beginning and will have an end, meaning universe itself had to have an outside eternal cause.
So if we are to give an answer to the question, “Does God Exist?” This answer is a resounding yes. An eternal, supernatural, miraculous, first cause for all of existence, does indeed exist, or simply put, we would not be here.
The purpose of this article was to clear up the meaning of some specific terms and to break down the walls of segregation between so-called “believers” and “non-believers.” It demonstrated that most of us are people with a set of beliefs about our existence. One in particular is our belief about “God” also known as the indisputably existing, eternal, supernatural, incomprehensible, miraculous, ultimate first cause of everything in existence.
Our views will obviously differ from person to person, as does happen with just about every topic, but it is indisputable, that “God” does indeed exist.
Impressive foresight for first century AD. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." - Revelation 1:8
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Absolute Proof that Miracles Exist and the First Step that was Taken for You
Today I would like to invite you for some deep thinking that should have you awakened out of the Matrix of absolute disbelief in no time. Please before we begin, try to have a clear mind free of any distractions and a completely objective state of mind. I am about to show you indisputable and absolute proof that miracles indeed exist.
Absolute Proof that Miracles Exist
Think carefully and take time if you need to ponder on what our ultimate cause is. Before you go quickly thinking of amino acids and proteins or thinking of the earth evolving with the rest of the universe, think harder. What is the absolute first thing that you think existed and ultimately started the chain of events leading to human beings.
When you have chosen a logical answer, whether it be the universe, or perhaps the Big Bang, branes, or even God, start to think of the cause, or what created your answer.
If you actually manage to sensibly answer what created your first answer, then what was the cause or what created that answer?
By this point you are probably stumped on what could have created your answer. What caused God? What caused the universe? What caused the Big Bang, and what caused the cause of the Big Bang? and so on and so forth.
Eventually, you will hit a road block that the human mind simply cannot comprehend. You have hit the eternal cause of all existence. One of the more common excuses people use to reject God is that it does not make sense that God would exist.
They say, "Well if God created all of existence, then who created God? It does not make sense."
They are actually right. It does not make sense. Human beings lack the intellectual capacity to comprehend what "eternal" truly is. We are unable to properly define and understand what infinite means. Mathematics cannot solve∞.
The rub however, is that this fact alone does not give nonbelievers the excuse they are looking for. The fact of the matter is that no matter your belief on "what came first" you have to realize that "whatever came first" could not of had a cause either, and must be eternal. Whether you believe the universe is all there is and came first, or you believe whatever came before the big bang came first, or you believe God created the universe, something had to have "always" existed in order for us to be here.
Again, this concept is something we cannot hope to explain or comprehend as we are finite beings. Thus, the seemingly impossible, yet what obviously happened paradox of our existence is indeed absolute proof that miracles do exist.
Every glance in the mirror, every step taken, every hug, every kiss, every random thought is the result of an inexplicable miracle that we call our mere existence.
The First Step that was Taken for You
From the last section we know that no matter what your personal theory is on the ultimate cause of our existence, it does not make logical sense. Whether you believe God is responsible for all existence, or that the universe is all there is in existence, or you believe whatever came before the big bang is responsible for all of existence, or whatever came before that, so on and so forth. Some point down the line you will hit a wall named "eternity" that cannot be explained.
This is an important first step to get over, and luckily, for our limited mental capacity, it has been made for us, because even though it does not make logical sense... *POOF* Here we are.
The most important thing about this exercise is that it completely counters the argument that God creating everything in existence does not make sense, because then who created God? A circular argument can be made against the other's theory on who created their cause for all of existence.
EDIT: The point has been made that this is not necessarily a "religious" miracle, so this may somehow take away from the point. The problem with this line of thinking is that ultimately, in it's purest form, a miracle is simply something that cannot be comprehended.
Some will be quick to point out that we were once ignorant about other things like the universe, or other discoveries and advancement in technology, but this is different.
Humans are finite beings and we cannot comprehend eternal. Science cannot observe what eternal is, because there is no cause for eternal. Mathematics cannot equate the value of infinity or divide by 0.
Infinite is simply something that will never be comprehended by human beings, observed by science, or equated in mathematics.
Christians claim Jesus was able to perform miracles, but non-believers claim he did no such thing because miracles do not happen, and if he were here to perform them today, our science and human comprehension would be able to explain how Jesus performed these so-called miracles.
This has been illustrated to be incorrect, because we are all absolute proof that miracles do indeed exist.
Thank you and God Bless
Think carefully and take time if you need to ponder on what our ultimate cause is. Before you go quickly thinking of amino acids and proteins or thinking of the earth evolving with the rest of the universe, think harder. What is the absolute first thing that you think existed and ultimately started the chain of events leading to human beings.
When you have chosen a logical answer, whether it be the universe, or perhaps the Big Bang, branes, or even God, start to think of the cause, or what created your answer.
If you actually manage to sensibly answer what created your first answer, then what was the cause or what created that answer?
By this point you are probably stumped on what could have created your answer. What caused God? What caused the universe? What caused the Big Bang, and what caused the cause of the Big Bang? and so on and so forth.
Eventually, you will hit a road block that the human mind simply cannot comprehend. You have hit the eternal cause of all existence. One of the more common excuses people use to reject God is that it does not make sense that God would exist.
They say, "Well if God created all of existence, then who created God? It does not make sense."
They are actually right. It does not make sense. Human beings lack the intellectual capacity to comprehend what "eternal" truly is. We are unable to properly define and understand what infinite means. Mathematics cannot solve
The rub however, is that this fact alone does not give nonbelievers the excuse they are looking for. The fact of the matter is that no matter your belief on "what came first" you have to realize that "whatever came first" could not of had a cause either, and must be eternal. Whether you believe the universe is all there is and came first, or you believe whatever came before the big bang came first, or you believe God created the universe, something had to have "always" existed in order for us to be here.
Again, this concept is something we cannot hope to explain or comprehend as we are finite beings. Thus, the seemingly impossible, yet what obviously happened paradox of our existence is indeed absolute proof that miracles do exist.
Every glance in the mirror, every step taken, every hug, every kiss, every random thought is the result of an inexplicable miracle that we call our mere existence.
From the last section we know that no matter what your personal theory is on the ultimate cause of our existence, it does not make logical sense. Whether you believe God is responsible for all existence, or that the universe is all there is in existence, or you believe whatever came before the big bang is responsible for all of existence, or whatever came before that, so on and so forth. Some point down the line you will hit a wall named "eternity" that cannot be explained.
This is an important first step to get over, and luckily, for our limited mental capacity, it has been made for us, because even though it does not make logical sense... *POOF* Here we are.
The most important thing about this exercise is that it completely counters the argument that God creating everything in existence does not make sense, because then who created God? A circular argument can be made against the other's theory on who created their cause for all of existence.
EDIT: The point has been made that this is not necessarily a "religious" miracle, so this may somehow take away from the point. The problem with this line of thinking is that ultimately, in it's purest form, a miracle is simply something that cannot be comprehended.
Some will be quick to point out that we were once ignorant about other things like the universe, or other discoveries and advancement in technology, but this is different.
Humans are finite beings and we cannot comprehend eternal. Science cannot observe what eternal is, because there is no cause for eternal. Mathematics cannot equate the value of infinity or divide by 0.
Infinite is simply something that will never be comprehended by human beings, observed by science, or equated in mathematics.
Christians claim Jesus was able to perform miracles, but non-believers claim he did no such thing because miracles do not happen, and if he were here to perform them today, our science and human comprehension would be able to explain how Jesus performed these so-called miracles.
This has been illustrated to be incorrect, because we are all absolute proof that miracles do indeed exist.
Thank you and God Bless
Monday, March 8, 2010
Answers in the Cosmos
Mankind has stared into and has been intrigued with the cosmos for ages. Primitive man explained them as gods while later man believed the earth was the center of the universe as others theorized that the planets revolved around the sun. We sure have come great distances as far as what we know about universe thanks to some very important discoveries.
Many of these recent discoveries have been providing substantial evidence for the modern day theory of the evolution of our universe. This news of recent scientific discoveries leading to greater human understanding should not come as any surprise; however the surprising aspect of these recent cosmological discoveries is that they fit nearly perfectly with the religious belief of an All Mighty Creator.
The Big Bang Theory
In 1929, renowned astronomer Edwin Hubble made the discovery that the universe was expanding by discovering that the red shift, observed by light coming from distant galaxies, increased proportionately with the distance of the other galaxy relative to the Milky Way. This discovery gave birth to Hubble’s Law1 and proved that the universe was expanding. Although this forced scientists to seriously consider the possibilities of a non-“steady state universe”2 the improperly termed Big Bang did not come around until 1949 when Fred Hoyle announced it over a radio broadcast. 3 The actual theory originated from Roman Catholic priest, professor of physics and astronomer, Georges Lemaître4 who called it his “hypothesis of the primeval atom" based on Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.5 Einstein would actually meet Hubble in person after his discovery of the expansion of the universe, which cleared up the uncertainty of the cosmological constant since Einstein was always assuming a steady-state universe.
The modern Big Bang6 model explains how our universe is evolving from an initial hot and condensed state, referred to as the singularity, to an expanding and cooling state. This has deep implications that our universe, as we know it, time space and matter, had a definitive beginning, and will have a definitive end.
The results of some other scientific discoveries further supported the Big Bang such as the COBE project 7, and discovery of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation by Fred Hoyle.3
Dr. George Smoot8, an American astrophysicist, cosmologist and Nobel Prize winner for his work on the COBE project, publically stated that his observations were “evidence for the birth of the universe” and that, “if you’re religious, it’s like looking at God.”
Dr. Robert Jastrow9, an agnostic astronomer, physicist and cosmologist has been quoted many times for saying such things as -
"Now we see how the astronomical evidence supports the biblical view of the origin of the world....the essential elements in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same. Consider the enormousness of the problem : Science has proved that the universe exploded into being at a certain moment. It asks: 'What cause produced this effect? Who or what put the matter or energy into the universe?' And science cannot answer these questions.
"For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountain of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."
"There is a strange ring of feeling and emotion in these reactions [of scientists to evidence that the universe had a sudden beginning]. They come from the heart whereas you would expect the judgements to come from the brain. Why? I think part of the answer is that scientists cannot bear the thought of a natural phenomenon which cannot be explained, even with unlimited time and money. There is a kind of religion in science, it is the religion of a person who believes there is order and harmony in the universe, and every effect must have its cause, there is no first cause..."
"This religious faith of the scientist is violated by the discovery that the world had a beginning under conditions in which the known laws of physics are not valid, and as a product of forces or circumstances we cannot discover. When that happens, the scientist has lost control...”
Albert Einstein, although he claimed to believe in Spinoza’s God10, has also been quoted numerous times on matters of religion. Most notably “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.
Atheists11 Last Strand of Rope and Other Related Theories
One would think with the implications of the Big Bang, more people would take religion seriously. However, I suppose with all the deception and misconceptions that has been surrounding the Bible, one can also see why they have not. However, trusting the words of others is no excuse for writing off religion.
When atheists are questioned about their thoughts on the implications of the Big Bang, they typically shrug it off and immediately recite the existing theories that they think will somehow get them off the hook and answer everything. However, there is only one unlikely theory that could potentially save them. We will quickly cover this and some other existing theories.
Big Crunch and the Big Bounce
The Big Crunch is the theory that the expansion of the universe will start to slow down and the effects of gravity will take over, causing the entire universe to be pulled back together caving in on itself. An addition to this theory is the Big Bounce where after the Big Crunch occurs, another Big Bang will occur, and the process will continue indefinitely. Atheists hang on to this theory as the ultimate fate of the universe12 because it is the only way that the universe could remain eternal and wouldn’t require an outside eternal cause.
Unfortunately this “theory” has no backing. It’s merely a reasonable hypothesis on what would happen if the force that is causing the universe to expand slowed and was overtaken by gravity. However, a Big Crunch by itself does not an eternal universe make. Following the effect of the Big Crunch, enough energy would have to be generated in order to replicate the same effect of the Big Bang. This theory in itself seems unlikely as the acceleration of the universe’s expansion is actually increasing. Furthermore, there are three possible shapes of our universe. Closed, open and flat. The only possible way a Big Crunch could occur is if the universe is closed; however the recent discoveries about dark matter13 make it most likely that even in a closed shape, dark matter would allow the universe to continue to expand. Assuming this unlikely chaotic event would then produce another Big Bang with the same precision, or possess the same level of containment, is completely baseless and pure speculation. Furthermore, evidence of this potential universal armageddon is unlikely to ever be observed. Perhaps the final nail in this theory’s coffin is the fact that this theory has to discount the Second Law of Thermodynamics and it’s relation with entropy 14. Entropy from each successive universe would most likely build up until the universe could not produce anymore, and the universe would die due to heath death.
This does not sound like something you should base your faith on.
Atheists seem to think there’s another way out with some additional theories, but unfortunately they are mistaken, but we will get to those later. Next we will cover the more likely end-states for our universe.
The Big Freeze and Universal Heat Death
These two more likely end-states for the universe are both the results of a continuously expanding universe.
The Big Freeze is a scenario where the continuous expansion of the universe results in the universe asymptotically approaching absolute zero temperature and would be too cold for anything to survive.
Universal heath death is similar, however the scenario would take place as the universe enters a state of maximum entropy and entropy product ceases, causing the inability for anymore work to be done in the universe.
The implication here is that with what we currently know, scientists have all but completely ruled out an eternal universe. This universe as we know it, and all time space and matter within it, is bound for a dreary end similar to something that is right out of a science fiction movie. This ultimately indicates from scientific evidence that our universe has to have an eternal external cause. Atheists still are not convinced as they have some theories “beyond the Big Bang” which they falsely think they can fall back on.
Beyond the Big Bang
Scientists are now attempting to go backwards in time, "before" the singularity, "before" the Big Bang. This gives them hope that everything has yet to be answered, and that there are answers to come. Let us discuss how scientists have been attempting to look past the singularity.
String Theory(ies)15
Scientists have been unable to get beyond the singularity of the Big Bang with the current methods of quantum mechanics and general relativity. They believe they need both theories to solve the singularity, however the two theories do not mesh together. String theory is a developing branch of quantum mechanics and general relativity which is attempting to combine the two into a quantum theory of gravity effectively having a theory for "everything." It theorizes that everything in the universe from all particles to all forms of energy are made up of a series of indefinitely thin vibrating strings.
There are five different versions of string theory, from different scientists, which all appear to be functional yet they contradict each other. Edward Witten16, who has been claimed to be the smartest man on earth, has come up with his own theory that looks at the five seemly contradicting theories and has rationalized it as all five string theories being correct from different perspectives. The result asserts that the strings are really 1 dimensional slices of 2 dimensional membranes vibrating in 11 dimensional space. The theory has been named M-Theory17.
M-Theory is still being worked on and is currently accepted as the best available model for a theory for "everything" although it cannot currently be proven and is simply a mathematical system at this point.
This ten minute video is a model representation of what would have taken place before the Big Bang if M-Theory is correct.
The video shows multiple universes each a "membrane universe" that moves and ripples. As these branes, as they are called, move they collide with each other and the ripple movement causes matter to form after the initial collision. This initial collision would be a big bang for each universe. The video goes on to say there would be an infinite number of branes or universes.
While this information is surely extremely difficult to conceive, the implications are easy to grasp. Leading edge scientific discovery is hinting at an infinite amount of universes in existence concurrently with our own.
Why is this important? The Big Bang already implies an eternal cause outside of our universe. The direction leading edge science is heading in is theorizing an eternal cause to an infinite amount of universes.
Atheism is truly blind faith at this point. Only they are putting their faith into something that contradicts their belief.
Summary and Simplification
Here is a quick and simple wrap up of what this post has covered.
- Big Bang Theory implies that our universe had a beginning and it will have an end. It is very unlikely to be eternal, so therefor, there most likely is an eternal cause outside of our universe.
- At this point in time, waiting for science to tell you what to believe is a poor choice. The latest theories are providing data that is incomprehensible to the human mind. An infinite amount of universes strongly indicating an eternal mystical cause for everything in existence.
It is not logically or reasonably possible to argue that our universe had anything other than an eternal and mystical cause at this point. The atheistic viewpoint is obsolete. Their typical answer of wait for information from scientists has run it's course, because at this stage, science is unlikely to be able to support their viewpoint. Sure M-theory could be wrong, but as of right now science has apparently given up on the possibility of our universe being eternal.
There is no excuse for believing scientists will be able to make your decisions for you. See where the existing evidence lies and choose your worldview carefully. I will show in upcoming posts that the Christian worldview is the most logical and reasonable worldview based on the available existing evidence.
God bless.
__________________________________________________
1 - Hubble’s Law
2 - Steady State Theory
3 - Fred Hoyle – Originator of the term "Big Bang" and discovered the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
4 - Georges Lemaître
5 - General Theory of Relativity
6 - Big Bang Theory
7 - COBE Project
8 - Dr. George Smoot
9 - Dr. Robert Jastrow
10 - Baruch Spinoza
11 - Atheists – in their most absolute and pure form they reject the existence of any god. They are furthermore noted as rejecting any religion as a form of ignorance and believe that scientists will “someday” be able to answer all questions and uncertainty.
12 - Ultimate fate of the universe
13 - Dark Matter
14 - Entropy
15 - String Theory
16 - Edward Witten
17 - M-theory
Many of these recent discoveries have been providing substantial evidence for the modern day theory of the evolution of our universe. This news of recent scientific discoveries leading to greater human understanding should not come as any surprise; however the surprising aspect of these recent cosmological discoveries is that they fit nearly perfectly with the religious belief of an All Mighty Creator.
In 1929, renowned astronomer Edwin Hubble made the discovery that the universe was expanding by discovering that the red shift, observed by light coming from distant galaxies, increased proportionately with the distance of the other galaxy relative to the Milky Way. This discovery gave birth to Hubble’s Law1 and proved that the universe was expanding. Although this forced scientists to seriously consider the possibilities of a non-“steady state universe”2 the improperly termed Big Bang did not come around until 1949 when Fred Hoyle announced it over a radio broadcast. 3 The actual theory originated from Roman Catholic priest, professor of physics and astronomer, Georges Lemaître4 who called it his “hypothesis of the primeval atom" based on Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity.5 Einstein would actually meet Hubble in person after his discovery of the expansion of the universe, which cleared up the uncertainty of the cosmological constant since Einstein was always assuming a steady-state universe.
The modern Big Bang6 model explains how our universe is evolving from an initial hot and condensed state, referred to as the singularity, to an expanding and cooling state. This has deep implications that our universe, as we know it, time space and matter, had a definitive beginning, and will have a definitive end.
The results of some other scientific discoveries further supported the Big Bang such as the COBE project 7, and discovery of cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation by Fred Hoyle.3
Dr. George Smoot8, an American astrophysicist, cosmologist and Nobel Prize winner for his work on the COBE project, publically stated that his observations were “evidence for the birth of the universe” and that, “if you’re religious, it’s like looking at God.”
Dr. Robert Jastrow9, an agnostic astronomer, physicist and cosmologist has been quoted many times for saying such things as -
"Now we see how the astronomical evidence supports the biblical view of the origin of the world....the essential elements in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same. Consider the enormousness of the problem : Science has proved that the universe exploded into being at a certain moment. It asks: 'What cause produced this effect? Who or what put the matter or energy into the universe?' And science cannot answer these questions.
"For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountain of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."
"There is a strange ring of feeling and emotion in these reactions [of scientists to evidence that the universe had a sudden beginning]. They come from the heart whereas you would expect the judgements to come from the brain. Why? I think part of the answer is that scientists cannot bear the thought of a natural phenomenon which cannot be explained, even with unlimited time and money. There is a kind of religion in science, it is the religion of a person who believes there is order and harmony in the universe, and every effect must have its cause, there is no first cause..."
"This religious faith of the scientist is violated by the discovery that the world had a beginning under conditions in which the known laws of physics are not valid, and as a product of forces or circumstances we cannot discover. When that happens, the scientist has lost control...”
Albert Einstein, although he claimed to believe in Spinoza’s God10, has also been quoted numerous times on matters of religion. Most notably “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.
One would think with the implications of the Big Bang, more people would take religion seriously. However, I suppose with all the deception and misconceptions that has been surrounding the Bible, one can also see why they have not. However, trusting the words of others is no excuse for writing off religion.
When atheists are questioned about their thoughts on the implications of the Big Bang, they typically shrug it off and immediately recite the existing theories that they think will somehow get them off the hook and answer everything. However, there is only one unlikely theory that could potentially save them. We will quickly cover this and some other existing theories.
The Big Crunch is the theory that the expansion of the universe will start to slow down and the effects of gravity will take over, causing the entire universe to be pulled back together caving in on itself. An addition to this theory is the Big Bounce where after the Big Crunch occurs, another Big Bang will occur, and the process will continue indefinitely. Atheists hang on to this theory as the ultimate fate of the universe12 because it is the only way that the universe could remain eternal and wouldn’t require an outside eternal cause.
Unfortunately this “theory” has no backing. It’s merely a reasonable hypothesis on what would happen if the force that is causing the universe to expand slowed and was overtaken by gravity. However, a Big Crunch by itself does not an eternal universe make. Following the effect of the Big Crunch, enough energy would have to be generated in order to replicate the same effect of the Big Bang. This theory in itself seems unlikely as the acceleration of the universe’s expansion is actually increasing. Furthermore, there are three possible shapes of our universe. Closed, open and flat. The only possible way a Big Crunch could occur is if the universe is closed; however the recent discoveries about dark matter13 make it most likely that even in a closed shape, dark matter would allow the universe to continue to expand. Assuming this unlikely chaotic event would then produce another Big Bang with the same precision, or possess the same level of containment, is completely baseless and pure speculation. Furthermore, evidence of this potential universal armageddon is unlikely to ever be observed. Perhaps the final nail in this theory’s coffin is the fact that this theory has to discount the Second Law of Thermodynamics and it’s relation with entropy 14. Entropy from each successive universe would most likely build up until the universe could not produce anymore, and the universe would die due to heath death.
This does not sound like something you should base your faith on.
Atheists seem to think there’s another way out with some additional theories, but unfortunately they are mistaken, but we will get to those later. Next we will cover the more likely end-states for our universe.
These two more likely end-states for the universe are both the results of a continuously expanding universe.
The Big Freeze is a scenario where the continuous expansion of the universe results in the universe asymptotically approaching absolute zero temperature and would be too cold for anything to survive.
Universal heath death is similar, however the scenario would take place as the universe enters a state of maximum entropy and entropy product ceases, causing the inability for anymore work to be done in the universe.
The implication here is that with what we currently know, scientists have all but completely ruled out an eternal universe. This universe as we know it, and all time space and matter within it, is bound for a dreary end similar to something that is right out of a science fiction movie. This ultimately indicates from scientific evidence that our universe has to have an eternal external cause. Atheists still are not convinced as they have some theories “beyond the Big Bang” which they falsely think they can fall back on.
Scientists are now attempting to go backwards in time, "before" the singularity, "before" the Big Bang. This gives them hope that everything has yet to be answered, and that there are answers to come. Let us discuss how scientists have been attempting to look past the singularity.
Scientists have been unable to get beyond the singularity of the Big Bang with the current methods of quantum mechanics and general relativity. They believe they need both theories to solve the singularity, however the two theories do not mesh together. String theory is a developing branch of quantum mechanics and general relativity which is attempting to combine the two into a quantum theory of gravity effectively having a theory for "everything." It theorizes that everything in the universe from all particles to all forms of energy are made up of a series of indefinitely thin vibrating strings.
There are five different versions of string theory, from different scientists, which all appear to be functional yet they contradict each other. Edward Witten16, who has been claimed to be the smartest man on earth, has come up with his own theory that looks at the five seemly contradicting theories and has rationalized it as all five string theories being correct from different perspectives. The result asserts that the strings are really 1 dimensional slices of 2 dimensional membranes vibrating in 11 dimensional space. The theory has been named M-Theory17.
M-Theory is still being worked on and is currently accepted as the best available model for a theory for "everything" although it cannot currently be proven and is simply a mathematical system at this point.
This ten minute video is a model representation of what would have taken place before the Big Bang if M-Theory is correct.
The video shows multiple universes each a "membrane universe" that moves and ripples. As these branes, as they are called, move they collide with each other and the ripple movement causes matter to form after the initial collision. This initial collision would be a big bang for each universe. The video goes on to say there would be an infinite number of branes or universes.
While this information is surely extremely difficult to conceive, the implications are easy to grasp. Leading edge scientific discovery is hinting at an infinite amount of universes in existence concurrently with our own.
Why is this important? The Big Bang already implies an eternal cause outside of our universe. The direction leading edge science is heading in is theorizing an eternal cause to an infinite amount of universes.
Atheism is truly blind faith at this point. Only they are putting their faith into something that contradicts their belief.
Here is a quick and simple wrap up of what this post has covered.
- Big Bang Theory implies that our universe had a beginning and it will have an end. It is very unlikely to be eternal, so therefor, there most likely is an eternal cause outside of our universe.
- At this point in time, waiting for science to tell you what to believe is a poor choice. The latest theories are providing data that is incomprehensible to the human mind. An infinite amount of universes strongly indicating an eternal mystical cause for everything in existence.
It is not logically or reasonably possible to argue that our universe had anything other than an eternal and mystical cause at this point. The atheistic viewpoint is obsolete. Their typical answer of wait for information from scientists has run it's course, because at this stage, science is unlikely to be able to support their viewpoint. Sure M-theory could be wrong, but as of right now science has apparently given up on the possibility of our universe being eternal.
There is no excuse for believing scientists will be able to make your decisions for you. See where the existing evidence lies and choose your worldview carefully. I will show in upcoming posts that the Christian worldview is the most logical and reasonable worldview based on the available existing evidence.
God bless.
__________________________________________________
1 - Hubble’s Law
2 - Steady State Theory
3 - Fred Hoyle – Originator of the term "Big Bang" and discovered the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
4 - Georges Lemaître
5 - General Theory of Relativity
6 - Big Bang Theory
7 - COBE Project
8 - Dr. George Smoot
9 - Dr. Robert Jastrow
10 - Baruch Spinoza
11 - Atheists – in their most absolute and pure form they reject the existence of any god. They are furthermore noted as rejecting any religion as a form of ignorance and believe that scientists will “someday” be able to answer all questions and uncertainty.
12 - Ultimate fate of the universe
13 - Dark Matter
14 - Entropy
15 - String Theory
16 - Edward Witten
17 - M-theory
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Common Misconceptions About Science and Religion
For my first post, I wanted to analyse and discuss, what I feel are, some common misconceptions and confusions in relation to science and religion.
Misconceptions Caused By Interpretations of the Bible
The interpretation of scripture is a disagreement that has been going on for millennia. The Christian religion itself branched off of Judaism because the two have never agreed on whether or not Jesus met the qualifications for the Messiah. Even within Christianity itself, we have different denominations. Many which are based on specific interpretations of scripture.
Some believers seem to interpret the Bible as having all the answers in the known universe, and attempt to make any major discovery or event fit within the Bible. While I agree that the Bible is comprised of the most important literary works in existence, the nature of man is arrogant and they feel they are entitled to know everything there is to know about the universe. I cannot object to this, because I do enjoy electricity, television, and this computer. Furthermore, it would be difficult to argue against the importance of discoveries that have lead to such essential technological advances (computers, Internet, and the printing press for instance) that have helped immensely in spreading the Word of God.1
The main problem with trying to interpret every discovery from the Bible is you are forcing answers from it. No one on earth knows God's intentions when he oversaw the creation of the Word of God. We can reasonably conclude that God ensured the Bible contains what he wanted man to know, but we cannot conclude to know what details God wanted man to know. We can form logical speculations but cannot form logical conclusions unless we have sufficient available evidence. Furthermore, if we have multiple logical speculations, then we cannot form a logical conclusion.
What's the difference between a "logical and reasonable speculation" and a "logical and reasonable conclusion?" Before we continue, I would like to present the following simple illustration to clearly differentiate the two phrases " logical and reasonable speculations" and "logical and reasonable conclusions."
Below is a list of properties for an animal.
- Four-legged
- Has a tail
- Is a carnivore
Here are the presented animals. Which animal fits the above traits?
- Tiger
- Elephant
- Alligator
- Pigeon
Given the above traits, we can logically and reasonable speculate that the animal is a tiger as it has four legs, a tail, and eats meat. We can also logically and reasonable speculate that the alligator also meets the requirements. We cannot, however, logically and reasonable conclude that the animal is a tiger, or an alligator, or any animal from the list, for that matter, because there is not enough information. There is more than one logical and reasonable speculation that can be made on which animal it is.
If we are given a fourth trait, that the animal is a reptile, we can now only logically and reasonably speculate one possible animal from the list, and that is an alligator. We now have sufficient information to logically and reasonably conclude that the animal is an alligator.
Now let us move on to the first misconception.
Young Earth Believers
One specific example of this is the age of the earth. Genesis 12 does not indicate any specific date, or any specific age of the Earth. Some have concluded the age of the earth is roughly 6000 years old by calculating time references throughout the Bible, tracing back genealogies, etc.
Is the earth really less than ten thousand years old? Did we really go from no earth, to a full earth in six days? Or did God simply leave out specific details, unnecessary for his intentions, of the universe's construction that could potentially fill a book much larger than the Bible to describe?
If we examine Genesis 1:1-2 We see that, even taking the scripture literally, there is no specific age or even any mildly strong indication of the amount of time that has passed between verses.
Genesis 1:1 lets us know God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:2 lets us know that the earth is "now" formless and empty. Scientists theorize that the earth has undergone countless transformations in it's history. Could this be one of those transformations, and could there be millions or billions of years in between the two verses? What is time to an eternal being?
These logical questions and uncertainty are good examples of the logical flaw one makes when concluding beliefs based on one's interpretation of the Bible. There is not enough information given to make any logical or reasonable conclusion that God is giving us any sort of time frame between Genesis 1:1-1:2.
Genesis 1:3-19 describes the forming of the earth. These verses will certainly cause some controversy as it could be logically interpreted as the creation of the sun and stars, which would obviously conflict with modern scientific theories. However, many can also speculate that it was a modification of the atmosphere changing the properties of "day" and "night." Perhaps it was night time in the area of the earth God was working in and, as an eternal being, he transcended time to arrive 12 hours later when there was day light from the existing sun. One could speculate God gave the account of creation the way he wanted and decided to leave out the elaborate details, and only the ones that he deemed meaningful were given specifically.
There are many logical speculations that would fit here, but the only logical conclusion is there is not enough information to make any logical or reasonable conclusions. The only thing we can logically and reasonably conclude from the information given is that God created and formed the earth and stars.
Possibility of an Evolution-like Process
Another major disagreement between believers over the interpretation of scripture is the possibility of an evolution-like process.
Genesis 1:20-31 describes the creation of the animals and beasts of the world. We can make multiple speculations on the meaning of these verses as well. One could speculate that these verses are literal and that all families of animals were created in two days as fully formed animals. One could speculate that these verses are literal, and that God put in natural laws to govern a process of life similar to evolution. One could speculate that these verses are literal, and that God put in natural laws to govern a process of life similar to evolution, and that he fast forwarded the process to a point where full grown animals existed. One could speculate God gave the account of the creation of animals and beasts the way he deemed adequate and decided to leave out the elaborate details.
There are too many logical speculations that can be made to make any logical conclusions on how God created animals and beasts of the world. The only logical and reasonable conclusion we can make is that God is telling us he created all the animals and beasts of the world.
I would wager that these two illogically and unreasonably formed misconceptions have caused more confusion in the world about religion, in past years, than on any other topic in the world, throughout history.
Non-believers use evolution as an excuse to not believe in God. Believers use their interpretation of the Bible as an excuse to not believe in evolution, or an evolution-like theory.
Non-believers use Old Earth Theories to not believe in God. Young Earth believers use their interpretation of the Bible as an excuse to dismiss scientific discoveries.
It would be a great justice to the world and to mankind if people would not make conclusions based on their interpretations of scripture. If you put an orange through a vice, you are going to get the pits, and that is what is happening with the Bible. Making logical and reasonable speculations is fine, but squeezing illogical and unreasonable conclusions out of it, is producing bad fruit.3 These misconceptions lead into the next section.
Science Disproves The Bible
The last two misconceptions have given much of the world the viewpoint that science and the Bible are incompatible. Many non-believers and believers alike believe the illogical and unreasonable conclusion that the Bible teaches of a young earth.
I'm sorry my fellow believers, but if you believe in a young earth, I will have to side with the non-believers on just about everything other than the existence of God and the actual concrete logical and reasonable conclusions that can be made from the Bible, which includes the most meaningful and beautiful gesture one could ever witness. (I will not footnote this verse due to it's importance.) John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Young earth believers have backed themselves into a corner by trying to explain away dinosaur fossils, dating methods, the big bang theory and cosmos, any form of evolution-like process, and so on and so forth. The only way a young earth believer can logically or reasonably explain their position is to claim that Satan has deceived the world and planted fossils and has manipulated the cosmos and has skewed the results of numerous scientific studies.
Unfortunately, a non-believer will not buy that and for good reason. While it is somewhat logical and I acknowledge that Satan beholds the power to deceive mankind, it would be more logical and reasonable that All-Mighty God would not allow him to contort reality so much that the discoveries of the world and universe do not make logical or reasonable sense. At this point, young earth believers are left without a leg to stand on. However, there is very good news and that is there is a far more logical and reasonable explanation.
That far more logical and reasonable explanation is that scientific discoveries and the geniuses who have utilized it throughout the ages (to give us such sophisticated devices like televisions, computers, land sea and air transportation vehicles, space shuttles, advanced astronomy equipment, advanced medical equipment, not to mention the millions of scientific discoveries) are actually reasonably accurate and the numerous discoveries they have made indicate an old universe and earth.
Yes, science has truly made some extraordinary discoveries that have lead to extraordinary creations. There is a problem however; some people see the results that science has achieved through the years and have put all of their "faith" in science. Combine this with the misconception of illogical and unreasonable conclusions made through Bible interpretations and it is a recipe for disaster.
Why can we not put all of our faith in science? Because science is limited in that it can only study observations that can be seen in our natural known universe. Why is this a problem? Because there is so much that is unknown and unobserved and is unlikely to ever be observed before the end of the universe, that putting your "faith" in science, is putting your faith in ignorance.4 (There is also a problem for science when it comes to the Big Bang theory's indicative supernatural cause, which will be covered in a later post.) Ignorance is the lack of knowledge, and there is an unfathomable amount of unknowns in the universe.
So then the implication is religion has all the answers? Of course not. However, science is unlikely to ever give you the answer. If you are waiting on science for answers on this subject, then you are living and waiting for answers from ignorance.
What's the solution then? I feel it is to come with a completely objective frame of mind, analyze the existing evidence, and form the most logical and reasonable world view5 that fits the available evidence.
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstein6
God Bless
________________________________________________
1 - Matthew 28:18-22 - 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
2 - Genesis 1:1-24 - 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
3 - Matthew 7:18 -"18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit."
4 - Main Entry: ig·no·rance
Pronunciation: \ˈig-n(ə-)rən(t)s\
Function: noun
Date: 13th century
: the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awareness
5 - Explanation of the term world view
6 - It needs to be noted that Albert Einstein believed in Spinoza's "everything is god" philosophy and was not a theist.
The interpretation of scripture is a disagreement that has been going on for millennia. The Christian religion itself branched off of Judaism because the two have never agreed on whether or not Jesus met the qualifications for the Messiah. Even within Christianity itself, we have different denominations. Many which are based on specific interpretations of scripture.
Some believers seem to interpret the Bible as having all the answers in the known universe, and attempt to make any major discovery or event fit within the Bible. While I agree that the Bible is comprised of the most important literary works in existence, the nature of man is arrogant and they feel they are entitled to know everything there is to know about the universe. I cannot object to this, because I do enjoy electricity, television, and this computer. Furthermore, it would be difficult to argue against the importance of discoveries that have lead to such essential technological advances (computers, Internet, and the printing press for instance) that have helped immensely in spreading the Word of God.1
The main problem with trying to interpret every discovery from the Bible is you are forcing answers from it. No one on earth knows God's intentions when he oversaw the creation of the Word of God. We can reasonably conclude that God ensured the Bible contains what he wanted man to know, but we cannot conclude to know what details God wanted man to know. We can form logical speculations but cannot form logical conclusions unless we have sufficient available evidence. Furthermore, if we have multiple logical speculations, then we cannot form a logical conclusion.
What's the difference between a "logical and reasonable speculation" and a "logical and reasonable conclusion?" Before we continue, I would like to present the following simple illustration to clearly differentiate the two phrases " logical and reasonable speculations" and "logical and reasonable conclusions."
Below is a list of properties for an animal.
- Four-legged
- Has a tail
- Is a carnivore
Here are the presented animals. Which animal fits the above traits?
- Tiger
- Elephant
- Alligator
- Pigeon
Given the above traits, we can logically and reasonable speculate that the animal is a tiger as it has four legs, a tail, and eats meat. We can also logically and reasonable speculate that the alligator also meets the requirements. We cannot, however, logically and reasonable conclude that the animal is a tiger, or an alligator, or any animal from the list, for that matter, because there is not enough information. There is more than one logical and reasonable speculation that can be made on which animal it is.
If we are given a fourth trait, that the animal is a reptile, we can now only logically and reasonably speculate one possible animal from the list, and that is an alligator. We now have sufficient information to logically and reasonably conclude that the animal is an alligator.
Now let us move on to the first misconception.
Young Earth Believers
One specific example of this is the age of the earth. Genesis 12 does not indicate any specific date, or any specific age of the Earth. Some have concluded the age of the earth is roughly 6000 years old by calculating time references throughout the Bible, tracing back genealogies, etc.
Is the earth really less than ten thousand years old? Did we really go from no earth, to a full earth in six days? Or did God simply leave out specific details, unnecessary for his intentions, of the universe's construction that could potentially fill a book much larger than the Bible to describe?
If we examine Genesis 1:1-2 We see that, even taking the scripture literally, there is no specific age or even any mildly strong indication of the amount of time that has passed between verses.
Genesis 1:1 lets us know God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:2 lets us know that the earth is "now" formless and empty. Scientists theorize that the earth has undergone countless transformations in it's history. Could this be one of those transformations, and could there be millions or billions of years in between the two verses? What is time to an eternal being?
These logical questions and uncertainty are good examples of the logical flaw one makes when concluding beliefs based on one's interpretation of the Bible. There is not enough information given to make any logical or reasonable conclusion that God is giving us any sort of time frame between Genesis 1:1-1:2.
Genesis 1:3-19 describes the forming of the earth. These verses will certainly cause some controversy as it could be logically interpreted as the creation of the sun and stars, which would obviously conflict with modern scientific theories. However, many can also speculate that it was a modification of the atmosphere changing the properties of "day" and "night." Perhaps it was night time in the area of the earth God was working in and, as an eternal being, he transcended time to arrive 12 hours later when there was day light from the existing sun. One could speculate God gave the account of creation the way he wanted and decided to leave out the elaborate details, and only the ones that he deemed meaningful were given specifically.
There are many logical speculations that would fit here, but the only logical conclusion is there is not enough information to make any logical or reasonable conclusions. The only thing we can logically and reasonably conclude from the information given is that God created and formed the earth and stars.
Possibility of an Evolution-like Process
Another major disagreement between believers over the interpretation of scripture is the possibility of an evolution-like process.
Genesis 1:20-31 describes the creation of the animals and beasts of the world. We can make multiple speculations on the meaning of these verses as well. One could speculate that these verses are literal and that all families of animals were created in two days as fully formed animals. One could speculate that these verses are literal, and that God put in natural laws to govern a process of life similar to evolution. One could speculate that these verses are literal, and that God put in natural laws to govern a process of life similar to evolution, and that he fast forwarded the process to a point where full grown animals existed. One could speculate God gave the account of the creation of animals and beasts the way he deemed adequate and decided to leave out the elaborate details.
There are too many logical speculations that can be made to make any logical conclusions on how God created animals and beasts of the world. The only logical and reasonable conclusion we can make is that God is telling us he created all the animals and beasts of the world.
I would wager that these two illogically and unreasonably formed misconceptions have caused more confusion in the world about religion, in past years, than on any other topic in the world, throughout history.
Non-believers use evolution as an excuse to not believe in God. Believers use their interpretation of the Bible as an excuse to not believe in evolution, or an evolution-like theory.
Non-believers use Old Earth Theories to not believe in God. Young Earth believers use their interpretation of the Bible as an excuse to dismiss scientific discoveries.
It would be a great justice to the world and to mankind if people would not make conclusions based on their interpretations of scripture. If you put an orange through a vice, you are going to get the pits, and that is what is happening with the Bible. Making logical and reasonable speculations is fine, but squeezing illogical and unreasonable conclusions out of it, is producing bad fruit.
The last two misconceptions have given much of the world the viewpoint that science and the Bible are incompatible. Many non-believers and believers alike believe the illogical and unreasonable conclusion that the Bible teaches of a young earth.
I'm sorry my fellow believers, but if you believe in a young earth, I will have to side with the non-believers on just about everything other than the existence of God and the actual concrete logical and reasonable conclusions that can be made from the Bible, which includes the most meaningful and beautiful gesture one could ever witness. (I will not footnote this verse due to it's importance.) John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Young earth believers have backed themselves into a corner by trying to explain away dinosaur fossils, dating methods, the big bang theory and cosmos, any form of evolution-like process, and so on and so forth. The only way a young earth believer can logically or reasonably explain their position is to claim that Satan has deceived the world and planted fossils and has manipulated the cosmos and has skewed the results of numerous scientific studies.
Unfortunately, a non-believer will not buy that and for good reason. While it is somewhat logical and I acknowledge that Satan beholds the power to deceive mankind, it would be more logical and reasonable that All-Mighty God would not allow him to contort reality so much that the discoveries of the world and universe do not make logical or reasonable sense. At this point, young earth believers are left without a leg to stand on. However, there is very good news and that is there is a far more logical and reasonable explanation.
That far more logical and reasonable explanation is that scientific discoveries and the geniuses who have utilized it throughout the ages (to give us such sophisticated devices like televisions, computers, land sea and air transportation vehicles, space shuttles, advanced astronomy equipment, advanced medical equipment, not to mention the millions of scientific discoveries) are actually reasonably accurate and the numerous discoveries they have made indicate an old universe and earth.
Yes, science has truly made some extraordinary discoveries that have lead to extraordinary creations. There is a problem however; some people see the results that science has achieved through the years and have put all of their "faith" in science. Combine this with the misconception of illogical and unreasonable conclusions made through Bible interpretations and it is a recipe for disaster.
Why can we not put all of our faith in science? Because science is limited in that it can only study observations that can be seen in our natural known universe. Why is this a problem? Because there is so much that is unknown and unobserved and is unlikely to ever be observed before the end of the universe, that putting your "faith" in science, is putting your faith in ignorance.4 (There is also a problem for science when it comes to the Big Bang theory's indicative supernatural cause, which will be covered in a later post.) Ignorance is the lack of knowledge, and there is an unfathomable amount of unknowns in the universe.
So then the implication is religion has all the answers? Of course not. However, science is unlikely to ever give you the answer. If you are waiting on science for answers on this subject, then you are living and waiting for answers from ignorance.
What's the solution then? I feel it is to come with a completely objective frame of mind, analyze the existing evidence, and form the most logical and reasonable world view5 that fits the available evidence.
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." - Albert Einstein6
God Bless
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1 - Matthew 28:18-22 - 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
2 - Genesis 1:1-24 - 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 20 And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." 29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
3 - Matthew 7:18 -"18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit."
4 - Main Entry: ig·no·rance
Pronunciation: \ˈig-n(ə-)rən(t)s\
Function: noun
Date: 13th century
: the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awareness
5 - Explanation of the term world view
6 - It needs to be noted that Albert Einstein believed in Spinoza's "everything is god" philosophy and was not a theist.
Welcome and Introduction
If you have made it to this site, then you are most likely seeking answers to the questions that have plagued mankind for ages and still stir debate today and will still be the subject of many discussions tomorrow, the day after that, and so on and so forth until the end of days.
"Why are we here?" "What caused the universe?" "Are we the result of mere chance, or did an all powerful, intelligent being create all that exists in the natural universe as we know it?" I hope this site can induct some critical thinking and reasoning to help answer these questions and more.
I know it is predictable and cliché for me to start off with a Bible verse; however I promise the intent of this site is to provide enough evidence outside of and surrounding the Bible to take what is inside the Bible seriously. Or at the very least, convince a person capable of logical thought and reasoning that the existence of an all mighty god is a realistic possibility. After all, to completely rule him out (an absolute atheist) would be illogical, unreasonable and displays an inability in one's mind to accept the fact that the existence of an intelligent designer is possible. Likewise, claiming that a god certainly exists (an absolute deist or theist) would also be illogical, unreasonable and displays an unwillingness in one's mind to accept the fact that there is a possibility that an intelligent designer may not exist. People who examine the available evidence logically and reasonably meet somewhere in the middle.
Now without further ado, here is the verse - "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." - Romans 1:20
I personally feel that this verse is accurate if one examines the available evidence with an object and logical approach. Please do not mistake this as calling non-believers illogical. It's simply giving my personal belief that there is substantial enough evidence outside of and surrounding the Bible to take what's inside the Bible seriously.
I am not after recognition neither positive nor negative, so I will remain relatively anonymous at this time. However I will share some information about myself and my beliefs. I am currently in my late twenties and am married with children. I am an Information Technology Professional at a software company. I attended college but do not have any degrees.
My early religion fits in well with the stereotypical Christian. My mother forced me to go to church on and off for a few years when I was a little boy. I went occasional when I started making my own decisions, but for the most part, I was never really a regular church goer.
Fast forward many years, and my church attendance may have been once or twice a year, but I still considered myself a Christian although hardly lived the life, read the Bible, went to church, prayed with any real meaning, etc. I was getting further and further away from God until I was actually questioning if he existed.
I was in the spiritual gutter when I had heard Adam Corolla express for the umpteenth time, that religious people were stupid and that God did not exist on old episodes of Love Line I use to listen to.
Despite my spiritual weakness, I normally could assure myself they were wrong and shrug off any doubt when I heard such claims. However Adam Corolla seems intelligent on most topics and I tend to agree with things he says about politics and the world so maybe he was right? Once I let doubt crack my faith, it was flooded with the river of reasons on why surely religion and Christianity make no sense!
My faith was able to stop the bleeding and I pondered deeply on the subject. What made more sense to me? That we were all here by mere random chance of unfathomable probability? Or that perhaps some intelligence force was at work. As I thought this over, I came to the conclusion that just from a logistics stand point, that it seemed more likely that an intelligent force was behind the universe.
I had luckily salvaged enough of my faith to start looking for answers. This was some notable progress for me, because it is the first time in years, even when my faith was supposedly "stronger," that I was actively looking for answers and reaching out to God¹.
In my search for answers, I turned to the Internet as most people seem to these days for answers, and started listening to a series of pod casts and Bible readings². Everyone knows the internet can be a downright horrible place when you mix the evil nature of man with anonymity shielding him from any consequences for his actions, so it was a roller-coaster ride sorting through all the misconceptions, misinterpretations, lies and down right baloney to find any rational information about the subject.
My greatest and most influential finding was when I stumbled upon a debate between Christian apologetic Dr. Frank Turek and Atheist Christopher Hitchens. This was the first time I had witnessed someone using scientific evidence in an argument FOR God. And much more importantly, it all made perfect logical sense. I'm not saying logical sense equals truth, but logical sense obviously goes a long way when you are trying to believe that something is true. After watching Dr. Turek in the debate, I felt compelled to purchase his book, "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist" that he co-authored with Dr. Norman L. Geisler. The book expands on Dr. Turek's points I witnessed during the debate and I found it very informative.
Dr. Turek influenced me greatly, and posts on this blog will contain many of the points and pieces of evidence that both he and Dr. Geisler discuss in their book. I feel they would want to credit the other great people that surely influenced both authors.³
The purpose of this blog is to challenge readers to use critical thinking and logical reasoning. Discussion will be very beneficial for challenging people to think critically, and logically.
- Comments are allowed and strongly encouraged for discussion's sake. However, they will be heavily moderated. No cussing, personal attacks, put-downs, etc will be allowed and discussions must remain civil.
- Comments repeating the same idea multiple times by the same author (spamming) without any logical point, or reliable source will not be allowed.
- I reserve the right to edit the blog posts to make updates, as new information is revealed either through new discoveries or successfully refuted points, and for any other unspecified reason.
Contact - romans120blog@gmail.com
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¹ - "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." - Hebrews 11:6
² - Thru The Bible with Dr. J. Vernon Mcgee
It Is Written with Pastor Shawn Boonstra
³ - Dr. William Lane Craig
Dr. Michael Behe - biochemist
The late Dr. Robert Jastrow - Astronomer, physicist and cosmologist
Dr. George Smoot - astrophysicist and cosmologist
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