We begin our search for an intelligent designer behind our conscious reality by considering the most obvious and logical proof that exists – the cosmos. Cosmos describes our universe in total, comprised of all of time and space and its contents. It includes the planets, moons, stars, solar systems, galaxies, contents of intergalactic space, and all matter and energy everywhere, including the tiniest particles that comprise matter itself. Science continually proves that the universe is a complex and orderly designed system.
The most noted argument for the existence of an intelligent designer (a creator God) of the cosmos is defined as “the cosmological argument.” The reality of the existence of God is based on facts about the universe concerning its own reality, its causation, and its complex and orderly designed system, from the totality of its infinite largeness, to the smallness of its finite matter. Our quest here is to put some reason and logic to whether the Bible is faithful with what logic and reason tells us about 1) the reality of an incomprehensible universe, 2) that the cause (Creator) of the universe is God, and 3) the design itself is the best proof that God exists, is eternal, has intelligence, and has a purpose.
As recovering alcoholic’s it’s likely that we need not discuss the question of whether the universe exists. It would be hard to deny this point. There are those that seem to think that it is all a figment of their imagination but we needn’t go there. We are leaving fantasy behind as we grow in recovery. With sobriety, we are once again experiencing the reality of our own senses being open to wonderment, as we did as children, who at one time or another, were awed by the vastness of the nighttime heavens. Hopefully, you can relate to this rediscovery of the senses. It makes us open to consider what the Bible tells us about the universe in Psalm 19:1-2: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech and night to night reveals knowledge“. In recovery, our Intuition is quickened by a growing sense of spirituality and it becomes easier to accept the truth found in these simple words. It is often difficult to understand why so many are blinded to this reality, which in itself, is a general revelation about God to all.
And many are. In the early nineteen-eighties Carl Sagan, now deceased, was a noted astronomer and philosopher who produced a television series entitled “Cosmos”. His mantra was “the cosmos is all there is or ever was or ever will be”. He stated that “There are in fact 100 billion galaxies, each of which contains something like a 100 billion stars. Think of how many stars, and planets, and kinds of life there may be in this vast and awesome universe.” “We find that we live on an insignificant planet, of a humdrum star, lost in a galaxy, tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe, in which there are far more galaxies than people.” So his estimate of the number of stars was 100,000,000,000 times 100,000,000,000 or 1 followed by 22 zeros. Carl Sagan was restricted by the limitations of the telescopes of that time.
The physical structure of the natural universe is so vast it is beyond comprehension. Since Sagan’s series and using more advanced telescopes (Hubble) the number of galaxies is now estimated to be 10 trillion so the total number of stars is now estimated to be a 1 followed by 24 zeros. This is 100 times the number of stars estimated by science a few short years ago. This is a number far too large for us to understand and we still cannot prove there is an end or what may be beyond it. We can now see farther away than ever and also microscopically peer deeper into the actual finite makeup of atomic matter itself. At both extremes our visibility is still dim, but complex design is prevalent in everything we do see. In stark contrast to Carl Sagan’s belief, the Bible tells us that we are not on an insignificant planet and that we certainly haven’t been forgotten. As the universe exists so does life on this planet. And everywhere we look we see logic, intelligence, and natural physical laws behind the design of the universe and life itself. The idea that there is no designer behind the creation of the universe is totally ludicrous and becomes almost a farfetched fantasy to believe otherwise. Science has its value and can help us see the reality of existence and its structural design but what it has no knowledge of, is why we don’t see life anywhere else in the known universe or what created the universe.
It is a common belief in the scientific community that the universe started with a “Big Bang”. Thus, science states the universe is not eternal in nature and had a beginning. If that is so, then Carl Sagan was wrong when he said that the universe is all there is, or ever was, or ever will be. Sagan’s viewpoint influenced many and instilled in them the idea that existence is limited to only that which can be seen and proven scientifically. He was of course an atheist. That viewpoint is also in opposition to the biblical account, where within its pages, God is described as an eternal deity. To repeat, science is valuable for discovery but it has its limitations. We are told that the universe is expanding and only a few years ago that it was slowing down and would eventually collapse upon itself. The viewpoint now is that it is actually speeding up, due to dark matter, adding more complex design to the theory. Science with its laws cannot tell us how the universe got here, only that it is real. Since it is real, how did it come into existence? The “Big Bang” concept is a theory, but if it is true, it invokes the law of cause and effect and the need to consider both time and entropy (deterioration), as part of the process.
Atheists and agnostics differ by saying, “The Cosmos just is.” However, that explanation is in opposition to the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, which, because usable energy is running out, demonstrates that the Cosmos is finite. It must have had a cause/beginning, and of course, an end. If there is no cause that produced the first moment in time of the universe it would be a major contradiction of one of the foundational principles of science. Someone might say that some things are caused by other things, but this does not solve the problem. This is because those other things had to have causes, too, and this cannot go on forever. It is sort of the chicken and the egg dilemma. The natural world is a system based on cause and effect. The universe had a beginning; therefore, the universe had a cause. The very fundamentals of science are that something (effect) is always the result of something else (cause). Theology logically states that this cause, being outside the whole universe, is God. Therefore, there is, at the beginning at least, a first cause—one that had no beginning. This first cause is God, who by definition is eternal. A Divine, Supernatural, Infinite and eternal being is the only rational explanation for the existence of the Universe, and the intuitive knowledge that it is designed specifically for a purpose. God is the uncaused cause and it must have something to do with you and me. That’s what the bible says. That is my belief, is it yours?
The contrast of the awesome majesty of a supernatural holy Creator and the touch of His personal love that is demonstrated in A.A. is evident. With sobriety, the feelings we once had return from deep within us, and we are once again able to appreciate our world. Trees look crisp and clear as we notice the variations of green; before, green was just green. Flowers appear to grow where they never grew before. The air that we breathe smells sweeter and as our aesthetic eyes open, we sense the awe and wonder of nature once again. Though we learn to appreciate it, it is difficult to ever comprehend with our frail human mind the scope of God’s creation. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, and the very first passage provides the simple statement of: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The perfection of the universe with its detail, from the largest sun to the smallest particle, defies description within our comprehension. The world system attempts to explain it away with scientific jargon and guesswork, but that cannot even touch the surface. It is man’s nature to explain everything with his own knowledge and to act only in his own wisdom – a somewhat comical charade to God perhaps. Increasingly, reputable scientists are considering the biblical creation account. This is another instance of God patiently waiting for humanity to catch up.) From the book, Eternal Sobriety, Chapter Six, “This Thing Called Self”
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Romans 12:3
Hubble Goes to the eXtreme to Assemble Farthest Ever View of the Universe