According to a study done by Lifeway Research in 2008, 81
percent of young adults (between the ages of 20 and 29) believe that God or a
higher supreme being exists.[1]
I’m certain that at least some of this belief comes from the beliefs many of
us were taught growing up. Virtually everyone has been exposed to a religion of
one type or another throughout their lives, most of which claim the existence
of one or more higher supreme beings. But not all of these people merely
believe a higher supreme being exists because that’s what they learned in
Sunday school; there are also a number of people who believe a higher supreme
being exists because of their observations of the world around them. I have
written this post in an effort to share a few of the observations which point
towards the existence of a higher supreme being who exists in some form both
inside and outside of the universe.
A Higher Supreme Being in the Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is currently the leading scientific explanation
for how the universe came into existence. According to the Big Bang Theory, the
universe has not always existed. At one moment it didn’t exist, but at another
it did exist. The Big Bang Theory states that the universe began as an
infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, and infinitely dense “something.” Over
time, this “something” “expanded and cooled, going from very, very small and
very, very hot, to the size and temperature of our current universe.”[2] This
“something” consisted of neutrons, electrons, and protons, known as the
foundational building blocks of matter, which either decayed or combined as the
universe got cooler.[3]
The Big Bang Theory indirectly claims that energy appeared
out of nothing, a feat which defies the first law of thermodynamics (the total
energy of an isolated system is constant; energy can be transformed from one
form to another, but cannot be created or destroyed) and went from disorder to
order, a feat which defies the second law of thermodynamics (the total entropy
of an isolated system always increases over time, or remains constant in ideal
cases where the system is in a steady state or undergoing a reversible
process).
How did energy appear out of nothing and create the ordered
universe we see today? Although many scientists support the Big Bang Theory,
they are divided or even unsure of the strange phenomenon which brought about
the sudden beginning and expansion of the universe.[4]
Some people claim this strange phenomenon happened by chance. But the
probability of this strange phenomenon happening by chance is so small that it
falls into the realm of impossible. Others claim that it was directed by a
higher supreme being. This is the side I take.
Fine-Tuning During Universe Expansion
When the universe began to expand, it “threatened to
recollapse within a fraction of a second or else to expand so fast that galaxy
formation would be impossible. To avoid these disasters its rate of expansion
at early instants needed to be fine tuned to perhaps one part in 1055 (which
is 10 followed by 54 zeros).”[5] In
engineering lingo, that’s an extremely small amount of tolerance. If the
universe had not expanded precisely at the speed it did, it wouldn’t exist.
Another fine-tuning component during the universe’s initial
expansion was the strength of the nuclear strong and weak forces. If the
nuclear weak force had been appreciably stronger, then the Big Bang would’ve
burned all hydrogen to helium. On the other hand, if the nuclear weak force
would’ve been weaker, then it would’ve destroyed the hydrogen because the
neutrons formed at early times would’ve decayed into protons.[6] As
it currently stands, hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe.
Without hydrogen, water wouldn’t have been able to exist. At the same time, the
nuclear strong force had to be within 1 percent of what it is in order for
hydrogen and carbon to be created in mass quantities, leading for the formation
of stars.[7]
The final fine-tuning component I will share is the distance
of the earth from the sun. The earth is on average 92,955,807 miles away from
the sun (varies between 91 and 94.5 million miles from the sun because it
follows an elliptical path around the sun). If the earth was a few million
miles closer to the sun, all the icecaps would melt resulting in the land being
covered up by water. Conversely, if the earth was a few million miles further
from the sun, the entire planet would be covered in ice. As it stands, the
earth is located exactly where it needs to be from the sun in order to sustain
life.
The Harmony of the Universe
Albert Einstein once wrote:
I am not a “free-thinker” in the usual sense of the word because I find that this is in the main an attitude nourished exclusively by an opposition against naïve superstition. My feeling is insofar religious as I am imbued with the consciousness of the insufficiency of the human mind to understand deeply the harmony of the Universe which we try to formulate as “laws of nature.” It is the consciousness and humility I miss in the Free-thinker mentality.[8]
Like Einstein, when I observe the harmony which exists
throughout the universe, I can’t help but conclude that there must be a
supernatural architect/engineer who designed and built it. There is harmony
throughout everything which takes place, from something as simple as the
bonding of hydrogen and oxygen to form water to the evaporation, condensation,
and precipitation process to the fact that the earth is suspended in space
circling the sun due to the sun’s gravitational pull. It is true that these
realities exist because of natural laws inside the universe, but the laws had
to come from somewhere. I don’t see how “chance” could’ve created the universe
to exist and operate in perfect harmony as it currently does.
Faith
The final aspect of my belief in a supernatural being is the
element of faith. Faith is defined as a persuasion, belief, confidence, and
trust.[9] I
can observe all these facets of the universe and stand in wonder of them, but
that doesn’t mean I have to believe that a higher supreme being created them. No
one has actually been able to scientifically prove the existence of a higher
supreme being, meaning that in order to believe in the existence of a higher supreme
being, one must exercise an element of faith. That’s the type of faith I have.
I’ve never seen, touched, or audibly heard a higher supreme being, yet I am
persuaded, have a belief, have a conviction, and trust that one exists. And
according to Lifeway Research’s study, most people in this country have faith
that a higher supreme being exists as well.
–
Do you believe a higher supreme being exists? Why or why
not?
[1] Ed
Stetzer, Richie Stanley, and Jason Hayes, Lost
and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them
(Nashville: B&H, 2009), 21.
[2] “Big
Bang Theory – An Overview,” All About Science, n.d., accessed January 11, 2017,
http://www.big-bang-theory.com/.
[3]
“What Is the Big Bang Theory?”, Space.com, June 22, 2015, accessed January 11,
2017, http://www.space.com/25126-big-bang-theory.html.
[4]
“Big Bang Theory – An Overview,” All About Science, n.d., accessed January 11,
2017, http://www.big-bang-theory.com/.
[5]
John Leslie, Universes (London:
Routledge, 1989), 3.
[6]
Ibid., 4.
[7]
Ibid.
[8]
Max Jammer, Einstein and Religion:
Physics and Theology (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999),
121.
[9]
“4102. Pistis,” BibleHub, n.d., accessed March 8, 2017, http://biblehub.com/greek/4102.htm.
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