How do we, as humankind, explain ourselves? In this vast universe that we continue to learn more about, how do we give account of our presence? Most people’s response likely will depend on their background and upbringing, with exposure to some form of religion being the major factor. A person raised by parents who practiced a form of religion is likely to answer that a supernatural being (ie, a god) created the universe, while a person not exposed to any religion more commonly would give credit to the well-known Big Bang Theory. Who is right? Can we truly know the answer? I say, yes we can.
I was raised going to a Christian church, and so I believed that God created everything. However, as I went through high school and college, I began to question whether this was true. Courses seemingly giving proof for a Godless creation made me question if God was even real. It was universally accepted that the Big Bang Theory was true and proven science. Where religion relied on blind faith, science required proof and true observation (as a professor in my undergrad science studies would ask, “Are you going to be one of those artsy-fartsies, or a man of science?”). There was no God. We were free from all those religious rules. Let’s party!
Fortunately I awoke from this stupor, escaped the arrogant dogma, and began to think for myself. Can anything be created from nothing? Has the Big Bang Theory ever been replicated or observed? In keeping with the Theory of Evolution, how can life arise from non-life? I began to see so much of what I was told during my time of “higher learning” had major holes that could not be explained by science alone. For example, no one has ever observed (in nature, or a laboratory, or even represented in the fossil layer) the science of spontaneous organification, which is forming non-living things into living organisms (such as a “simple cell”). Advancements in the fields of cellular biology and genetics have led to the theory of Irreducible Complexity, which counters the thought of Evolution. What I began to realize is that a life of atheism requires the same foundational pillar of Christianity: Faith!
“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible” (Heb 11:3, ESV). I recently came across this verse, and it resonated with me. If you replaced “the word of God” in the verse with “the Big Bang Theory”, then you would have created the anthem for atheism, although I doubt they would like it. They would not like it because it has the simple truth that their world viewpoint rests on the same foundation as my Christian viewpoint, that of faith. The answers to explain the universe and the existence of humankind ultimately require faith, regardless of which direction a scientific theory leads you.
One of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis is “Aim at Heaven and you will get Earth ‘thrown in’; aim at Earth and you will get neither.” I look at the universe and the sciences in the same way: science is always submissive to the truth of God. In the book of Romans, Paul writes “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 people are without excuse.” Take some time to look around (and be amazed) at our world and universe, and where science leaves holes when pursuing an explanation for them, look to God to fill each and every one of them.
“Faith is the Assurance of things hoped for, the Conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).
It is this testimony that allowed me to chose my ENT wisely and thus get the peace of mind I needed about some symptoms I was having. Having a doctor that believes in Jesus Christ and who loves the Lord is important to me. When you pray to get peace he uses sometimes his followers to help you along the way!
Thank you for your kind comments. I hope your symptoms improve and can put this behind you. Never hesitate to call if you have any other ENT concerns.