DeeGeesLifeBlog ~ Life as Art ~ Or is it Heart?

Some of my random thoughts (developed over many years) on the topic for today – “Creationism” – which started off earlier this week with my coming across (on one of my favorite blog pages, Gerard Vanderleun and his American Digest – see link at the end) the second video featured here. Which got me thinking about the times from one of my former lives, particularly on the eternal debate of whether we are all part apes (as per the Darwinian fiasco) or uniquely created beings by God himself (who “breathed the spirit of life into us”) – or more particularly, as it is expressed in Genesis 2:7: “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Most of these thoughts and comments are from collegial and public debates over many, many, years and hours of study and repartee’, some encounters of which (as is to be expected) got quite “fiery” at times! There is not a subject on this planet that is so assured to get people fired-up as that which involves “creation” or “evolution” … Do read it all right through to the end, because John Cleese and the rest of the Monty Python group have got it all figured out in less than three minutes!

The burden of proof on creationists is not to prove that evolution isn’t impossible. Evolution could be possible, but not have happened if everything was created anyway. Creationists on the other hand, must prove that the Genesis account is true, which is impossible to prove, except by faith. But secularists have the same burden of proof. They must prove – not that evolution is possible – but that it all happened like they say: millions of years, apes to man, etc. Which they can’t prove either, since no one was there to observe it. Their faith has to be one of belief, like mine with Genesis. I’ll take mine over theirs any day.

I believe the balanced laws of physics were designed for the same reason that a computer device is, namely, that intelligence is required in finely tuning these instruments to achieve their purposeful function. The fine tuning of the constants of the universe was either due to natural necessity, chance, or intelligence. It was not the result of chance or natural necessity. Therefore, the fine tuning of the universe is best explained by the involvement of intelligence, thus design, and thereby, a Creator.

Christians believe that God created two realms: Heaven and hell, and one could substitute the world ‘realms’ for ‘universes.’ Perhaps there are other created universes in which God inputted different purposes for foreign creatures. I find the multiverse hypothesis compatible with the creation model, but there just isn’t enough information available yet to make airtight conclusions. The delicately balanced nature of the laws of physics suggests that a cosmic intelligence intervened.

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the cornerstone thereof; when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? ~ Job 38:4-7

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shown it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. ~ Romans 1:19-20

Why be dismissive of the unanimous agreement among scientists that the universe exhibits “fine tuning”?  Scientific (including atheistic) brainiacs such as Stephen Hawking, Paul Davies, Edward Harrison, Sir Fred Hoyle, Leonard Susskind, Owen Gingerich, Freeman Dyson, Francis Collins, Vera Kistiakowski, Walter Bradley, Roger Penrose, Donald Page, Robert Jastrow, Hugh Ross, Arno Penzias, Lisa Dyson, Matthew Kleban, John Charlton Polkinghorne, Martin Rees, Steven Weinberg … Is that a complete enough list or should I persist?

Even Dawkins doesn’t have the nerves to boss physicists and astronomers alike about what they cannot do, for it is out of his realm of expertise; as a zoologist he knows for a fact that life is prohibited when the constants are imbalanced. Fortunately, the dials have been finely tuned to permit the origin and subsequent evolution of our existence. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have positive ramifications for atheism, yet you call me a moron for following the evidence where it leads.

There would be no universe for life to adapt to had the constants been altered in the tiniest measure. Frankly, I’m finding these atheistic refutations to the fine tuning argument for God’s existence very anti-intellectual. Anyone feel like me?  Pure excellence persists! It is so obvious that the universe has been designed that any other explanation falls short to explain the scientific observations.

As a Christian, I embrace the multiverse hypothesis and I think it was the atheist anterior to the discovery of the anthropic principle that maintained that the universe is all there is and all there ever will be (as Carl Sagan put it). The multiverse hypothesis was only taken seriously when naturalists began to realize that the fine tuning of the universe must be accounted for, and, of course, they were willing to posit anything but design. Isn’t that prejudicial and unscientific?

Then of course, in closing, we have the above-mentioned Monty Python Classic – “The Meaning of Life” – which contains this quite astute, very truthful, perfectly-aligned celebration of the Created Universe, in a jolly-old canter of a song … The Creationist Galaxy Song Redux … and all in under three minutes. And I’ve even provided you with the lyrics so that you can joyfully sing along!

Just remember that you’re standing on a planet that’s evolving
And revolving at nine hundred miles an hour,
That’s orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it’s reckoned,
A sun that is the source of all our power.

The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see
Are moving at a million miles a day
In an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour,
Of the galaxy we call the ‘Milky Way’.

Our galaxy itself contains a hundred billion stars.
It’s a hundred thousand light years side to side.
It bulges in the middle, sixteen thousand light years thick,
But out by us, it’s just three thousand light years wide.

We’re thirty thousand light years from galactic central point.
We go ’round every two hundred million years,
And our galaxy is only one of millions of billions
In this amazing and expanding universe.

The universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding
In all of the directions it can whizz
As fast as it can go, at the speed of light, you know,
Twelve million miles a minute, and that’s the fastest speed there is.

So remember, when you’re feeling very small and insecure,
How amazingly unlikely is your birth,
And pray that there’s intelligent life somewhere up in space,
‘Cause there’s bugger all down here on Earth.

Earth from 4 billion miles…

 Click to enlarge…

He stretcheth out the north over the empty place,
and hangeth the earth on nothing.
He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds;
and the cloud is not rent under them.
By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens;
his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
Lo, these are part of his ways:
but how little a portion is heard of him?
but the thunder of his power who can understand?
~ Job 26:7-8; 13-14

h/t Gerard Vanderleun and American Digest …