D o e s D o e s Exist?
D o e s Exist? Why do we have something rather than nothing at all? - Martin Heidegger, The Fundamental Question of Metaphysics Comes back to Does exist?
D o e s Exist? How to think about true nothingness particles matter everything energy space motion
D o e s Exist? True nothingness
D o e s Exist? 3. Two Options: 1. An Eternal Universe (impersonal eternality) The Cosmos is all there will ever be Carl Sagan. 2. An Eternal Creator (personal eternality) In the beginning, Genesis.
D o e s Exist? 4. Science has disproven the concept of an eternal universe. The fact is: The Universe had a beginning. Everything that has a beginning has a cause The universe had a beginning Therefore, the universe had a cause Philosophically, the notion of a beginning of the present order of Nature is repugnant I should like to find a genuine loophole. Sir Arthur Eddington
D o e s Exist? The atheist s response? The universe is just there Carl Sagan There doesn t need to be a reason Atheist on Christian Forum When the atheist makes this statement, they do so by faith alone. Out the door go all the logic, science, reason, and touch-and-feel-it evidence atheists claim are so necessary to believe in. Now it becomes a matter of the will.
D o e s Exist? The atheist s response? Evolution disproves. How does evolution answer the question of existence? Only two choices matter before mind or mind before matter. It is strange that some people claim that it is their intelligence that leads them to prefer the first to the second. John Lennox
D o e s Exist? So. If I exist, and If something eternal exists (because something doesn t come from nothing), and If there are only two possible eternal entities (an eternal universe or an eternal creator), and If an eternal universe has been disproven (and it has), then An eternal Creator exists.
D o e s The from Existence and Intelligence
Two reasons to consider the existence of 1. The argument from existence the cosmological argument 2. The argument from intelligence the teleological argument These arguments not only prove, but help tell us what He is like all from General revelation and not Special revelation
The Kalam Cosmological Argument (originating cause) Everything that begins to exist must have a cause The universe began to exist Therefore, the universe had a cause I never asserted so absurd a proposition as that anything might arise without a cause. - David Hume, Scottish Skeptic
Did the universe have a beginning? Scientific Proof: S U R G E Second Law of Thermodynamics the universe is running down Expanding Universe confirmed through Hubble telescope Radiation Echo discovered in the 1930 s by Bell Lab scientists Galaxy Seeds discovered in the 1990 s by COBE explorer Einstein s theory of relativity proves universe had a beginning Many people do not like the idea that time has a beginning, probably because it smacks of divine intervention. Stephen Hawking
The Vertical Cosmological Argument (sustaining cause) Everything in the universe is dependent (contingent) If every part of the universe is dependent, then so is the whole Therefore, the universe is dependent right now on some independent / Necessary Being for its present existence "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Colossians 1:17 "And He... upholds all things by the word of His power..." Hebrews 1:2-3
Objections to the cosmological argument Who caused? From Bertrand Russell Category mistake the argument says that everything that begins to exist must have a cause; has no beginning so He doesn t need a cause. An eternal creator makes no sense, but an eternal universe does? Collapsing universes? Not enough energy; disproven by COBE. String theory? Still demands a beginning to everything. Is it possible that suddenly, without intending to, we have stumbled upon scientific proof of the existence of a Supreme Being? - George Greenstein, Astronomer
The Teleological Argument (from Intelligence) The teleological (telos, from the Greek word which means design ) argument says that the universe and mankind exhibit marks of intelligence and design. Behind every complex design is a designer The universe has a complex design Therefore, the universe has a designer "...as I became exposed to the law and order of the universe, I was literally humbled by its unerring perfection. I became convinced that there must be a divine intent behind it all... My experiences with science led me to. They challenge science to prove the existence of. But must we really light a candle to see the sun? (Dr. Wernher von Braun, the father of rocket science)
The Teleological Argument (from Intelligence) Three primary factors speak to the argument from intelligence: Anthropic Principle the Goldilocks effect Irreducible Complexity argument against macroevolution Specified Complexity the distinguishing mark of intelligence I think the origins of the laws of nature and of life and the Universe point clearly to an intelligent Source. The burden of proof is on those who argue to the contrary. Anthony Flew, former outspoken atheist
Anthropic Principle Anticipatory Design The world is finely tuned to support life in short, someone knew man was coming. Some examples: Oxygen currently makes up 21 percent of the atmosphere. Were it 25 percent, fires would erupt everywhere and if it were 15 percent, humans would suffocate. If gravity was altered by 0.00000000000000000000000000000000000000001 percent, the sun would not exist and the moon would crash into earth. Further, if the centrifugal force of planetary movements did not precisely balance the gravitational forces, nothing could be held in orbit around the sun. If the universe was expanding at a rate one millionth more slowly than it is, the temperature on earth would be 10,000 degrees. If Jupiter was not exactly where it is, earth would be bombarded by space material that would threaten life on the planet.
Anthropic Principle Anticipatory Design What are the odds of the anthropic principle occurring by chance? Astrophysicist Hugh Ross has calculated that the odds of all anthropic constants (122 at last count) to be in place for any planet in the universe by luck alone to be one chance in ten with 138 zeros after it. This number becomes even more incredible when one realizes there are only 10 70 atoms in the entire universe. Finally, mathematicians point out that anything which exceeds 10 50 power is the exact same thing as zero chance. In the absence of an absurdly-improbable accident, the observations of modern science seem to suggest an underlying, one might say, supernatural plan. Arno Penzias, Nobel Laureate scientist
Irreducible Complexity How low can you go? Charles Darwin admitted that, If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. Scientists now know that many such entities exist. In Darwin s time, scientists could not see into what biochemist Dr. Michael Behe calls Darwin s black box, which is the cell. Darwin thought the cell to be a simple structure, however time and scientific advances have proven him wrong. Instead, there is advanced complexity all the way down.... we must concede that there are presently no detailed Darwinian accounts of the evolution of any biochemical system, only a variety of wishful speculations. Frank Harold, Biochemist
Specified Complexity The mark of intelligence Darwinist Richard Dawkins admits that the message found in just the cell nucleus of an amoeba is more than all thirty volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, with the entire amoeba itself having as much information in its DNA as 1,000 complete sets of the Encyclopedia Britannica. The important thing to understand is that the makeup of these entities is not random, but instead the information is highly organized. It is important to understand that we are not reasoning by analogy. The sequence hypothesis applies directly to the protein and the genetic text as well as to written language and therefore the treatment is mathematically identical. Herbert P. Yockey, Biologist
Specified Complexity One Design One by Chance?
DNA Resembles Software Design At first approximation, one can therefore think of DNA as an instructional script, a software program, sitting in the nucleus of the cell. Its coding language has only four letters (or two bits, in computer terms). A particular instruction known as a gene, is made up of hundreds or thousands of letters of code. - Francis Collins The Essentials of Apologetics Why : An Intelligent Cause
Objections to the Teleological Argument Evolution has buried The world is not perfect and has natural evils We can t recognize intelligence; we only know it by experience
Evolution has buried Microevolution (changes within a type)? Sure. Survival of the fittest? Sure, in animal life. But, macroevolution? No. Evolution may explain survival of the fittest in cases, but not arrival of the fittest. Darwin acknowledged 4-5 created forms Reproductive capabilities were already present (14 th chapter of Origins) Still doesn t answer why we have something rather than nothing at all. Explain how something works doesn t always explain why something is there Often a cold shudder has run through me, and I have asked myself whether I may have not devoted myself to a fantasy." (Charles Darwin, Life and Letters, 1887, Vol. 2, p. 229)
Two Worldviews, Two Choices 1. Natural Cause The cosmos is all there is, or was, or ever shall be a statement of faith. 2. Supernatural/Intelligent Cause In the beginning created the Heavens and the Earth a statement of faith.
Do these conclusions tell us anything about? may exist, but what kind of are we dealing with?
So in summary, the reached from these conclusions is: Supernatural, omnipresent, immaterial (spirit), very powerful, highly intelligent, immortal/eternal, immutable, infinite, singular, personal, purposeful, good/moral, caring, and possesses both unity and diversity.
What worldviews/faiths are affected by these conclusions? Agnosticism (Hard and Soft) Atheism Deism Finite ism Pantheism (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, etc.) Pluralism Polytheism Theism This leaves Christianity, Judaism, and Islam
D o e s The from Existence and Intelligence