This is a very common argument from Atheists used to discount the idea of a living God. Of course this is an important question, although I believe it is a misdirected one but I will get into that in a moment. If you take a cursory glance at the world around us, seeing the death and and destruction, it is easy to come the conclusion that humanity is most truly desolate and alone. However, this simply is not the case.
This is a very important topic to understand as it is in direct contradiction of old-earth creationism. This is only true because the fossil record, as it is currently understood, indicates that there were carnivorous animals prior to the time of Adam. The idea of a strictly vegetarian diet prior to the flood of Noah originated from Genesis 1:29-30. This is obviously an issue, how can we have carnivorous animal fossils that predate Adam if all living beings were vegetarian?
As American citizens, and in many other countries, we are told that we are free. In fact, we have laws that guarantee our freedoms. At the very same time, we are told what we can and cannot do. We are told what we can and cannot eat or drink. We are told what we are allowed to buy or sell. Are we truly free? Please consider the following thought experiment from Robert Nozick.
You are the accidental by-product of nature, a result of matter plus time plus chance. There is no reason for your existence. All that awaits you is death. Anything that exists does so merely by chance and exists purely without reason, meaning, or cause. This is based on the idea that a perfectly balanced universe has existed in perpetuity for all eternity without cause. This is not far from a religious belief that a perfectly balanced being (God) has existed in perpetuity for all eternity without cause.
Why is it more logical to say that God has always existed? Surely if God could always exist without cause, the universe could too. The truth is, at face value there is no logical difference. If something can exist without a beginning then anything could exist without a beginning. Why should it only be one thing?
As a Christian, I have seen quite a few strong reactions from my fellow brothers and sisters regarding evolution. There are many claims made regarding the evolutionary process that Christians could never accept, and rightly so. However, I think something that the Christian community may consider is whether or not all of the premises the atheist evolutionary community provides as evidence against God are at all required by actual scientific observations regarding evolution.
What was there before there was a universe? Before the Big Bang? From the moment we realized our universe had a beginning, we have been wondering what caused it. Could there have just been nothing? Can something come from nothing?
The watchmaker argument has been a pinnacle argument for Christian apologetics for a very long time. Evolution has been propped up as an appropriate piece of evidence serving to debunk the argument. Is this really the case?
Fundamentally, theology and science cover two different areas of reality. Science ultimately explains the “how” things occur and theology is more about the “why”. This can be a confusing thought at first as it makes sense that if God created the universe, science should see evidence of “how” He did it. And we do see evidence of “how” the universe was created, from rates of expansion to background radiation, but none of this evidence seems to point directly to God. Atheists might say that this is a concern for Christians, but it really shouldn’t be.
The following proclamation was made by President George Washington on October 3rd, 1789. In his proclamation, Washington declared that the necessity for such a day sprung from the Almighty’s care of Americans prior to the Revolution, assistance to them in achieving independence, and help in establishing the constitutional government. I think we should keep the same thoughts in mind as we prepare to celebrate the holiday this season, the Lord's care for this country has lead to a level of prosperity unseen by most nations in the world. We should not only give thanks, but ensure that we use our prosperity, security, and innovative capabilities to spread His word and bring glory to Him in everything that we do.
