With all the debates going on across the country on whether the schools should teach creation or evolution, or both. We are writing this two part article taken from the book "Creation and Evolution 101" by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz.
" Why is the beginning so important?
Yes, science has proven beyond any doubt that the universe had a beginning at a specific point in time, but this is a fairly recent discovery for the science community in particular, and to the rest of the world in general. It's true! The idea that the universe had a specific beginning has never been widely accepted, except by those who believe in the Bible. Philosophers and scientists alike have resisted this notion because of the huge implications we have already talked about.
"If the universe had a beginning, than something external must have caused it to come into existence - something, or Someone, transcendent to the natural world. As a result, the idea of creation is no longer merely a matter of religious faith; it is a conclusion based on the most straightforward reading of the scientific evidence." -Charles Colson
You can understand why some people would be so resistant to the evidence that the universe had a beginning. Okay, let's play that game for a moment. Let's look at the other side of the debate and say that the universe didn't have a beginning. What are your options? We can think of three:
1. The universe doesn't exist - Don’t laugh. This has to be one of the options to a universe without a beginning: It doesn’t exist. But it's a lousy option. It is impossible for the universe not to exist because, by its very definition, "the universe includes everything that exists" (that's straight from the Oxford English Dictionary). Since it contains everything that exists, the universe must also exist. Here's another angle. If the universe doesn’t exist, than nothing else exists either, and the whole issue doesn’t matter.
2. The universe has always existed - We have already referred to this option. A lot of scientists throughout history have believed that the universe has always existed in a "steady state." This idea has also been known as the "continuous creation theory," and it goes something like this: The universe had no beginning, but rather existed in a steady-state condition with new matter being formed from that which was already there.
According to this theory, the universe has existed in this way throughout all time. The ancient Greeks believed this idea. In the eighteenth century, scientists believed that matter could neither be created or destroyed. Christian commentator Charles Colson writes that this theory "became a potent weapon in the hands of the ardent materialists, who argued that science itself now ruled out any ultimate creation."
Well, you may still hear about a scientist here and there who will argue for the steady-state universe, but he will only be doing so because he refuses to accept the profound implications that the universe had a beginning and therefore is not the ultimate reality.
3. The universe created itself - You use to hear the term "spontaneous generation." This is what option three is all about. It means that the universe and everything in it appeared as if by accident. There was no reason or explanation for this appearing of the universe; it "just happened."
The problem with this theory is that it violates all laws (scientific or otherwise) of logic, reason, and common sense. The first law of thermodynamics (the conservation of matter) says that matter cannot just come into existence. In other words, matter cannot create itself. The second law of thermodynamics (the decay of matter) says that the universe and everything in it is in the constant process of disintegration. In other words, matter does not last forever.
If the laws of physics aren't enough to convince you, then how about a Latin lesson? Here's a little phrase you can use to impress your friends at parties: Ex nihilo, nihil fit. That means, "From nothing, nothing comes." If you have nothing to begin with, you can’t get something. All you get is nothing.
The Fourth possibility - But the universe had to come from somewhere. If it exists now, and it hasn't always existed, and it didn't create itself, then where did it come from? There is only one other possibility, which we are calling the fourth possibility (aren't we clever?). Here's how it goes: If there is a beginning, there has to be a Beginner. If there is a universe, something or someone had to cause it. This is called the principle of cause and effect, which goes like this: every effect has a cause. The universe is an effect, and therefore it must have a cause. Simple as that.
If an effect doesn’t have a cause, then we are back to our first three possibilities: The effect doesn't exist, the effect has always existed, or the effect created itself. This is true whether you are talking about the universe, yourself, or the most beautiful car you can think of (we're thinking of a Ferrari). The universe didn't just appear, you didn't just appear, and the Ferrari didn't just appear. There had to be a cause of some kind. "
Part two of this comment will appear next week.
By George Konig
November 26, 2006
www.georgekonig.org
Related article from AboutBibleProphecy.com:
Does the theory of evolution truly conflict with the Bible?
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