By Mike Willis
Modern writers are stating that we live in a post-Christian world, thus indicating that the Christian view of life has been replaced by another moral standard, generally that of humanism. Many Americans who reject atheism are nevertheless accepting the atheist’s moral standards. Perhaps, we might be profited to remember why we believe in God.
Have Scientists Proved There Is No God?
Our young people may be tempted to think that scientists have proven that God does not exist. That is not true. Scientists cannot prove God does not exist. This is true because of several things. (1) If one wanted to prove something by the scientific method, he must follow the steps of the scientific method to reach his conclusion. That involves observation and experimentation. God cannot be subjected to the observation and experimentation of scientific test tubes. Hence, whether or not God exists cannot be proven by the scientific method. (2) If one were to affirm that God does not exist, he would have to know everything, for if there was one fact that he did not know, that fact might be that God exists. Only one with the attributes of deity could know that God does not exist. (3) If one were to affirm that God does not exist, he would have to be in all places at the same time, for if there was one place that he was not at any given moment in time, God might be there. Only one with the attributes of deity could not know God does not exist. The scientist who spouts that God does not exist is an arrogant man, indeed.
Science is unqualified to speak on whether or not there is a God, creation, whether or not miracles have ever occurred, and whether or not Jesus was raised from the dead. These things cannot be subjected to the scientific method. Rather, these are historical questions that must be tested by the normal means of ascertaining whether or not an historical fact occurred.
Science and God
We can be thankful that the Christian religion does not agree with late twentieth century science. Science is an ever-growing body of knowledge that is continually being adjusted to explain newly discovered pieces of knowledge. Had the Christian religion been in harmony with first century science, how
outdated that would be today. Similarly, twentieth century science will be replaced by twenty-first century science. We can be thankful that our Bibles do not totally agree with our contemporary sciences.
Design Indicates A Designer
One of the primary reasons for believing in God is the evidence of design. Design is all around us. Modern scientists explain the obvious design in our world as the product of billions of years of unguided evolution. Nevertheless, they admit that creatures are marvelously adjusted to their respective environment. We call this design.
Here are some evidences of design in the universe:
1. The eye. The wise man of old said, “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them” (Prov 20:12). Each eye is fitted to its environment.
Consider the eye of the fish. “For instance; these laws (laws of the refraction of light passing through objects, MW) require in order to produce the same effect, that the rays of light, in passing from water into the eye, should be refracted by a more convex surface, than when it passes out of air into the eye. Accordingly we find that the eye of the fish, in that part of it called the crystalline lens, is much rounder than the eye of the terrestrial animals. What plainer manifestation of design can there be than this difference?” (The Works of William Paley 391).
“The fish has larger eyes proportionately because he is down there where light rays do not penetrate as well as through air” (Luther B1ackmon, God or Evolution).
Consider the eye of the eel. “In the eel, which has to work its head through sand and gravel, the roughest and hardest substances, there is placed before the eye, and at some distance from it, a transparent, horny, convex case or covering, which, without obstructing sight, defends the organ” (Paley 393).
Consider the eye of birds: “The eye of the eagle is one of the marvels of nature. He can see a field mouse in the grass a quarter of mile away. He also must be able to see at a very close range when he dives into the grass or water to seize his victim. The eyes of all birds must have this variation in distance of vision. They must be able to see at great distances, especially the meat eaters, as they fly over the landscape. Then they must be able to see at a few inches when they are eating. ‘Chance might produce a wart or a mole, but never an eye’” (Blackmon 15-16).
Have you considered the tear duct of the eye? “It is easily perceived that the eye must want moisture: but could the want of the eye generate the gland which produes the tear, or bore the hole by which it is discharged, — a hole through the bone?” (Paley 394).
2. The Skeletal System. “Between each two of the bones of the spine there is a soft cushion which is known as the invertebral disk. This serves like a ball bearing and a shock absorber. . . Its presence permits the bones of the spine to rotate more easily one on the other” (Illustrated Medical and Health Encyclopedia, Ed. by Morris Fishbein, M.D.,1932).
“Then, secondly, in order to afford a passage for the descent of the medullary substance, each of these bones is bored through the middle in such a manner, as that, when put together, the hole in one bone falls into line, and corresponds with the holes in the two bones continuous to it” (Paley 405).
3. The Universe: “The earth makes an annual trip around the Sun of more than 292 million miles, traveling at the speed of about 70,000 miles an hour. Did you ever look up the word ‘year’ in the dictionary? Webster says, ‘the length of time it takes the earth to make one complete revolution around the sun: 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45.51 seconds.’ Leap year takes care of the time above 365 days. That is why we have leap year. For all these thousands of years the earth has made this annual trip and is never off time one second. There was never a WATCH made to operate with such precision. Then some little ‘popgun’ sticks his claws behind his galluses and says ‘that an eternal, self-existent God designed and created all this is not to be thought of’” (Blackmon 11-12).
4. The Woodpecker: “The woodpecker has feet specially designed for holding to the upright body of a tree. His tail feathers are designed for a brace to help hold his body in proper position while he works on the tree. His bill is like a chisel, tough and sharp for digging into the tree. There is a cushion behind that tough beak to protect his head from the beating it would get from his banging his bill against the tree. Then this bird has a tongue with a barb on the end which enables him to reach into the hole he digs in the tree and get the worm or ant which he somehow knew was there before he started all this work.
“But, not only must the various organs of his body conform in this manner, but his surroundings must also conform. The bird’s barbed tongue, unique bill, strong tail feathers, cushion in the head and unusual feet would serve no purpose unless there were worms and bugs in the tree. Now if you want to be with the ‘in’ crowd you must believe that all these characteristics were developed over a period of many millions of years, while Mr. Woodpecker was adapting to his environment. This all comes easy to the twentieth century woodpecker. He has been this way all his life. But how about the woodpecker before he developed all the wonderful accessories? The old timers must have really had it tough. Many of them doubtless starved before their bills got hard enough to bore into a tree; others wound up punch drunk from banging their heads against trees before the cushion developed in their heads. I can- not help wondering also why the worms and bugs did not develop some escape mechanism while the woodpecker was developing all this. The worm does not seem to have much going for him, but he is still with us in abundance” (Blackmon 17-18).
5. Instinct is defined as “an inborn tendency to behave in a way characteristic of a species; natural, unacquired mode of response to stimuli.” One cannot explain instinct without God.
The Water Spider. “Like other spiders the water spider is an air-breathing animal. But it lives under water. . . When we examine this spider we find his body covered with hairs that keep it from becoming wet when in the water. In order to live under water and raise its young there, it must weave a waterproof cell or balloon, capable of holding enough air for breathing purposes — remember this critter breathes air — not water. To have the balloon it had to have the instinct and material to make it. It spins under water an egg-shaped balloon, open at the bottom for entrance and egress. Then it attaches the balloon to a rock or something to hold it under water. Now it has to fill this balloon with air. To accomplish this its hind legs are covered with hair and are so constructed that they can take hold of a large bubble of air and take it down under the water and into the balloon. When it has made several trips with this light cargo the balloon is full of air and the water has been forced out by the air. Here the eggs are laid in the upper part of the house and the family is in business” (Blackmon 23-24).
The Salmon fish: “The salmon fish live in a cycle of four years, no more, and always return to the waters of their nativity to die. They are hatched in rivers of the northwest, and shortly thereafter go out to sea where they stay until time for them to spawn and die. When they return to their native waters they always find the same river or creek in which they were spawned. If they start up some other stream they immediately recognize their mistake, go back and continue up the coast until they find the right stream. Here they spawn and die. How are they able to identify their birthplace after years in the sea? The word is instinct. But try defining the word without getting back to a wisdom that did not and could not evolve from a lump of dead matter” (Blackmon 24).
The Eel: “Both the American and the European eels are spawned in the waters off the coast of Bermuda. Then after a while they go to their native land. There has never been found an European eel in American waters nor an American eel in European waters. How does the eel find his way ‘home’ when he has never been home? Not only this, but the mating time for the European eel is months later than the American eel so that they will have time to get to the spawning waters, the distance being much greater to Europe” (Blackmon 25).
Where Did the Design in the Universe Originate?
Is it possible to explain these evidences of design on the basis of unguided evolution, the survival of the fittest, or mere chance? The probability of this much design coming from unguided chance is nil. If you were to put 10 pennies in your pocket numbered l-10 and then attempt to take out number 1, put it back, take out number 2, put it back, take out number 3. . . 10, the chance of this occurring is l in 10 BILLION!
Someone has compared a universe created by chance, by unguided evolution, to Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary being produced by an explosion at a print shop or to the
1998 Cadillac being produced by an explosion at the junk yard! How many explosions would have to occur before either was produced? Yet the evidences of design in the dictionary and car are much less remarkable than what exists in one human body, much less in all of the animals of this creation!
There is not enough time in any evolutionist’s view of the age of the world to explain the many adaptations of nature on the basis of unguided, chance development. A universe 4.5 billion years old is much too young for what we see to have developed by undirected chance evolution. Indeed, a universe 45 billions old would still be too young!
The only other alternative is to believe in a designer. That Designer, the Christian calls God.