Does the evidence uncovered by contemporary scientists point us toward or away from a creator? This question was the central core of the movie “The Case for a Creator”, where Lee Strobel, a profound agnostic, gives an in depth delineation of his intellectual journey to unmask the origin of the universe, after his wife, also an atheist, became a Christian. Throughout the documentary, Mr. Strobel gave explicit reasons for his final supposition that the universe was in fact created for a purpose, and points unequivocally in the direction of intelligent design.
He began with the evidence of cosmology, the study of the origin of the universe. After consulting with many philosophers, Mr. Strobel learned about the Kalam Argument, which states “(1) everything that has a beginning of its existence has a cause of its existence,
(2) the universe has a beginning of its existence, therefore: (3) the universe has a cause of its existence (Bibliography 1).” “The temporal, kalam cosmological argument, dates back to medieval Muslim philosophers such as al-Kindi and al-Ghazali. It has recently been restored to popularity by William Lane Craig (Bibliography 2).” This theory is a step by step deduction for the meaning of the universe; clear and concise, it is realistic and indisputable. Most scientists today believe the universe had to come from something, and many also give a positive response to the Kalam Argument as being a justifiable basis. This obviously points to the existence of a creator because if everything that exists has a cause for its existence, and the earth fits that description, what are we left with? An existing universe with no cause? No, we observe a formed universe that has a purpose for being here and reflects signs of an originator.
The next element Mr. Strobel researched was the evidence of physics. During his study, he learned that every process in the universe is controlled by laws and principles, and that these processes have precise rules that establish how they perform and complete their exclusive responsibilities. An illustration given was that of the force of gravity, which is the reason all matter is held at a certain range. This method also protects our bodies from too much pressure. Another example was that of the Cosmological Constant (spansion speed for space). Einstein used this mathematical constant in his theory of general relativity which explains how far the universe spans, and what keeps it from escalating out of control. Scientists have discovered that this “constant” is fined tuned to 1 part and 1x 1052. This piece of information is incredible because it suggests that precision of this kind could not have happened by arbitrary chance, but that someone had to distinguish what that “invariable” was! Also, if the constant got adjusted even by one part, we would cease to exist! Jay Richards, philosopher, said “If it looks like our universe was fine tuned for complex life, maybe there is a fine tuner...” However, despite these plausible beliefs, evolutionists and agnostics created a counter-belief called The Theory of Multiple Universes. This theory states that at the beginning of time, there was a “generator”, spitting out universes in order to concoct one with the ability to sustain life, and that our universe just happened to be coincidentally formed. But the question that Mr. Strobel and Mr. Richards asked was “Who created the generator?” The generator supposedly had existence, so therefore it had a cause, so for that reason it had to have a designer. Evolutionist scientists do not have an adequate answer to this question and no doubt never will.
But why is all of this evidence relevant in today’s culture? It is helpful to have Mr. Strobel’s and others’ views on the origin of the universe, but why does it matter? As Christians, we know that God shaped the universe because it is what we have been taught in the Bible. Nevertheless, those who are in opposition to the principles of Christianity fail to see the plausibility behind our evidence of intelligent design. When discussing the origin of the universe with a non-believer, one could be faced with the statement “But I believe in God and in Evolution”. One’s response to an assertion like this is adequately presented by Mr. Strobel. He asks, “How could God direct an undirected process? How could God have a purpose and a plan behind a system that has no purpose or plan?” An easy way to end an argument safely and successfully with another person is to ask questions that leave them skeptical of where they stand in their beliefs. For this reason, Christians should continue in their search for God and use it to bring people to salvation and improve the quality of society for God’s supreme glory.
Once again the question is asked, does the evidence uncovered by contemporary scientists point us toward or away from a creator? Mr. Strobel was convinced that it did in fact indicate a designer. He spent over 20 years trying to find the answers to this issue and what he did not realize was that the world around him was shouting the truth! As a child, Mr. Strobel loved science and what he ended up concluding was that the proof of God existed in the things he already knew. Sometimes we take for granted the meaning of the world around us and Mr. Strobel is a perfect example of that. As a conclusion for his documentary Mr. Strobel put all the proofs, beliefs, evidences and hypotheses he found into one ultimate belief. “By doing science, we find God.”
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