Imagine a room in which a body lies crushed, flat as a pancake. A dozen detectives crawl around, examining the floor with magnifying glasses for any clue to the identity of the perpetrator. In the middle of the room, next to the body, stands a large, [WHITE] elephant. The detectives carefully avoid bumping into the pachyderm’s legs as they crawl, and never even glance at it. Over time the detectives get frustrated with their lack of progress but resolutely press on, looking even more closely at the floor. You see, textbooks say detectives must “get their man,” so they never consider elephants. —Michael J. Behe, Darwin’s Black Box
Scientists are increasingly able to explain the everyday function of our miraculous world, and while they cannot define first cause or origins of life, they use their knowledge of ‘how things work’ to dismiss the existence of God. One could liken this to finding a watch on the beach and assuming it appeared naturally with no design. For most people, such a conclusion would be deemed absurd. But science is limited in that it “…must invoke only natural causes, and explain by reference only to natural law.” (Richard Dickerson) God is supernatural and therefore outside the realm of science.
I recently met Dr. Lawrence Krauss (theoretical physicist and outspoken atheist), who, in his book The Universe from Nothing, sets out to prove that the universe was created by the Big Bang (from nothing, in an instant). Through a series of complicated theories he then concludes that because gravity exists, there need not be a Creator. In contrast, the Bible clearly states: “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.” Psalm 33:6 and “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:3
In God’s words, the universe was created in an instant from nothing. I think Einstein put it best: “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” While the Bible and Krauss agree on the manner in which the universe came to be, he has decided to use his analysis of the ‘how’ as grounds to remove the divine watchmaker from the equation—leaving very little room for the large, white elephant in the room labeled God. Perhaps “an atheist can’t find God for the same reason a thief can’t find a policeman.” (Unknown)*
Take music for example: While digging through an attic in Salzburg, you stumble across a lost symphony from the Classical period. Excited about the implications of this unique find, music theorists quickly begin analyzing every inch of the masterpiece. Music after all is just math, and music theory is the study of the math behind music. After some time, the music theorists come back and hail it as a truly remarkable find: every interval is perfectly constructed, the harmonic progressions are seamless, and the melodies soar with perfect architecture above the wonderfully constructed form. One would then balk in protest if these theorists concluded that because the math worked perfectly and the structure of the piece could be thoroughly explained, such a work came together organically. After all, the laws of math that govern music occur naturally, and because these laws are easily observable, science would then reason that no composer is needed.
So if one understands that a symphony must be composed by a talented musician, why, with all the infinite complexities that the universe boasts, would one assume that there is no Creator? “The created is never greater than the creator.” (Dr. S. Pandit, Cross Examination) In other words, a table is not greater than the carpenter that built it. So how could nothing produce the universe unless it had help from an all powerful, supernatural being—a being that was greater than His creation?
Science reasons that because God cannot be measured, contained, or systematically observed in a lab, this proves that God does not exist. But “absence of proof is not proof of absence.” (William Cowper) It may be impossible to prove that Mozart composed the symphony, but through careful study of the style, handwriting, and character of the piece, one could confidently come to that conclusion.
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
If nothing created us, and a creation is no greater than the creator, we are less than nothing. And while one must take religion (or theoretical physics) on faith, I choose to confidently believe that we are in fact created by God who left his signature in universal design. Any good Bible student could have told Krauss that the universe had a beginning and was preceded by nothing. The biggest hurdle is facing the white elephant. Instead of constructing elaborate explanations reliant upon a series of improbable (and useful) accidents which are built upon a mountain of unproven and sometimes improvable theories, the simplest answer is usually correct. (Occam’s Razor)
Because “every watch has to have a watch-maker.” (Voltaire) And “the more complexities science finds in life, the more it argues against its own atheistic foundation.” (Clifford Goldstein)
By Jamie Jean
*Please note: this analogy is not trying to say that an Atheist is a criminal. However, a thief is not looking for a police officer nor does he want to find one. Also a thief is accountable to the police officer. Accepting the existence of God comes with the implication of accountability as well as facing difficult questions.
Cross-Examination (Dr. S. Pandit)
Creation and Evolution (Dwight K. Nelson)
Darwin’s Black Box (Michael J. Behe)
The Universe from Nothing (Lawrence Krauss)
Is God Unnecessary?: Why Stephen Hawking Is Wrong According to the Laws of Physics (Walter Alan Ray)
The Goldilocks Enigma: Why Is the Universe Just Right for Life? (Paul Davies)
Origins: A Skeptic’s Guide to the Creation of Life on Earth (Robert Shapiro)
Creation and Science Multimedia Resources
Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, pp 257-260
What Science Can and Cannot Do
Science and Faith Walking Hand in Hand?
What about Creation Video Series