Is There a God?

Is There a God?

There are two primary worldviews that address the fundamental questions of existence:

  1. We are the product of random processes in a purely material universe.
  2. We are the product of an intelligent mind that created the material universe.

Atheism holds that there is no God and that all phenomena can ultimately be explained by material processes and scientific inquiry alone. Deism/theism holds that an intelligent, non-material mind is the source of the universe.

We propose that many aspects of human experience cannot be explained—or ever tested—by empirical science, yet are still rationally accepted as true. These include:

  1. Existential Truth
  2. Moral Truth
  3. Logical Truth
  4. Historical Truth
  5. Experiential Truth

Only one question is necessary when considering the existence of God:

How did the universe begin?

There are only two possible answers:

  1. Nothing started the universe.
  2. Something started the universe.

The scientific consensus is that the universe had a beginning. Observations show an expanding universe originating from a point where space, time, and matter did not yet exist. It is reasonable to ask what caused this initial expansion. If every effect has a cause, then the cause cannot be “nothing.”

Therefore, we are left with the conclusion that something started the universe.

This leads to one viable explanation:

1. A non-material cause started the universe, which must be:

a) Non-material in nature
b) Transcendent (independent of space and time)
c) Possess immense—at least sufficient—power to initiate the universe

Materialists often propose a quantum vacuum containing quantum fluctuations as the origin of the universe. According to this view, gravity acted upon this vacuum, producing particles that formed matter and energy approximately 13.8 billion years ago.

Deists/theists propose that God created the universe out of nothing and possesses the same necessary attributes:
a) Non-material
b) Transcendent
c) Infinitely powerful

The weakness of the quantum vacuum explanation is that a vacuum, gravity, and quantum particles are not nothing. The existence of gravity and the laws governing this process are assumed and not explained by classical science.

We are therefore left with an inference to the best explanation.

Conclusion

Given that the universe had a beginning, and that something cannot arise from nothing, the most reasonable conclusion is that the universe was caused by a non-material, transcendent, and powerful source. While material explanations rely on unproven assumptions about pre-existing laws and forces, the concept of a Creator provides a coherent and sufficient explanation for the origin of the universe. Therefore, belief in God is not contrary to reason or science, but a rational inference based on the evidence available.