You Can Know God’s Purpose

The origin of the universe and life on Earth is a topic that sparks much discussion. We invite you to analyse fascinating facts about our cosmic beginnings and form your own conclusions. Did our universe ‘birthed ‘come about’ through random processes, or was it crafted by a Creator? Your perspective on this question may carry more significance than you might imagine.

Exploring the Question of Origins: Creation or Chance?

Were the universe and life within it created by God, or did they emerge by chance? The perspectives shared by the two physicists quoted here and the opening words of the Bible present starkly contrasting answers:

“The universe can and will create itself from nothing.”

​—Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, physicists, 2010.

“God created the heavens and the earth.”

​—The Bible, Genesis 1:1.

Both viewpoints have passionate advocates, yet many remain uncertain. Best-selling books and public debates have put these two perspectives in opposition.

The Challenge of Evidence

Perhaps you were taught that the universe and its life arose spontaneously, without a Creator’s involvement. But did they offer evidence to demonstrate a Creator’s non-existence? Conversely, you may have heard religious leaders proclaim that there is a Creator. Did they provide evidence supporting this claim? Or did they simply ask you to accept it as a matter of “faith” or doctrine?

Personal Reflection and Significance

You’ve likely pondered this question and may feel that the existence of a Creator cannot be definitively proven. Moreover, you might wonder: Does the answer even matter?

We will begin by presenting facts that have convinced many people to believe in a Creator. We will then analyse why the answer to this question about life’s origins on Earth holds significance.

Astronomers remain amazed by the universe, and they have superior tools for its analysis now more than ever. What findings have they made?

what the universe tells us

“Galaxies are not randomly splayed out across the sky but instead follow a weblike pattern,”

—Astronomy magazine

How is this possible? Scientists believe that the secret may lie in an invisible material known as dark matter. This dark matter has been called “a kind of unseen scaffolding upon which . . . galaxies, galaxy clusters, and galaxy superclusters are aligned and supported.”

How did the universe become so organised? Is it likely that such order came about as a result of a mindless process? Note the comment made by the late Allan Sandage. He is regarded as “one of the greatest and most influential astronomers of the 20th century,” and he believed in God.

“I find it highly improbable, that such order came out of chaos. There has to be some organising principle.”

—Allan Sandage.

Precision in Universal Constants

The universe is fine-tuned to support life. What scientists call the ‘weak force‘ keeps our sun burning at a steady rate. If the force were weaker, the sun would never have formed. If it were stronger, the sun would have disappeared long ago.

The ‘weak force‘ is just one of several finely tuned features that we depend on. Science writer Anil Ananthaswamy says that if even one of those features had been different,

“. . . stars, planets, and galaxies would never have formed. Life would have been all but impossible.”

—Anil Ananthaswamy

Earth’s Unique Position

The universe has an ideal home for humans. The Earth is equipped with the right atmosphere, the right amount of water, and a moon that is the perfect size to stabilise the Earth:

“Our tangled web of geology, ecology, and biology makes this strange rock [earth] the only one in reach that’s just right for humans.”

—National Geographic

Our solar system is, according to one writer, “in the middle of nowhere” in our galaxy. But that very isolation is what makes life on Earth possible. If we lived closer to other stars—either at our galaxy’s centre or among its spiral arms—the radiation would jeopardise our life. Instead, we find ourselves in what some scientists have coined the “galactic habitable zone.“

Based on his scientific knowledge of the universe and its properties, physicist Paul Davies concluded:

“I cannot believe that our existence in this universe is a mere quirk of fate, an accident of history, an incidental blip in the great cosmic drama—We are truly meant to be here.”

—Paul Davies

Davies does not teach that God created the universe and human life, but what do you think? The universe and the Earth seem to be designed to make life possible. Could it be that they seem that way because they were designed?

Think about this: Weather people forecast the precise moments when the sun and the moon will rise and set. If these forecasts originate from human creators, who established the astronomical principles that underpin these predictions?