Can you believe in biblical inerrancy AND hold to the old earth creation model? There’s been an intramural debate brewing between old earth and young creationists, and some evangelical scholars say it’s time to rethink the bedrock doctrine of biblical inerrancy in order for Christianity to remain viable in the intellectual sphere. But what do the Scriptures, along with what we can observe scientifically, reveal about creation and the age of the earth?
To help us answer that question is astrophysicist, Christian apologist, author, and founder of Reasons to Believe, Dr. Hugh Ross, who joins Frank from the SES 2024 Steadfast conference, right before his debate with young earth creationist, Dr. Terry Mortenson. In defense of the old earth position, Dr. Hugh Ross will unpack what Genesis 1 shows us about cosmology and will tackle questions like:
How does science demonstrate that there was a creation event?
Is Genesis 1 a polemic against the Egyptian creation story?
Does the Bible leave the age of the earth as indeterminate?
When was Adam created and what does Dr. Ross think of William Lane Craig’s view of the historical Adam?
Does a person’s belief about the age of the earth affect their salvation?
How do young earth creations address the scientific evidence for an old earth?
Did God artificially age the universe?
What about neanderthals?
Should Genesis 1-11 be interpreted differently than the rest of the book?
Whether you’re a young or old earth creationist, this podcast episode will be packed with plenty of information that could challenge or bring clarity to your perspective on when and how God created the universe. Listen as Dr. Hugh Ross highlights where young earth and old earth Christians agree and disagree, and how God faithfully reveals Himself both in the book of Scripture and the book of nature. Grab your pen and paper, because this SES Steadfast podcast edition is sure to stretch your mind!
Did you enjoy this episode? HELP US SPREAD THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY BY SUPPORTING THE PODCAST HERE.
https://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/oct22-2400-1.jpg12562400CrossExaminedhttps://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/logo_off.pngCrossExamined2024-10-22 15:00:522025-01-27 11:14:16Biblical Inerrancy and the Young vs. Old Earth Debate | with Dr. Hugh Ross
What (if anything) can the Bible teach us about climate change? Arguably, the most controversial aspect of the climate change debate seems to be whether it’s occurring naturally or as a result of human technological advances. But with an issue as polarizing and politicized as it’s become over the last few decades, is there a rational way to work towards a solution that benefits everyone (along with our environment)?
In this midweek podcast episode, astrophysicist and best-selling author, Dr. Hugh Ross of Reasons to Believe, joins Dan to discuss Hugh’s book ‘Weathering Climate Change: A Fresh Approach.’ Atheists and skeptics often question WHY God made the universe the way that He did, a question that Hugh will unpack for the audience in this episode. Hugh and Dan will also answer questions like:
What is God’s ultimate goal for humanity and the universe?
Does the Bible offer any insight as to how to approach the issue of climate change?
Why are so many species becoming extinct?
What are the benefits of an ice age cycle?
How could improving climate change impact the economy?
As you’ll discover in this podcast, the universe is just one of the tools that God will use to eradicate the problem of evil and suffering. But until that happens, we all have the responsibility to properly preserve our planet for future generations. Listen as Hugh offers his insight on the best ways to accomplish that goal and confronts some of the misconceptions surrounding faith, politics, and climate change.
To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry.
https://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Nov21-2400x1256-1.jpg12562400Frank Turekhttps://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/logo_off.pngFrank Turek2023-11-21 13:52:502024-10-31 12:28:38Weathering Climate Change | with Dr. Hugh Ross
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once declared, “The universe is a deadly place. At every opportunity, it is trying to kill us.” Tyson is not alone in his dark, doomsday perspective. Many have sought to warn of the weapons the universe might use to wipe out humanity. Similar to the tone of Tyson is the media minefield we now refer to as “climate change”–but is it a political issue or a real threat to our planet?
In this fascinating midweek podcast episode, Frank is joined by the legendary Hugh Ross. Their discussion takes listeners on a journey from deep inside the Earth’s core all the way to the moons of Mars with multiple stops in between!
Dr. Hugh Ross is the founder and president of Reasons to Believe and shares many of the insights from his latest books, Designed to the Core, and Weathering Climate Change, to help us see that every tiny detail in the universe is part of God’s grand design. They examine the fine-tuning of the universe and how even the Milky Way galaxy (our home away from home) is special and unique. You’ll also hear a balanced and factual (dare we say…refreshing?) response from Dr. Ross on the subject of climate change, and what we can do (if anything) to help steward the resources of God’s amazing creation. You definitely don’t want to miss it!
To view the entire VIDEO PODCAST, be sure to join our CrossExamined private community. It’s the perfect place to jump into some great discussions with like-minded Christians while simultaneously providing financial support for our ministry. Remember, our team members all work remotely, this allows us to allocate 100% of your donations to ministry work and 0% to buildings!
https://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PODCAST-2020-2400x1256-2022-12-29T220837.199.jpg12562400Frank Turekhttps://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/logo_off.pngFrank Turek2023-01-03 14:35:122024-10-31 15:02:25Why Earth and the Universe are Designed to the Core | with Dr. Hugh Ross
If you consume a large portion of your material through audio, it is hard to get past a good deal on an excellent audiobook. Twice every year ChristianAudio.com runs a sale on most of their collection, and you can usually pick up these great audio resources for $7.49. The time has come for the first sale of 2021 (and beyond), so I will be highlighting some of my favorite audiobooks. I’ll include a few of my favorite quotes from the books, my recommendation from my chapter-by-chapter reviews, links to posts that were inspired by the books, and, of course, I will include links to the audiobook deal throughout the article. Today, I am highlighting Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity’s Home by Dr. Hugh Ross.
Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity’s Home is the highly anticipated “sequel” to Dr. Hugh Ross’ book Why The Universe Is The Way It Is. In the first work, Dr. Ross examined several biblical purposes God has for this creation and how these purposes are evidenced in the history of the universe. In this new book, Dr. Ross zooms in from the perspective of the entire universe and multiple purposes to the earth and God’s purpose of redemption. Dr. Ross’ goal in this volume is to demonstrate how the history of our planet is not merely some naturalistic “just-so story” but rather a complex, multi-stage project with an explicit purpose as its end-goal. He intends to marshal the latest scientific discoveries from numerous scientific disciplines to make his case for the design of our planet.
It is an amazing listen. I work with several project managers at my job, and they have shown me representations of the schedules of their various projects. These include the necessary order of numerous steps, deadlines for the steps, the goals of each step, and the final purpose. Many of the steps must be done together and within certain time periods; otherwise, the project will fail. If you have ever mapped out a project or have seen one mapped out, you may be familiar with Gantt charts and how complex they can be. As I was only a couple chapters into this book, I could not help but imagine the incredible complexity behind the project that God planned and executed perfectly to accomplish His purposes. The projects that I have seen at work do not compare to the project that was our planet. If it is reasonable to think that the smaller and less complex projects at work were the product of designers, then it is even more reasonable to understand the project that was our planet is the product of a Designer.
Dr. Ross skillfully brings numerous discoveries of numerous disciplines of science together to give the big picture of the project of our planet. He then shows from the Bible what the end purpose was, and how it all comes together into a cohesive worldview that ends with Christian evangelism. He shows how God did not merely start the process at the big bang and wait for natural processes to eventually and accidentally complete each step. Rather God initiated each step at the earliest moment possible after the previous step was completed, and while certain steps were being completed, God was working on other necessary steps. Dr. Ross shows how it was necessary that each step be completed within precise boundaries and deadlines that, if crossed or missed, we would not exist.
Dr. Ross masterfully demonstrates God’s patient yet highly active execution of His cosmic project. The argument from design in this book is awe-inspiring scientifically and theologically. The way the argument is presented makes it nearly impossible to be intellectually dismissed, especially by those even remotely involved in engineering or project management. I highly recommend that all Christians pick up a copy of this book. It will give you a new appreciation for the creation and the power, care, patience, and love of our Creator and Savior. It will also give you a tremendous tool to discuss and defend the truth of the Christian worldview from the latest discoveries in the hard sciences.
I especially recommend this audiobook to Christian apologists interested in arguments from design. This book takes the teleological argument to the next level. It goes beyond just identifying the finely-tuned constants of the universe to show how, even within a finely-tuned universe, in order for the arrival of advanced life such as humans, the processes that formed the final site of advanced life had to be meticulously planned and actively guided. The argument in the book appeals directly to what is known about the necessity of a designer behind projects, and implied throughout the book is the exponentially decreasing probabilistic resources available to the naturalist to explain our existence. Scientists, every day, are discovering new features of the history of our planet that cry out for a purposeful explanation. Improbable Planet needs to be in your personal library and part of your collection of tools to defend the truth that God created this universe and us for a purpose: to redeem us through the death and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.
You can read the complete chapter-by-chapter summary review by clicking or tapping here.
“Only in a spiral galaxy is a long history of life possible. A spiral galaxy of the just-right size and the just-right structure can yield adequate heavy elements for life as well as a possible location where a planetary system can reside for billions of years without being exposed to deadly radiation and without gravitational disruptions from adjacent stars and molecular clouds.”
“The Local Group represents a rarity. As far as astronomers are able to see, the Local Group is the only grouping of galaxies wherein a host galaxy can sustain a planet on which a long history of diverse, complex, and abundant life is possible.”
“The list of rarities, all of which serve the eventual needs of long-enduring life, up to and including advanced civilization, starts with the [solar] system’s origin cluster and goes on to include its ejection from that cluster, the Grand Tack sequence, the Moon-forming event, the late veneer, the late heavy bombardment, the fifth planet’s timing, and jumping Jupiter. The existence and locations of our planetary system’s five asteroid and comet belts simply add to the already long list of features that must be in place before life can originate on Earth and possess any possibility of survival for a few billion years. The ‘coincidences’ compound with each new discovery.”
“Destructive mean motion resonances are nearly ubiquitous. As it is, Uranus is close to a 7:1 resonance with Jupiter, a 2:1 resonance with Neptune, and a 3:1 resonance with Saturn. Meanwhile, Jupiter and Saturn are very close to a 5:2 resonance. If any of these gas giant planets’ orbital positions were to shift even slightly, that shift would generate instabilities in the orbit of one or more of the solar system’s eight planets. Such instabilities would shatter the possibility of a long history of life on Earth, a history leading to human life and civilization.”
“The conditions under which the Moon formed seem so unlikely, from a naturalistic worldview, as to defy credibility.”
“The ideal place for any kind of life as we know it turns out to be the solar system like ours, within a galaxy like the Milky Way, within a supercluster system like ours, within a galaxy like the Milky Way, within a supercluster of galaxies like the Virgo supercluster, within a super-supercluster like the Laniakea super-supercluster. In other words, we happen to live in the best, perhaps the one and only, neighborhood that allows not only for physical life’s existence but also for its enduring survival.”
“Ongoing research tells us that Earth has been shaped not only by an intricately orchestrated interplay of physical forces and conditions but also by its vast abundance and diversity of life-forms. By means that no depth and breadth of scientific research can explain, life arose early in Earth’s history under anything but the benign conditions it would seem to require and somehow persisted through multiple mass extinction events, always appearing or reappearing at just-right times and in just-right forms to meet the needs and demands of the revised environment.”
“Both plate tectonics and life must remain at certain levels at different times throughout the past 3.8 billion years so that the history of life and of plate tectonics will produce all the resources for humanity’s eventual existence and launch of global, technologically advanced civilization.”
“The great diversity and abundance established early in life’s history drove the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur cycles to levels eventually sufficient for the entry of advanced life. The sulfate-reducing bacteria played an especially critical role. Their metabolic reactions transformed much of the soluble metal resources in the oceans and crust into insoluble concentrated metal ore deposits. Thus, a potentially poisonous environment for advanced life became an optimal resource repository, one that would later allow humanity to quickly transition from Stone Age machinery and tools to metallurgy-based technologies.”
“Without abundant photosynthetic life, plate tectonic activity on Earth would have shut down relatively quickly, making the crust a stationary lid over anything and everything beneath it. Without plate tectonics, the removal of greenhouse gases from Earth’s atmosphere would have shut down. Without removal of greenhouse gases, the Sun’s increasing luminosity would have raised Earth’s surface temperature beyond what life can tolerate. Earth would have become permanently sterile.”
“Unless plate tectonics had become established as a sustained, aggressive, globally manifested phenomenon as early as 3.0 billion years ago, Earth’s surface might never have attained the necessary conditions for advanced life in the time window between the Late Heavy Bombardment and the Sun’s brightening to catastrophic levels.”
“Thanks to the long history of progressively more advanced life-forms, the mineral inventory in Earth’s crust grew from 250 minerals up to its present stock of 4,300 distinct minerals. Many of these minerals have made possible the technology and standard of living humanity enjoy today. Billions of years of life appearing in progressively more advanced forms also provided humanity with an enormous treasure chest of biodeposits. This treasure includes several feet of rich topsoil and humus (amorphous organic matter) on sedimentary plains all over Earth’s landmasses–essential for extensive, intensive cultivation. Earth’s long history of life and tectonic activity also laid down vast stores of fossil fuels and building materials. That history speaks of a rich endowment that built up over billions of years of speciation events, deaths, and extinctions, new speciation events, more deaths and extinctions, and more life.”
“When research runs head-on into nature’s limits only scientism, not science, would rule out consideration of any cause other than nature. At such places, to invoke the possibility of a power and intelligence beyond nature may be the most rational response.”
Recommended resources related to the topic:
Why Science Needs God by Dr. Frank Turek (DVD andMp4)
Science Doesn’t Say Anything, Scientists Do by Dr. Frank Turek (DVD,Mp3, andMp4)
Oh, Why Didn’t I Say That? Does Science Disprove God? by Dr. Frank Turek (DVD andMp4)
https://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Blog-1-cover-1.png12562400Guesthttps://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/logo_off.pngGuest2021-06-19 18:30:012024-11-11 09:20:52Improbable Planet by Hugh Ross ― Audio Book Highlight
Frank interviews Dr. Fazale Rana the vice president of research and apologetics at Reason to Believe, a brilliant biochemist on the question “Who were the Neanderthals?.” They also talk about common descent, homology, DNA and the “God of the gaps objection. Don’t miss this fascinating program loaded with insightful scientific details.
https://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Who-were-the-Neadertals-Fuz-SM.png12562400Guesthttps://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/logo_off.pngGuest2018-12-10 12:09:292018-12-10 12:24:46Who were the Neanderthals?
More than a dozen parameters for the universe have to have values that fall within narrowly defined ranges for life of any kind to exist [1] .
Strong nuclear force constant
If it is larger: hydrogen would not form; the atomic nuclei for most elements essential for life would be unstable.
If it is less: there would be no elements outside of hydrogen.
Weak nuclear force constant
If it is larger: too much hydrogen would be converted to helium in the Big Bang; therefore, too much heavy element material would be made by the burning of stars; there would be no ejection of heavy elements from the stars.
If it is smaller: too little helium would be produced by the Big Bang; therefore, too little heavy element material would be made by the burning of stars; there would be no ejection of heavy elements from the stars.
Gravitational force constant
If it is larger, the stars would be too hot and would burn out too quickly and unevenly.
If it is lower: the stars would be too cold to ignite nuclear fusion; therefore, no production of heavy elements.
Electromagnetic force constant
If higher: insufficient chemical bonds; elements heavier than boron would be too unstable for fission.
If lower: insufficient chemical bonds.
Relationship between the electromagnetic force constant and the gravitational force constant
If it is larger: there would be no minor stars; hence, short stellar lifetimes and uneven stellar luminosities.
If it is smaller: there would be no stars larger than 0.8 solar masses; therefore, there would be no production of heavy elements.
Relationship between electron mass and proton mass
If it is higher: insufficient chemical bonds.
If lower: insufficient chemical bonds.
Relationship between the number of protons and the number of electrons
If it is greater: electromagnetism would predominate over gravity, preventing the formation of galaxies, stars and planets.
If it is smaller: electromagnetism would predominate over gravity, preventing the formation of galaxies, stars and planets.
Expansion rate of the universe
If it is larger: galaxies would not form.
If it is smaller: the universe would collapse before the stars were formed.
Level of entropy of the universe
If it is smaller: proto-galaxies would not form.
If it is larger: there would be no condensation of stars within the proto-galaxies.
Mass density of the universe
If it is larger: too much deuterium from the Big Bang; therefore, the stars would burn out too quickly.
If it is less: an insufficient amount of helium from the Big Bang; therefore, too few heavy elements would be formed.
Speed of light
If it is larger: the stars would be too bright.
If it is smaller: the stars would not be bright enough.
Age of the universe
If it is larger: there would be no sun-like stars in a stable burning phase in the right part of the galaxy.
If it is smaller: Sun-like stars in a stable burning phase would not yet have formed.
Initial uniformity of radiation
If it were more uniform: stars, star clusters and galaxies would not have formed.
If less uniform: the universe at this point would consist mostly of black holes and empty space.
Fine structure constant (a number describing the fine structure separation of spectral lines)
If it is larger: DNA could not function; there would be no stars larger than 0.7 solar masses.
If it is smaller: DNA could not function; there would be no stars smaller than 1.8 solar masses.
Average distance between galaxies
If it is larger, an insufficient amount of gas would be infused into our galaxy to sustain star formation over an adequate time.
If it is smaller: the sun’s orbit would be perturbed too radically.
Average distance between stars
If it is higher: the density of heavy elements would be too low for rocky planets to form.
If it is smaller: planetary orbits would be too unstable.
Proton decay rate.
If it is greater: life would be exterminated by the release of radiation.
If it is less: the universe would contain an insufficient amount of matter for life.
Relationship between the nuclear energy levels of Carbon 12 (c 12 ) and Oxygen 16 (o 16 )
If it is higher: insufficient amount of oxygen.
If it is lower: insufficient amount of carbon.
Base energy level of Helium 4 He 4
If it is higher: insufficient amount of carbon and oxygen.
If it is lower: insufficient amount of carbon and oxygen.
Decay rate of Beryllium 8 (Be 8 )
If it is slower: the fusion of heavy elements would generate catastrophic explosions in all stars.
If it were faster, no elements heavier than beryllium would be produced; therefore, the chemistry of life would not be possible.
Excess of the neutron mass over the proton mass
If it is larger: neutron decay would yield too few neutrons for the formation of the heavy elements essential for life.
If it is smaller: neutron decay would cause all stars to rapidly collapse to become neutron stars or black holes.
Initial excess of nucleons over anti-nucleons
If it is larger: too much radiation for planet formation.
If it is lower: insufficient matter for the formation of galaxies or stars.
Polarity of the water molecule
If it is larger: the heat of fusion and vaporization would be too great for life to exist.
If it is smaller: the heat of fusion and vaporization would be too small for life to exist; liquid water would become too poor a solvent for life’s chemistry to function; ice would not float, leading to runaway freezing.
Supernova eruptions
If they are too close, the radiation would exterminate life on the planet.
If they are too far away: few heavy elements are produced for the formation of rocky planets.
If too frequent: life on the planet would be exterminated.
S i too rare: too few heavy element ash for rocky planet formation.
If too late: life on the planet would be exterminated by radiation.
If too early: too little ash of heavy elements for the formation of rocky planets.
Binary white dwarfs
If they are few: little fluoride for the chemistry of life to function.
If there are too many: alteration of planetary orbits by stellar density; life on the planet would be exterminated.
S too early: insufficient amount of heavy elements for efficient fluorine production.
If too late: Fluorine is too late for incorporation into the proto-planet.
Relationship between exotic matter and ordinary matter
If it is smaller: galaxies would not form.
If it is larger, the universe would collapse before sun-like stars could form.
Note
[1] Davies and Koch, pp. 391-403. See also chapters 3 and 4.
https://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Evidencias-del-ajuste-fino-del-universo.jpg12562400Guesthttps://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/logo_off.pngGuest2018-11-09 14:06:212024-11-13 11:07:42Evidencias del ajuste fino del universo
Cuando se trata de las características de ajuste fino del universo, los no-teístas se encuentran en un aprieto. La evidencia es demasiado significativa y concreta como para dejar de lado. La evidencia es inanimada; así que no se puede apelar a hipótesis darwinistas. Las apelaciones a un tiempo casi infinito se ven frustradas por las pruebas de la creación del tiempo sólo unos pocos miles de millones de años atrás. Los siguientes cinco argumentos parecen cubrir el rango de las respuestas no teístas a la evidencia del diseño cósmico:
Argumento 1: nosotros no estaríamos aquí para observar el universo si lo extremadamente improbable no hubiera ocurrido.
La evidencia a favor del diseño es meramente accidental. Nuestra existencia simplemente testifica que lo extremadamente improbable ciertamente tuvo lugar por azar. En otras palabras, no estaríamos aquí para reportar las características del universo a menos que el azar hubiera producido estas propiedades altamente improbables.
Refutación: Este argumento es fundamentalmente una apelación a las probabilidades infinitas que ya ha sido contestada (ver capítulo 12). Otra respuesta ha sido desarrollada por el filósofo Richard Swinburne[1] y ha sido resumida por otro filósofo, William Lane Craig:
Suponga que cien tiradores expertos son enviados para ejecutar a un prisionero en un escuadrón de fusilamiento, y el prisionero sobrevive. El prisionero no debería asombrarse de que no ve que está muerto. Después de todo, si estuviera muerto no podría observar su muerte. No obstante, tendría que asombrarse de que esté vivo.[2]
Extendiendo el argumento de Craig y Swinburne, el prisionero debería concluir, dado que está vivo, que todos los tiradores expertos erraron por algún azar extremadamente improbable. Él podría querer atribuir su supervivencia a una increíble buena suerte, pero sería mucho más racional que él concluyera que los fusiles estaban cargados con salvas o que los tiradores erraron a propósito. Alguien tiene que haber tenido el propósito de que viva. De la misma forma, la conclusión racional que se deduce del ajuste fino del universo es que alguien tuvo el propósito de que nosotros viviéramos.
Argumento 2: el diseño del universo es simple antropomorfismo
El astrofísico Joseph Silk, en su más reciente esfuerzo de comunicar la física de la cosmología del Big Bang a los legos, se mofa de la conclusión de que el universo ha tenido un ajuste fino para soportar la vida. Compara la “tontería” de la idea del diseño con la suposición absurda de la pulga de que el perro del que se alimenta ha sido diseñado precisamente para su beneficio. El error de la pulga, sugiere, se vuelve muy aparente apenas se le coloque al perro un collar para las pulgas.[3]
Refutación: El argumento de Silk ignora algunos temas clave. Si bien la pulga puede estar un poco centrada en sí misma al suponer que el perro fue diseñado exclusivamente para ella, no hay ninguna razón para negar que el perro fue diseñado para un propósito, o para varios propósitos. (El mito de que la vida es producto estrictamente de procesos naturales accidentales es tratado en el capítulo 16.) El collar contra las pulgas puede ser un argumento más fuerte a favor del diseño (por ejemplo, el control de la población) que a favor de la falta de diseño. Más importantemente, si bien podemos imaginarnos un amplio rango de huéspedes adecuados para soportar a la pulga, cada uno de ellos requiere elementos de diseño para facilitar la supervivencia de la pulga.
Aunque son bastante abundantes los huéspedes adecuados para la pulga, no lo son los universos adecuados para la vida. Los astrofísicos no han sido capaces de inventar universos hipotéticos significativamente diferentes del nuestro que pudieran soportar seres humanos o, para el caso, cualquier tipo de vida física inteligente concebible.
Argumento 3: los argumentos del diseño están fuera del dominio de la ciencia y, por lo tanto, deben ser ignorados
Las publicaciones del National Center for Science Education, entre otros grupos anti-creacionistas, aseveran repetidamente que la ciencia está “basada en lo empírico y es necesariamente materialista; los milagros no deben ser permitidos” y que “cualquier teoría con un fundamento sobrenatural no es científica.”[4] Dado que los argumentos de diseño implican la intervención sobrenatural, pueden ser ignorados justificadamente porque “no pueden ser considerados científicos.”[5]
Refutación: Afirmar que la ciencia y la teología son mutuamente excluyentes puede ser conveniente para los materialistas que no están dispuestos a defender su filosofía, pero es insostenible. La ciencia raramente es neutral en lo religioso. Análogamente, la fe religiosa raramente es neutral en lo científico. Tanto la ciencia como la teología tratan frecuentemente con causa y efecto y con procesos de desarrollo en el mundo natural. Tanto la ciencia como la teología tratan con el origen del universo, el sistema solar, la vida y la humanidad.
Cuando se trata de las causas, los procesos de desarrollo y los orígenes, existen siempre dos posibilidades: natural o sobrenatural. Insistir dogmáticamente que nunca deben considerarse respuestas sobrenaturales equivale a decir que todos los seres humanos sigan una sola religión, la religión del materialismo ateo. Encuentro irónico que, en nombre de la libertad religiosa, ciertos proponentes de la educación científica insisten en librar a nuestras instituciones de enseñanza e investigación de cualquier fe que se atreva a competir con la suya.
Argumento 4: el orden puede surgir del caos
La idea de que bajo condiciones estrictamente naturales el orden puede surgir y surgirá del caos fue propuesta primeramente por David Hume, casi doscientos años atrás. Recientemente, ha sido revivido por el químico galardonado con el premio Nobel, Ilya Prigogine en su libro Order out of Chaos (El orden a partir del caos)[6] y por la exitosa película Jurassic Park (Parque Jurásico). Hume hizo la afirmación sin ningún apoyo de las evidencias. Prigogine señaló varias reacciones químicas en las que el orden parece surgir de sistemas caóticos. Jurassic Park en realidad toca otro tema, a saber la teoría del caos y la lógica borrosa.
El principio detrás de la teoría del caos y la lógica borrosa es que, al tratar de predecir el resultado del estado futuro de sistemas excepcionalmente complejos, el investigador estará mejor si se conforma con respuestas o conclusiones aproximadas en cada paso en la solución de un problema en vez de respuestas o conclusiones exactas. La presunción de un principio auto-organizador en los sistemas caóticos surge del hecho de que cuanto más complejo es el sistema mayor es la oportunidad de desviaciones del equilibrio termodinámico en pequeñas porciones del sistema (y mayor es la dificultad para determinar cuáles son realmente los estados de equilibrio termodinámico). Según la segunda ley de la termodinámica, la entropía crece en todos los sistemas, pero la entropía puede decrecer (es decir, el orden puede crecer) en parte de un sistema, siempre que un incremento adicional de entropía (es decir, desorden) ocurra en otra parte del sistema.
Debido a que los investigadores humanos pueden ser propensos a subestimar la complejidad de algunos sistemas, se sorprenden ocasionalmente por cuánto puede desviarse una pequeña porción de un sistema del equilibrio termodinámico. No obstante, las leyes de la termodinámica predicen que estas desviaciones son temporarias, y cuanto mayor la desviación, más rápidamente se corrigen los desvíos.
Sin los desvíos del equilibrio termodinámico, no se formarían las gotas de lluvia y los copos de nieve, por ejemplo. Pero la formación de gotas de lluvia y de copos de nieve se acerca a los límites de auto-organización de un proceso natural. Si bien los copos de nieve exhiben un alto grado de orden, su contenido de información o nivel de diseño permanece bastante bajo. La distinción es aproximadamente como la diferencia entre el Nuevo Testamento y un libro que contenga la oración “Dios es bueno” repetida 90.000 veces.
El último ejemplo muestra un orden considerable, pero no mucha información. El primer ejemplo contiene un alto grado de orden y un alto grado de información (o diseño) a la vez. Los ejemplos de Prigogine exhiben incrementos de orden pero sin incrementos significativos en el contenido de información. Los procesos naturales solos no pueden explicar el nivel excepcionalmente alto de diseño y de contenido de información en los organismos vivos o en la estructura del universo que hacen que la vida sea posible.
Argumento 5: a medida que seguimos evolucionando, llegaremos a ser el creador-diseñador
En su libro, The Anthropic Cosmological Principle (El principio antrópico cosmológico), los astrofísicos John Barrow y Frank Tipler reseñan muchas nuevas evidencias del diseño del universo.[7]
Luego pasan a discutir versiones del principio antrópico como el WAP (Weak Anthropic Principle – principio antrópico débil: los seres conscientes sólo pueden existir en un medio ambiente con características que permitan que lo habiten), el SAP (Strong Anthropic Principle – principio antrópico fuerte: la naturaleza debe adoptar aquellas características que admitan, en algún lado y en algún tiempo, la existencia de seres conscientes), y versiones más radicales, incluyendo el PAP (Participatory Anthropic Principle – principio antrópico participativo: los observadores conscientes son necesarios para traer a la existencia al universo, y el universo es necesario para traer a la existencia a los observadores). Pero lo que ellos propician es el FAP (Final Anthropic Principle – principio antrópico final).
Con el FAP, la vida que existe (pasado, presente y futuro) continuará evolucionando con los recursos inanimados del universo hasta que alcance un estado que Barrow y Tipler denominan el “Punto Omega.”[8] Este Punto Omega, dicen, es una Entidad que tiene las propiedades de omnipotencia, omnipresencia y omnisciencia, con la capacidad de crear en el pasado.[9] En otras palabras, el Dios-Creador no existe todavía, pero nosotros (toda la vida y todas las estructuras inanimadas del universo) estamos evolucionando gradualmente hacia Dios. Cuando Dios sea construido finalmente así, Su poder será tal que Él puede crear un universo entero con todas sus características de diseño miles de millones de años atrás.
En su último libro, The Physics of Immortality (La física de la inmortalidad),[10] Tipler propone que la evolución hacia el Punto Omega ocurrirá mediante el avance de la tecnología de las computadoras. Extrapolando el tiempo de duplicación de la capacidad de computación (en la actualidad, alrededor de dieciocho meses) hacia algunos millones de años en el futuro, Tipler predice que una generación futura de seres humanos podrá no sólo alterar todo el universo y todas las leyes de la física sino también crear un Dios que aún no existe. Más aún, podremos resucitar cada ser humano que haya vivido jamás mediante la recuperación de los recuerdos que alguna vez residieron en el cerebro de cada persona.
Refutación: Es difícil tratar estas hipótesis del FAP y del Punto Omega en forma seria. En el New York Review of Books, el conocido crítico Martin Gardner ofreció su evaluación del trabajo de Barrow y Tipler:
¿Qué podemos decir de este cuarteto de WAP, SAP, PAP y FAP? En mi opinión no tan humilde, creo que el último principio puede llamarse mejor CRAP, Completely Ridiculous Anthropic Principle – principio antrópico completamente ridículo (nota: en inglés, la palabra “crap” significa “basura”).[11]
En The Physics of Immortality, Tipler sobrestima groseramente el papel de la memoria humana y la capacidad futura de las computadoras. Así como las computadoras no pueden funcionar solamente con bancos de memoria, tampoco la mente humana y la conciencia humana operan solamente mediante la memoria. Si bien están teniendo lugar hoy notables progresos en la tecnología de computación, las leyes de la física imponen límites finitos predecibles sobre el hardware de las computadoras futuras. Como ha sido documentado rigurosamente por Roger Penrose en The Emperor’s New Mind y Shadows of the Mind, estos límites no permiten siquiera la duplicación de la conciencia humana, y mucho menos las capacidades fantásticas que sugiere Tipler.[12]
Pero Tipler aparentemente quiere alterar mucho más que sólo el universo y las leyes de la física. Él cree, por ejemplo, que las computadoras futuras serán capaces de exponer a la gente a los principios de la teoría del juego tan efectivamente que todos los pensamientos y acciones destructivos serán purgados y ya no habrá maldad, aún para gente del tipo de Adolf Hitler y Mata Hari.[13]
En la religión de Tipler, la obra redentora de un Salvador se vuelve innecesaria. Considere, sin embargo, que si la propuesta de Tipler fuera cierta, cuanto mejor la gente comprendiera la teoría del juego menor sería la propensión que exhibirían a cometer el mal.
Desafortunadamente para Tipler, no hay evidencias de ninguna correlación de este tipo.
Tipler no sólo descarta el infierno, sino que redefine el cielo. El “cielo” de Tipler trae la dicha relacional (más precisamente, sexual) a todo hombre y mujer. Él produce una ecuación para “probar” que su utopía generada por la computadora traerá a cada hombre una mujer, y a cada mujer un hombre, capaces de entregar 100 000 veces el impacto y la satisfacción del mejor compañero que uno pueda imaginar en la vida que conocemos.[14] La atracción popular de esta idea documenta la bancarrota espiritual de nuestro tiempo. Evidentemente muchas personas nunca han saboreado un placer mayor que lo que puede dar la experiencia sexual.
En un artículo para el Skeptical Inquirer, Gardner nuevamente blandió sus cuchillos satíricos:
Le dejo al lector que decida si deberán optar por OPT (Omega Point Theology – teología del punto omega) como una nueva religión científica superior a la Cienciología – una religión destinada a elevar a Tipler al rango de un profeta más grande que L. Ron Hubbard – u optar por el punto de vista de que OPT es una fantasía descabellada generada por la lectura de demasiada ciencia-ficción.[15]
En su rechazo persistente de un Creador eterno y trascendente algunos cosmólogos (y otros) están recurriendo a opciones cada vez más irracionales. Hay cierta lógica en esto, sin embargo. Si por motivos personales o morales el Dios de la Biblia no es aceptable, entonces, dada toda la evidencia para la trascendencia y el diseño, las alternativas están restringidas a vuelos de la imaginación.
A lo largo del tiempo y a medida que destrabamos más de los secretos del vasto cosmos, los hombres y mujeres estarán más sobrecogidos por cuán exquisitamente está diseñado el universo. Pero ¿a qué estará dirigido ese sobrecogimiento – a la cosa creada o al Creador? Esa es la elección de cada persona.
[2] William Lane Craig, “Barrow and Tipler on the Anthropic Principle Versus Divine Design,” British Journal of Philosophy and Science 38 (1988), p. 392.
[4] NCSE staff, Education and Creationism Don’t Mix (Berkeley, CA: National Center for Science Education, 1985), p. 3; Eugenie C. Scott, “Of Pandas and People,” National Center for Science Education Reports (Enero-Febrero1990), p. 18; Paul Bartelt, “Patterson and Gish at Morningside College,” The Committees of Correspondence, Iowa Committee of Correspondence Newsletter, vol. 4, no. 4 (October 1989), p. 1.
[5]Education and Creationism Don’t Mix, p. 3; Eugenie C. Scott and Henry P. Cole, “The Elusive Scientific Basis of Creation Science,” The Quarterly Review of Biology (March 1985), p. 297.
[6] Ilya Prigogine and Isabelle Stengers, Order out of Chaos: Man’s New Dialogue With Nature (New York: Bantam Books, 1984).
[9] Barrow y Tipler, p. 676-677, 682; Martin Gardner, “Notes of a Fringe-Watcher: Tipler’s Omega Point Theory,” Skeptical Inquirer 15, no. 2 (1991), p. 128-132.
[10] Frank J. Tipler, The Physics of Immortality: Modern Cosmology, God and the Resurrection of the Dead (New York: Doubleday, 1994).
[11] Martin Gardner, “WAP, SAP, PAP, and FAP,” The New York Review of Books, vol. 23, no. 8, 8 May 1986, p. 22-25.
[12] Roger Penrose, The Emperor’s New Mind (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989), p. 3-145, 374-451; Roger Penrose, Shadows of the Mind (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994), p. 7-208.
https://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Objeciones-al-argumento-del-ajuste-fino-del-universo.jpg12562400Guesthttps://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/logo_off.pngGuest2018-11-09 11:39:312024-11-13 11:08:09Objeciones al argumento del ajuste fino del universo
Astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross is a well-known voice in the scientific and evangelical Christian communities for his scientific defenses of the Christian worldview. Over the last few decades, he has written incredible books powerfully defending the arguments for God’s existence from the beginning and design of the universe. A few of my favorites have been:
The primary focus of these books (and many of his others) have been on developing the arguments, presenting the evidence, and answering challenges from skeptics for the truth of Christianity. All these books contain pastoral elements that show how nature can be used to discover much about God’s character and His purposes for His creation. They all provide Christians with the content to follow Peter’s command in 1 Peter 3:15.
“Always Be Ready: A Call To Adventurous Faith” is Dr. Hugh Ross’ latest apologetics book. Usually, Dr. Ross’ published work focuses on the scientific evidence for the truth of Christianity, but this time he decided to do something different. In this book, he decided to focus on the apologetic influence of the evidences not only in his own life but in the lives of those he’s evangelized. In this book, he takes stories from his decades of scientific research, evangelistic efforts, and pastoral experiences to show to the reader the breadth and depth of what Peter’s command to “always be ready” means. Speaking primarily from his heart for those who are lost without Christ, Dr. Ross presents an engaging, encouraging, and essential book for those who wish to follow Peter’s command to always be ready.
This review will follow my usual chapter-by-chapter format concluding with my thoughts about the book. Because Dr. Ross tells many stories that are most effective told in his own words, I have left out all spoilers. First, though let me start with a short video of Dr. Ross speaking about the book:
Now, on to the review:
Chapter 1: Ready for What?
In the introductory chapter, Dr. Ross describes the phrase “always be ready” as meaning that someone is to take a defensive stance in different situations to protect or guard. He explains that, though, it is often understood in this context, that “always be ready” is often used in a more positive sense of being ready for an opportunity or experience. He explains that the purpose of this book is to focus on, like with his others, the positive side of being prepared to give a reason for the hope that we have in Christ (1 Peter 3:15)- always on the lookout for the opportunity to give the logical reasons for the hope that we have. Dr. Ross explains that in Peter’s command, there are three distinct parts: the “why,” the “what,” and the “how.” While his other books (many are reviewed on this blog) have focused on the “what” (the content to be defended), this book will focus more on the “how” and “why” of Peter’s command to the Church. The exciting opportunities that we should always be ready for are the situations that God, through His sovereignty, places us in to give the reasons for our hope and positively affect the person’s life for eternity. This book is written to be both a guide for the eager Christian case-maker and a personal testimony of the power of God when our hearts are committed to always be ready.
Chapter 2: Reasons in Review
Even though this book’s focus is on the “how” and “why,” a quick review of the “what” should certainly not be missing. Dr. Ross explains that since many people automatically believe that science argues against the truth of Christianity and the Bible when we present a case for their truth from science, it garners immediate attention and interest. Dr. Ross has found that in his many opportunities to speak with skeptics, four areas of science seem to be the most effective: the beginning of the universe, the fine-tuning of the universe and earth, the origin of life, and the origin and advance of humans. Dr. Ross provides a quick overview of the evidence provided by science for what the Bible claims on each of these topics. He concludes the chapter by explaining how the earth is designed for the effective and efficient presentation of the Gospel to all nations of the earth: an encouraging and exciting reason to always be ready for the opportunities God is preparing for us to present the reasons for our Hope in Christ. For more details on the arguments and evidence presented in this chapter, see the books I linked to in the Introduction.
Chapter 3: Readiness in the Early Days
Dr. Ross takes the reader back to the early days of the Church, recorded in the book of Acts to describe was always be ready was like then. In the context of a “great persecution,” the Church thrived and grew. This was nothing but miraculous, the result of God exercising His sovereignty in arranging “chance” encounters with the Apostles and key people who could spread the Gospel most effectively. Dr. Ross describes seven unique instances recorded in Acts that he calls “divine orchestrations.” He argues that while any one of these events may be explainable as a “chance” event, the fact that they all happened in their respective contexts (including rejected opportunities by the Apostles to avoid persecution and numerous changed plans) argues powerfully for intentionality behind their happenings- that intention being the spread of the Gospel and the growth of the Church. Luke (the author of Acts) gives no indication that these divine orchestrations ceased with the early Church, so Dr. Ross reasons that God continues to prepare such encounters for Christians today. Like the Apostles, we must always be ready, intently searching for opportunities to communicate the reasons for the hope that we have in Christ.
Chapter 4: How God Reached Me
Dr. Ross uses his own life to demonstrate that divine orchestrations are common even today. He describes a series of unlikely events, severe challenges, and various circumstances that took place from his preschool years through high school that all seemed to have a singular purpose: His salvation through Jesus Christ. Not only does Dr. Ross testify to God’s purposefulness and sovereignty as he presents his story, he emphasizes the immense power of prayer for those who are unsaved and the great influences people can have on others even if exposure is only for a few minutes, which highlights the need for the Christian to always be ready.
Chapter 5: How God Readied Me
Dr. Ross continues his story. He takes the reader through his investigation of the various religions of the world, his doubts regarding naturalistic explanations for life’s origins, and his discoveries about the amazing congruence of Genesis 1 with what scientists have discovered. He discovered too that Genesis 1 answered the big “enigma” of the history of life. While his previous studies had already convinced him that a God of some kind created and fine-tuned the universe, it was not until he had spent two years testing the scientific, historical, and geographical claims of the Bible that he understood that the God who created and fine-tuned the universe is the God of the Bible. After battling pride and fear and trying to simply act like a Christian (and failing at it miserably), he realized that Christ was calling him to actual salvation and a life of surrender. Once Dr. Ross gave his life to Jesus Christ, his desire to tell those around him was strong but he was unsure how to start the conversations. He discovered that the divine orchestrations in his life did not end at his salvation, rather he became an instrument of divine orchestrations in the salvation of others. Through his willingness to always be ready, God placed him in situations, starting almost immediately following his salvation, to evangelize to others using the knowledge and talents that God had been cultivating in him since he was born.
Chapter 6: Readiness and “the Gift”
Among the spiritual gifts listed in Ephesians 4, evangelism is the one that is said, in the rest of scripture, to be given to every believer. Dr. Ross explains that since everyone has different talents, skills, and circumstances (and different combinations of these) that can all be used in evangelism, so every believer will express this gift differently. Further, Ephesians 4 also speaks of its list of spiritual gifts as being used to equip the Church for evangelism. So, evangelism is not only to be practiced to bring others into the Kingdom, it is to be used to strengthen fellow believers. Dr. Ross explains that his initial hesitancy in evangelizing was due to the fact that his being on the autistic spectrum provided communicative challenges (such as the inability to interpret or even recognize non-verbal communication) that are not identified with effective evangelists. However, this challenge caused him to realize the necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit (it is not the Christian who is responsible for changing the heart), and he realized that God could actually use his “handicap” in the unique circumstances (divine orchestrations) that He placed him in. Dr. Ross learned that evangelism is not just a gift as an ability, but a gift from God that when we engage in it, we are more conformed to the character of Christ.
Chapter 7: Ready for Change
Dr. Ross then described the years that led to a dramatic change in the direction of his life. He talks about several exciting and intense evangelistic opportunities that he experienced while he was excelling in his studies and beginning his fellowship within a local church body. He was seeing how God was using his research, even way beyond Dr. Ross’ direct interaction, to bring people into the Kingdom. He also saw how God was preparing others to come alongside him in ministry. However, there was a point that his scientific career was taking off so strongly that he began to become prideful in his own accomplishments. This is when the most dramatic event happened to him that changed his attitude and the direction of his life into full-time ministry. (Sorry, no spoiler here!)
Chapter 8: Ready for Anything
As Dr. Ross began his full-time ministry, he became active in and led many ministries, including a door-to-door ministry, that saw numerous lives changed for Christ. Those who were involved in this ministry saw the power of Christ working and how God prepares the way for those who are ready. Dr. Ross details several specific experiences that seem to only make sense if God was, in fact, guiding the ministry. Several people (including a skeptic of the effectiveness of his approach), who co-labored with him in his ministry, also gave their accounts of various events and testified to the work of the Holy Spirit. Included in these stories, Dr. Ross recounts when it has been clear that the message of the Gospel was accepted in contrast to cultic groups messages, even when the two groups, going door to door, were doing so in the same neighborhood at the same time. He tells a story of an event that, by all naturalistic mechanisms, should not have taken place, and the person who Dr. Ross spoke with had to convince him that it was a direct intervention by God in an answer to prayer. Dr. Ross demonstrates how effective Christ can make His Body in evangelism if we make the commitment to always be ready.
Chapter 9: Ready for the Road
God took Dr. Ross and those who joined in his ministry beyond merely working in the local community to traveling nationally and internationally. He describes speaking trips to (at the time) communist Russia. He describes various challenges that arose from issues with everything from locations to translators. He saw how these challenges were turned, by God, into dramatically multiplied opportunities. These unlikely series events led to the acceptance of the Gospel by numerous attendees to the events, including top Russian government officials and scientists. Dr. Ross describes even more miraculous events that took place during trips to Mongolia and China. Throughout these stories, Dr. Ross emphasizes the role of prayer and consciously always being ready.
Chapter 10: Ready to Fly
“Always being ready” is not limited to just being ready on the ground but in the air, as well. With how often Dr. Ross travels via air, God works out divine orchestrations there as well. He has had numerous conversations on airplanes about evidence for the truth of Christianity with those who are deeply interested. Rarely are the conversations started by him, though; they are usually started by a fellow passenger making simple conversation about their career or seeing what Dr. Ross is either reading or working on with his laptop and wanting more information. These conversations are with both skeptics who are unaware of the evidence for Christianity and with Christians who are struggling with science/faith issues. Dr. Ross has found that these are to be expected and a quiet flight is rarely the case.
Chapter 11: Always Means Always
Dr. Ross has also discovered the extent to which “always” goes. God orchestrates encounters to build His Kingdom through our circumstances even when we do not feel up to it, whether emotionally or physically. Dr. Ross tells stories of God orchestrating apologetic encounters for him in the oddest of circumstances including an inconvenient stop at a supermarket and when he had bypass surgery. Dr. Ross emphasizes that no matter how inconvenient, uncomfortable, or just plain odd the situation, God is always prepared to use it if we commit to always be ready.
Chapter 12: Readiness Together
Through all the stories provided by Dr. Ross in the previous chapters, it is, no doubt, evident that it is important and effective to follow Peter’s command and “always being ready.” But being ready is not something that we cannot prepare for alone; it must be done in the community of the Church. In order for the Church to be a place where the Christian’s faith can be so vibrant that people will ask about its Source, the Church must not be afraid of doubt and tough questions. It is a doubt that drives tough questions that drives the search for answers- answers to questions that skeptics will also ask. Dr. Ross explains that intellectual doubters (and scientists, in particular) are not necessarily opposed to Christianity; they just either haven’t been presented with scientific evidence or have not seriously contemplated the existence of God; this is a ripe mission field. He emphasizes the importance of group leaders in the Church to be open to challenging questions from skeptics during the group meetings; this builds trust and opens spiritual doors for those who are seeking Christ. As questions and challenges are raised, sometimes disagreement upon the correct answer will arise among Christians. Dr. Ross emphasizes that part of “always being ready” includes being ready to deal gently and respectfully, being reconciled to one another as we model the Gospel of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19-20; John 13:35) to unbelievers.
Chapter 13: Readiness and Demeanor
Always being ready not only requires a readiness to give answers to questions but readiness to do so gently and respectfully. Many Christians approach giving answers by placing the questioner on the defensive regarding their claims, but instead of this resulting in an openness to alternative views (the Gospel) the intentions behind the approach are misinterpreted and cause a loss of trust which either results in the conversation abruptly concluding or an emotional “shouting” match to ensue. Dr. Ross encourages taking an approach that will encourage the building of trust between the Christian and the skeptic and help keep emotional barriers (caused by our demeanor) to Christ low. He encourages allowing the skeptic to put us on the defensive; encourage them to ask their tough and honest questions, and when we have the opportunity to ask questions, ask ones that are open-ended and designed to draw out the source of their hesitancy to accept Christ. Always being ready involves not only being prepared in our knowledge but also in a winsome presentation of that knowledge.
Chapter 14: The Readiness Bonus
Always being ready results in much joy as God uses us continually to build His kingdom, but there exists an added bonus that Dr. Ross sees in Scripture but is rarely mentioned. This is that we grow in our faith as we share it and present reasons for it. As we obey Christ’s command of the Great Commision (Matt 28:19), God brings us closer to Him in our knowledge, character, and relationship (Philemon 6). In actively sharing our faith, we discover that even though we are not perfect at presenting it, the Holy Spirit can still draw people to Him. We also discover that the Holy Spirit does not limit His work in only the person we are answering; often others are listening in and their hearts are being ministered to and being prepared by the Holy Spirit to enter the Kingdom. Dr. Ross explains several other biblical bonuses that come with always being ready, including proper responses to fear, doubt, and ridicule. He explains that always being ready is a life-long pursuit; no matter how much we know about God, He is infinite, so there will always be more to learn, and that increased knowledge further prepares for more of what God has in store for us.
Chapter 15: Ready for Action
In the concluding chapter, Dr. Ross calls the reader to action. He tells of several creative ways others have demonstrated their readiness. He reminds the reader that if they commit to follow Peter’s command to always be ready, God will always be ready to use them in any and every situation to build and strengthen the Kingdom.
Reviewer’s Thoughts
“Always Be Ready” was an exciting, engaging and encouraging read. I can never get enough of hearing how God works through the Body of Christ to build His Kingdom. Dr. Ross’ stories not only speak to the power of the Christian always being prepared to give a reason for the hope that we have, but it demonstrates powerfully how God is sovereignly working through those who make the decision to strive for that preparation. It is amazing how God works through the people and the circumstances to bring these Christians in contact with those who hunger for salvation and a personal relationship with their Creator. I not only enjoyed the stories but I garnered much wisdom as to how to cultivate my own preparedness for the use of our Savior. Our God is truly an awesome God with an awesome plan, and it is exciting to see how He works out this plan through the evangelistic efforts of His faithful children. This book serves as a tremendous encouragement to all Christians to wish to see how God uses evidence from His creation to work in the lives of the unbeliever and the believer. The evidence of God’s work presented in this book will, no doubt, bring much joy to the Christian’s heart and get you excited to be used by your Creator and Savior for an eternal purpose. For every Christian who is passionate about completing the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19), “Always Be Ready: A Call To Adventurous Faith” is for you.
https://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Book-Review_-Always-Be-Ready-A-Call-To-Adventurous-Faith.jpg12562400Guesthttps://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/logo_off.pngGuest2018-09-30 18:30:562024-11-13 11:29:48Book Review: Always Be Ready – A Call To Adventurous Faith
Whether you are skeptical of God’s existence or seeking scientific support for your faith, This interview with Astronomer Dr. Hugh Ross about his updated book will enable you to see how the heavens do declare the glory of God (Ps. 19:1).
Dr. Ross explains recent scientific measurements of the universe that clearly point to its purposeful origin and development. An abundance of references to published research findings allows you to explore the evidence for yourself.
https://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Creatonr-and-Cosmos-Podcast-SM.jpg12562400Guesthttps://crossexamined.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/logo_off.pngGuest2018-05-07 17:44:432018-05-07 17:56:56The Creator & The Cosmos with Dr. Hugh Ross
Several years ago, when I was struggling with science/faith issues, I stumbled upon astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross’ book “The Creator and the Cosmos.” He had released the third edition of the book, and many people were recommending it for those with science/faith concerns. I was already somewhat familiar with Dr. Ross’ name since I had read “The Fingerprint of God” in the mid-90s but had not pursued much more investigation (most of the content was way over my head at the time). I decided to pick up a copy of that new book in the mid-2000s and took the time to read through it carefully. I was astounded at the strength of the scientific case Dr. Ross presented for the existence of the God of the Bible.
The book helped me overcome my struggle with science and paved the way for a deeper and more reasonable faith that I still continue to investigate and communicate to others to help them through their intellectual struggles. Not only can I know emotionally and spiritually that Christianity is true, but I can know it intellectually and reasonably. Of course, I have been blogging for quite a few years regarding how to demonstrate the reasonableness and truth of the Christian worldview, and in doing so, I have been providing my readers with chapter-by-chapter summary-style reviews of many of the books that I read.
A couple years ago I decided to begin going back through some of the apologetics books that I read early on, and “The Creator and the Cosmos” was in my stack. Not too long after I made that decision, though, I found out that Dr. Ross was working on a new edition that would add the most current discoveries to his original case (making it even stronger) and address even more challenges to his case that various scientists have proposed since the book’s third edition was published. I decided to hold off on my review until that new edition had been released. Well, IT IS HERE!!!!! And I cannot be more excited for it! In keeping with my usual book reviews, I will provide a chapter-by-chapter summary then provide my recommendations. If you are reading this review on the Faithful Thinkers blog, I have embedded quotes and videos to enhance the review and better communicate the content of the book. Before I get to the summary, let’s start with this short video from Dr. Ross about how his investigation of the cosmos led him to the conclusion that the personal God of the Bible exists and led him to dedicate his life to Jesus Christ.
Are you ready to see how astronomers and astrophysicists are discovering every day that “the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1)?
Let’s begin!
Chapter 1: The Awe-Inspiring Night Sky
Dr. Ross begins by describing how, as a young boy who was fascinated with astronomy, he discovered that people, in general, are intrigued with the study of the cosmos. He explains that this is not an empty curiosity but rather a profound one. If the universe had a beginning, then something must have existed to cause it to begin, and if the universe exhibits great detail in its creation, then the life that ultimately resulted must have a purpose in the mind of its Creator. He notes that the study of the cosmos is not merely a scientific pursuit of knowledge of the physical world, but it is fundamentally a philosophical and theological inquiry. Historically different groups of scholars have claimed superior knowledge of the cosmos. Scientists, theologians, and philosophers have seen their own disciplines as superseding any discoveries or claims from the other two. This has caused a lot of conflict in the academy and has placed unnecessary limits on the fruits of studying the cosmos. Dr. Ross encourages, not a separated study of the cosmos by those in these disciplines but, an integrative approach: one that takes the knowledge of all three and aims to combine their knowledge to discover a more complete and precise picture of the whole. By taking this approach, the study of the cosmos ultimately becomes tied to two of the deepest questions of life: what is the meaning of life and what is my purpose in life.
Chapter 2: My Skeptical Inquiry
Dr. Ross takes a chapter to recount his own journey. From the age of seven, he had a fascination with astronomy, and his investigation of the cosmos began. By the age of fifteen, he was convinced that the universe had a beginning, and thus a Beginner. For a short time, he believed that the beginner was unconcerned with His creation (a deistic approach), but his studies of world religions in high school informed him that people all over the world tend to believe that their holy books accurately describe reality, including the origins of the universe. Even though he fully expected that all the world’s religions would get the science wrong, he resolved to objectively investigate the claims of the world’s religions regarding the universe’s origins to test if they even had the possibility of being truly authored by the Creator/God of the universe. One-by-one Ross found errors in the various holy books about the universe, eliminating them from the realm of truth; that is until he started investigating the Bible. It took him eighteen months of nightly study to come to the conclusion that it not only contained no errors regarding the universe, but the Bible accurately described features of the universe that no person of the time of authorship (even the latest possible dates) could have possibly known. In fact, he calculated that the Bible is roughly 10^58 times more reliable than the laws of physics. At that point, he was convinced that the Bible was supernaturally inspired by the same Beginner of the universe, and he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel using the evidence provided by the Creator’s creation.
Chapter 3: Big Bang–The Bible Taught It First
Roughly twenty-five hundred years before big bang cosmology was proposed through theoretical physics or was evidenced by observing the cosmos, the Bible, against all other cosmologies of the contemporary cultures, claimed that the universe had a beginning and was expanding: the two most fundamental features of big bang cosmology. Dr. Ross cites seven passages in the Old Testament and three in the New Testament that state that the universe had a beginning, and seven passages across both Testaments that unequivocally identify God as the cause of the universe. Eleven different passages claimed that the universe was not static but was expanding, and three of them state explicitly that the expansion was taking place by God’s intervention. What makes these passages truly interesting is that some indicate that the expansion is ongoing by God’s sovereign, providential command, while others indicate that God has completed the expansion. According to big bang cosmology, the laws of physics were set (completed), at the creation of the universe, in such a way to ensure the continual expansion of the universe at the proper rates at the proper times to ultimately prepare a home for humans (see Dr. Ross’ book “Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity’s Home” for the details on this painstakingly engineered and beautifully orchestrated process).
And taking the cosmological claims even further, the biblical authors add (several times) that the universe is governed by constant laws of physics since the creation event that included the law of decay (second law of thermodynamics- transfer of energy from hot to cold matter). Dr. Ross uses the passages to argue that the Bible also identifies a third fundamental feature of all big bang cosmological models: a constantly cooling universe. None of these concepts were known or even knowable to the ancients except for through divine inspiration by the Creator of the universe, Himself. The fact that scientists are discovering features of the universe recorded only by the writers of the Bible argues powerfully not only for God’s existence, but that He inerrantly inspired the words of Scripture.
Implications of the big bang family of models are generally misunderstood by many theists who stand against the theory. Dr. Ross concludes the chapter by clearing up a couple understandings of big bang cosmology in an effort to alleviate some of the emotional concern about the theory being in conflict with the Bible or the God of the Bible as the Beginner. For more on resolving a literal and historical reading of Genesis with the scientific discoveries, see Dr. Ross’ books “A Matter of Days” and “Navigating Genesis.”
Chapter 4: Discovery of the Twentieth Century
All hot big bang models predicted that scientists would discover that the universe and all it contains rapidly expanded from a nearly infinitely small volume with a nearly infinitely high temperature. While theoretical physics predicted that some form of big bang cosmology was correct and other indirect evidences existed pointing to the same conclusion, no signature (evidence of this nearly infinitely hot initial volume) had been discovered, until the early 90s. In 1992 the announcement of the big bang theory’s fingerprint was made: the COBE satellite had discovered direct evidence of the cooling of the universe from its initially hot state. Not only did this discovery establish that the universe began from a near-infinitely hot volume, but it also established that the expansion of the universe was incredibly finely tuned.
Dr. Ross uses the analogy of an oven to illustrate both implications of the COBE observation. When an oven is heated, the space closer to it will be hotter while space further from it will be cooler, and when the oven is turned off for an extended period of time, the temperature throughout the room will normalize. COBE measured outer space to be the same temperature in all directions at the same distances, indicating that a source of heat had existed at some point in time. COBE also measured hotter temperatures at further locations, indicating that the source of heat had been “turned off.” This not only confirmed the universe’s beginning as predicted by big bang cosmology (and the Bible before it), but it also falsified several competing beginningless models. Placing the big bang on even firmer evidential ground was the fact that the measured temperature and temperature differences matched a 1940s prediction of the theory.
On the first impression, it may appear that the uniformity of the temperatures raises a problem: how can stars form if the temperature is perfectly uniform throughout the history of the universe? Interestingly enough, though, the temperatures measured by COBE were not perfectly smooth across directions and distances. The variations were small enough that the implications of a beginning stood firmly yet large enough that stars, galaxies, and galaxy clusters could form, and form at a finely-tuned rate necessary for life. As time went on from the initial COBE discovery announcement, more instruments were used to independently confirm the discovery, and more precise measurements were taken that led to the refining (fine-tuning) of the big bang models and galaxy formation models. Since then, numerous observations continue to confirm COBE’s discovery of these predictions of big bang cosmology. As more and more discoveries are made, science continues to confirm the biblical claim that the universe had a beginning caused by a Beginner outside of time and space. The evidence for God as the Creator is getting stronger every day. Dr. Ross continues the chapter going into detail on numerous discoveries that establish the beginning and fine-tuning of the universe.
Chapter 5: Twenty-First Century Discoveries- Part I
The previous chapter only covered the discoveries from the 20th century that establishes the beginning and fine-tuning of the universe, which was enough to place them on powerful evidential grounds. As technological breakthroughs continue, the mound of evidence grows. In the next two chapters, Dr. Ross details discoveries of the 21st century that continue to establish the biblical truth of God as Creator and Designer.
While discoveries of the 20th century established that the universe was expanding, discoveries of the 21st century have revealed the rate of expansion. Using type 1a supernovae discovered in the last 20 years, scientists have been able to establish the expansion rate of the universe during the different epochs of the history of the universe. As technology has advanced, these measurements have revealed an extremely finely tuned expansion, and newer technology is expected to reveal more precision in the coming years. When Albert Einstein originally formulated his theory of relativity, it predicted that the universe had a beginning, but that was in direct contradiction to the popular cosmological models of the time. Einstein did attempt to make his theory compatible with beginningless models by adding a “cosmological constant;” however, the discoveries (discussed in the previous chapters) demonstrated that Einstein’s original theory was correct. However, scientists have placed the “cosmological constant” back into the equations, but using different values than Einstein, not in an attempt to avoid a beginning but, to explain the expansion of the universe and maintain the universe’s beginning. This “cosmological constant” is commonly known as dark energy.
Not only is dark energy a problem for naturalism because it necessarily implies that the universe had a beginning, but it necessarily implies that that beginning was too recent in the past for naturalism to explain the origin of life (see Dr. Ross’ book “Origins of Life” for an in-depth study of this challenge) or the diversity of life we see today. As independent discoveries continue to establish that the denial of dark energy’s existence is irrational, dark energy is providing some of the most powerful evidence, not just for the beginning of the universe but, that the universe’s expansion was finely tuned for life. The same evidence that leads to the conclusion that the universe has a beginning, when studied in more depth also reveals fine-tuning to a level of 1 part in 10^122 (that is 10 with 122 zeros after it). To say that scientists have discovered that the universe is “exquisitely designed” is a most spectacular understatement.
Chapter 6: Twenty-First Century Discoveries- Part II
While a cosmic beginning and the cosmic expansion have been overwhelmingly confirmed in these beginning years of the 21st century, several other predictions of big bang cosmology have been put to the test. Big bang cosmology can be tested by making measurements of the amounts of different elements at different epochs of the universe. Dr. Ross explains several independent studies that have yielded confirmed predictions regarding the abundances of helium and deuterium; however, measurements of lithium abundance have missed the mark, indicating incomplete detailing of the current suite of models. Several possible solutions have been proposed, resulting in more detailed big bang models to be tested as technology advances.
Other ways to test big bang models have also only become available in the 21st century. The spatial separation of galaxies over time has provided another test for big bang cosmology. Over time, the general model predicts that galaxies will be further and further apart from one another. As cosmologists observe galaxies further and further away from earth (further back in time, since it takes time for light to reach the telescopes), the galaxies appear closer and closer together gradually as distance increases. Another test would be the predicted rate of expansion over time. Building upon the discussion in the previous chapter, using the fine-tuning of dark energy, big bang models predict the amount that has elapsed since the creation event itself. The time calculated is roughly 13.78 billion years. To test this age, several other independent methods have been used to determine the age as well, and all are consistent within the error bars (±0.26 billion years). If big bang cosmology were incorrect, the ages discovered using independent methods would differ radically not within the error bars of the initial prediction.
Building further upon those confirmed predictions, more predictions are made and can be tested. Specifically, if we know the rate of expansion and the amount of time of the expansion, then a cooling curve can be derived. Using the latest information and technology, the predicted cooling curve has been tested and confirmed by using two independent methods of observing the variation in temperature of the cosmos at different distances (epochs). This next generation of confirmed predictions (predictions arising from previously confirmed predictions) demonstrates the continued confirmation and shear explanatory power of big bang cosmology and, thus, the existence of a Creator and Designer of the universe, just as the Bible claims.
Chapter 7: Einstein’s Challenge
This chapter is a short one, almost an “intermission.” Dr. Ross dedicates some space to discussing Albert Einstein’s equations of relativity and how they implied a beginning. He explained that the cosmology of an eternal universe, which he attributes to Immanuel Kant, was accepted by Einstein; thus Einstein believed that his equations were missing a term that would perfectly counter-act all expansion. After Edwin Hubble observed the galaxies moving away, Einstein conceded and removed his additional term. This, however, did not convert Einstein to a theist; he rather accepted that God was the creator but was impersonal and unconcerned with the affairs of His creatures. His primary objection to a personal God is related to God’s sovereignty and man’s moral responsibility. Dr. Ross laments the fact that Einstein did not get to see his “cosmological constant” reinserted (though, at a different value) or all the fine-tuning evidence that his theories had paved the way for scientists to discover, for these may have intrigued Einstein enough to reconsider Christian theism and seek resolution to his theological concerns that stood as a stumbling block between him and Jesus Christ.
Chapter 8: Closing Loopholes: Round One
Of course, Einstein was not the only scientist to resist a finite universe. Many scientific theories, that depended upon the availability of an infinite amount of time, had already been developed and became part of scientific orthodoxy before big bang cosmology was confirmed. The confirmation of big bang cosmology has turned many of these theories on their heads, and in some cases completely falsified them (13.7 billion years renders naturalistic theories of the origin of life impossible- see Dr. Ross’ book “Origins of Life” for an in-depth study of this challenge). Several different naturalistic models have been proposed in an effort to avoid a singular cosmic beginning. The first competing model is the steady-state model.
Simply put, this model holds that the universe has existed into the infinite past. It attempts to counteract the expansion of the universe by positing that matter is constantly being created. Several tests have been conducted to confirm that this simply is not happening, thus falsifying the steady-state model. Another version of the steady state has been proposed, though. This one holds to the universe existing the infinite past but posits that matter is only created in bursts at specific locations within the universe (quasars). Unfortunately for this quasi-steady-state model, the test that is proposed is fully consistent with big bang predictions as well. In fact, the observed densities of quasars at different distances not only shows the quasi-steady-state model incorrect, they match the specific predictions of big bang cosmology. The same observations serve to falsify one model (quasi-steady-state) and confirm its competitor (big bang); thus observations again confirm that the universe had a beginning, just as the ancient biblical authors recorded thousands of years ago.
Chapter 9: Closing Loopholes: Round Two
Even though observations relegated steady-state models to the abyss, many non-theists still wished to avoid a singular, absolute beginning. They hypothesized that perhaps the big bang was just one of many in an infinite series of expansions and contractions of the universe into the infinite past. This new theory would be able to account for all the same evidence that supports the beginning without there being a single beginning. This model, though, required mechanisms to shrink the universe and cause it to bounce back from the compressed volume (not infinitesimally small, as proposed by big bang cosmology, though). Both theoretical and observational evidence demonstrates that neither mechanism exists. In order for the universe to recompress, it would require a considerable amount of matter more than what exists in the universe (even after accounting for exotic matter).
If no mechanism exists to compress, then no mechanism can exist to reexpand the compressed mass. Compounding the problem is the existence of entropy. Entropy would require that each successive “bounce” would produce a universe smaller and smaller. If the universe had been getting smaller from the infinite past, the size of the universe today would be no different from the fully compressed volume. Thus this “oscillating” universe model, as it is commonly called, fails observationally and theoretically not just on these counts but on others that Dr. Ross details.
There does exist a short period of time after the big bang that no technology can observe (from the beginning to when the universe was 10^-43 seconds old). Theoretical physicists use this period of time in the universe’s history to speculate about exotic physics that may ultimately remove the need for a singular beginning or a beginning at all. However, even though they cannot be directly tested, these theories can be indirectly tested. All theories must result in a universe that exhibits the features that scientists observe today, so these speculations can be tested (negatively tested only; they can only be falsified but never confirmed) by comparing their implications to what exists today. Dr. Ross gives several examples of how these speculative theories have been falsified through indirect testing.
Chapter 10: Science Discovers the Creation of Time
If established, the beginning of time would have one of the most significant theological implications. It would require that time had a creator; something that only the Bible, among the world’s “holy” books, unambiguously claims about our world. In the late 1960s, the space-time theorems of general relativity were proposed by a team including none other than Stephen Hawking. Based upon the extensive testing of general relativity (which Dr. Ross spends the majority of the chapter explaining in detail), these theorems have been well established and indicate the big bang was the beginning of not only space but time, as well.
As mentioned above, many attempts have been trying to avoid the beginning by appealing to unknowns within the first moments of the universe’s existence. The hope, by those who oppose a Creator, is that this period of time would allow for the universe, somehow, to be past infinite in age. However, the space-time theorems of general relativity were extended even further back and being based upon already well-established observational evidence, do prove correct, The implications of this extension is that an absolute beginning is required even beyond the initial moments of the universe’s existence. This means that all models, including oscillating models and multiverse models, eventually would require an absolute beginning at some point in time and that the cause of the universe exists beyond the space-time dimensions (transcendent existence). These are discoveries that no “holy book” saw coming (predicted), except for the Bible.
Chapter 11: A God Outside of Time, But Knowable
Even though the extended space-time theorems established that the universe had a beginning, that means that whatever (or Whoever) caused the universe also created time. In order for cause and effect relationships to exist, time must also exist. The Bible stands alone claiming that while there is a portion of reality in which our time did not exist (e.g., 2 Tim 1:9; Titus 1:2), the Creator was still operating in cause-and-effect relationships (e.g. John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20). Dr. Ross explains that to create God exists in, at least, one more dimension of time (to create the dimension of time that our universe operates within) and possibly in more physical dimensions as well. (Dr. Ross refers the reader to his book “Beyond the Cosmos” for a deeper discussion of this possibility and some of the theological questions it may help to answer.) Big bang cosmology establishes that the Creator is transcendent, which Christianity affirms yet other worldviews deny.
One of the requirements of the time-space theorems is that time always moves forward; Dr. Ross states that this really makes time only half a dimension, which requires that anything that is confirmed to it must have a beginning. Many skeptics often challenge God’s existence by asking if everything was created, then who or what created God. This is answered by recognizing that the Creator is not confined to the time half-dimension, which would require a beginning, but since God is not confined to this half-dimension, He does not require a beginning. Skeptics have proposed other possibilities to avoid time’s beginning (to avoid the universe’s needing a cause), and Dr. Ross concludes the chapter by quickly addressing these alternative hypotheses.
Chapter 12: A Brief Look At A Brief History of Time
In this chapter, Dr. Ross interacts with the conclusions Stephen Hawking offered in his books “A Brief History of Time” and “The Grand Design.” In the first book, Hawking proposes his and James Hartle’s model that appeals to imaginary time to avoid a cosmic beginning and thus the necessity of a Beginner. Beyond the evidentially unwarranted appeal to imaginary time, the model necessarily requires that sometime in the future, the universe will eventually stop expanding and compress back on itself. However, this model cannot be true because the universe does not possess enough matter to allow such a collapse to take place no matter how distant in the future. There have been several attempts to reformulate the model to accommodate the latest evidence, but all appeals have since fallen short of the evidence.
In “The Grand Design,” Stephen Hawking and co-author Leonard Mlodinow appeal to discoveries of extra-solar planets to demonstrate that the earth is not unique but quite common, and they appeal to the multiverse to avoid an absolute beginning to the universe. The claims, if correct, seem to remove the need for a Beginner or a Designer to explain the current state of our universe. Dr. Ross will reserve an entire chapter on the discussion of the multiverse, but he addresses exoplanets here. He explains that of the 3600+ exoplanets that have been discovered so far, none of them are sufficiently like earth (it must exist in all nine habitable zones- discussed in greater detail his book “Improbable Planet“) to support life more advanced than the hardiest of microbes. Dr. Ross explains that for those expecting to discover extra-terrestrial life, the latest discoveries great disappoint. In order for life to exist on another planet, not only must an exact twin of our planet exist, it must exist in the context of an exact solar twin and an exact solar system twin (that would mean that our neighboring planets’ compositions and locations would have to match, as well).
Not only is there the planetary issue for an environment suitable for the origin of life, but there is also the biochemical challenges. Dr. Ross explains that prebiotic chemistry shuts down in the presence of oxygen yet fatal ultraviolet radiation can only be filtered out by oxygen. This presents a problem for the origin of life on earth because studies into the history of our planet demonstrate that the level of oxygen was more than sufficient to prevent prebiotic chemistry at the time in history that the first evidence of life appears. Dr. Ross spends the remainder of the chapter demonstrating how science has provided problems for Hawking’s views not only in observation of the universe but also regarding ideas of knowledge (epistemology).
Chapter 13: A Modern-Day Goliath
Of course, Hawking’s model is not the only challenge to a beginning and design that exist to this day. As the evidence of a Creator has been mounting over the decades, skeptics have been busy looking in all directions for some possible escape from the biblical claim of a Creator and Designer. Quantum mechanics has seemed to provide some promise to this end in four ways. Various appeals to quantum tunneling, a universe from “nothing,” an infinite multiverse, and observer-created reality have all been attempted.
In the first of these options (quantum tunneling, offered by Paul Davies), the proposed mechanism would have to take place in the physical dimension of time before the dimension of time even existed. This proposal also requires that things popping into existence uncaused is a common feature of reality, yet observations of reality demonstrate the very opposite. The second attempt addressed is the model of Lawrence Krauss. This proposal is dependent upon a “hyper” quantum mechanics that is not constrained by the universe yet requires higher dimensions to operate. Among other issues, the big problem with Krauss’ model is that it requires a second hyper-inflationary event that, when combined with the current inflationary event already required by big bang cosmology, does not produce any universe where life is possible. This failure, though, has caused Krauss to resort to the third option: an infinite multiverse.
Some skeptics believe they can escape an absolute beginning and fine-tuning by appealing to an infinite multiverse. The idea of the infinite multiverse is that if an infinite number of universes exist that exhibit an infinite number of different values for the physical constants, then at least one of them will produce life. Unfortunately, this still does not eliminate the need for God for at least five reasons that Dr. Ross describes in detail. The fourth and final option appeals to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. Dr. Ross explains eight ways in which this interpretation violates logic and reality; thus an alternative is necessary. Quantum mechanics currently has ten interpretations that have been seriously proposed, some of which are perfectly compatible with God as both Creator and Designer. Ultimately, quantum mechanics poses no threat to big bang cosmology or to the biblically predicted discovery of the universe’s absolute beginning caused by a Beginner beyond space and time.
Chapter 14: The Divine Watch-Maker
The design argument offered by William Paley is one of the most popular. He offers that just as no one would posit that a watch was the product of natural processes because it is unreasonable, so too no one should posit that creatures with similar or greater complexity and specificity are the product of natural processes. This argument has been attacked on several different fronts that Dr. Ross addresses in this chapter. The first is that of David Hume. Hume’s issue with the argument is that organisms are not close enough to a watch in function or configuration for the analogy to be a good one. Dr. Ross responds simply by pointing out that Hume was speaking in a period of time when knowledge of organisms’ functions and configurations was extremely limited. Since then, the discoveries have taken knowledge of the function and configurations of organisms (and their individual cells and molecules) well beyond that of watches; thus Paley’s analogy stands firmly.
Darwin offers that his observation of gradual change between generations of the same species of animals, where bad changes are weeded out by the reduced or inability of organisms to reproduce, explains how such complex organisms could arise from simpler organisms. The admission by Darwinists that their mechanisms cannot come into play until the origin of life takes place means that before evolution can be explanatory of complexity and diversity (from a naturalistic perspective), all origin-of-life issues and challenges must be resolved. The just-right requirements of the origin of life keep pushing the origin of life closer to the current day in cosmic history, yet evidence of complex life keeps pushing the appearance of complexity further back. These two are getting so close to each other as to suffocate any undirected hypothesis for the design found in organisms. Dr. Ross also points out that the Bible alone makes sense of the sudden disappearance of new species from the fossil record shortly before the first appearance of humans. God’s final creation was humans, according to Genesis. Thus the Bible predicts this sudden halt in diversification, yet the evolutionary paradigm predicts the exact opposite.
Gould believes that the evidence of “bad designs” in nature demonstrated that organisms exhibiting such poor features could not have been designed by an intelligent designer. But this argument fails on two accounts. First, as research has continued into the “bad designs,” scientists have discovered that they are actually good designs by themselves or within the context of the overall system they are part of. Second, the divine design does not preclude natural processes, which may allow for some diversification within the observed limits. Thus challenges to William Paley’s argument do not stand, and, again, the biblical view that a Designer created the universe and all within it stands unfalsified and evidentially and logically sound.
Chapter 15: A “Just-Right” Universe
Illuded to in the discussion on the multiverse is the need for an infinite number of universes of an infinite number of values for the constants of physics to allow for just one of them to produce life. In this chapter, Dr. Ross goes into more detail about the fine-tuning of the laws, components, and processes of this universe necessary for advanced life that warrant the necessity of an infinite multiverse for the naturalist. From the subatomic scale to the molecular scale, the types, varieties, and ratios of the various building blocks of our universe have precise values required for not just for life, but for stars, galaxies, and planets to form. The laws of physics that govern the behavior of these components also must be precisely finely tuned within a large range of possibilities, again, just for stars, galaxies, and planets to form. Dr. Ross describes only a few of these different values in this chapter. The ones that he chose, though, establish firmly why naturalists are compelled to agree with, at least, the appearance of fine-tuning of this universe for life. He mentions that 140 different values have been discovered to be required and precisely finely-tuned; otherwise life would be impossible, over the decades, and the trend continues.
Different skeptics have responded in different ways to the compelling evidence of the fine-tuning. Dr. Ross includes several pages loaded with quotes from various astrophysicists, who have studied the values, who recognize the appeal to intelligent agency (indirectly and directly) to explain the presence of so many features and the precision of the fine-tuning. Of course, not all astrophysicists grant a Designer (of some sort). Some insist on naturalistic explanations. All the arguments for these alternatives to God fall under one (or more) of five different arguments. Dr. Ross takes each one and addresses the essential features that render them untenable as challenges to fine-tuning. The last of the five challenges that Dr. Ross addresses focus on the model presented by Frank Tipler. After demonstrating the various ways that the model fails, Dr. Ross concludes the discussion and the chapter by rejoicing that Tipler eventually accepted the theological implications of big bang cosmology and accepted Christ as a result of the evidence that God put forth in His creation.
Chapter 16: Responding to Nonempirical, Nontheistic Models
Given all the physical and empirical evidence of the God of the Bible presented in the pages of this book, many skeptics have resorted to using nonempirical reasons to justify their skepticism. It is common (as discussed above) for the skeptic to appeal to either what is not currently known (other physics) or what is unknowable (complete speculation) to rescue their denial of God from being totally illogical. Some skeptics use circular reasoning in their models to attempt to escape a cosmic beginning (they begin with a cosmological model that precludes a beginning then uses it as evidence of a lack of a beginning). Another tactic is the requirement of 100% certainty or absolute proof (the requirement that all conceivable questions and challenges must be answered) before acceptance of the conclusion of God’s existence is accepted. If this kind of proof were required before we were willing to believe things in everyday life, living and even relationships would be impossible.
A common skeptical challenge to God’s existence is that theists are simply inserting “God” where there is a lack of knowledge- “God” is merely a mechanistic gap-filler to explain how something happened when the “real” mechanism has not yet been discovered. Interestingly enough, naturalists do the same; they insert “nature” where mechanisms have not yet been discovered (examples are given above). Dr. Ross explains that, for both sides, there is no guarantee that the gap in knowledge will be filled or not filled. Ongoing research has revealed natural mechanisms, and ongoing research has revealed the impossibility of natural mechanisms (as described thoroughly above regarding attempts to erase the cosmic beginning). Dr. Ross explains that even if gaps seem to be filled, they are never completely filled, so gaps in our knowledge will always exist.
Even though Dr. Ross has shown throughout this book, when it comes to cosmology the trend of shrinking gaps is on the side of the biblical God while the trend of enlarging gaps is on the side of naturalism, there exists other areas where these trends continue: the origin of life and creating life in the lab. Dr. Ross summarizes some of the latest information in these fields to make his case (more detail can be found in the books “Origins of Life” and “Creating Life In The Lab,” respectively). Dr. Ross encourages the skeptic to recognize and follow where the trend of the evidence is leading: to the biblical God.
Chapter 17: Earth: The Place for Life
Dr. Ross explains that the universe, as a whole, is not the only scale at which fine-tuning is detectable. Fine-tuning has been discovered at the scales of the galaxy-cluster, galaxy, star, solar system, and planet. The right type and size of a galaxy are necessary. It must be a spiral galaxy (which removes most galaxies in the cosmos from consideration), and it cannot be too big or too small. The galaxy cluster must also not be too densely populated with other galaxies, which would gravitational destruction of the life site, or too sparsely populated, which would prevent the spiral structure of the host galaxy from being maintained for the proper amount of time for life to originate and continue. The host star must also be located at the right spot between the spiral arms of the galaxy and maintain this location as the galaxy rotates, to avoid gravitational disturbances from other stars in the galaxy. This means that two+ star systems are ruled out as well. The mass of the star must be just right, for if it is too massive it would burn too quickly and if it is not massive enough it would flare too much. The mass also affects the zone around the star that the host planet may reside, which if too close or too far has its own set of pitfalls for life.
Because of these constraining requirements for carbon-based life, some scientists have speculated that perhaps carbon-based life is not the only possible type of life. However, the only other elements that have the possibility of being a basis for life are either too rare, too poisonous, or are unstable with a large number of chemical bonds. This means that the life-site must be able to support the origin and maintenance of carbon-based life. Scientists have discovered nine different “habitable zones” (physical locations) that the host site must reside in simultaneously. The only place where life can originate and be maintained is the locations where all nine zones overlap. Dr. Ross lists out each of these zones and refers the reader to his book “Improbable Planet” for a detailed discussion of them.
To add to the fine-tuning of the site for life, the planetary neighbors and the moon must also be finely-tuned. The neighboring planets must be the right size and distance to be able to shield the life site from most life-exterminating collisions but not massive enough and/or close enough to interfere with the gravitational orbit of the site around its host star. Yet, they do need to allow one exterminating collider (what created our moon) before life originates in order to set up the site for maintaining life (plate tectonics, delivery of vital poisons, and recycling nutrients). The list of features that must be finely-tuned just goes on and on in this chapter. Outside the work of a purposeful Mind behind this finely-tuned project (that is, life), believing that we are here by natural processes alone scientifically and philosophically defy credulity. It is only the work of a purposeful Creator and Designer, who desires to be known that scientists even exist to discover the power, beauty, and majesty in our cosmos that reflects its Creator. This chapter certainly stands on its own to establish fine-tuning, but for those who wish to go even deeper to discover levels of fine-tuning beyond the scope of this chapter, check out Dr. Ross’ book-length treatments, “Why The Universe Is The Way It Is” and “Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity’s Home.”
Chapter 18: Extradimensional and Transdimensional Powers
Throughout this book, Dr. Ross has shown how scientific evidence leads to the conclusion that the Cause of the universe is transcendent and exists and operates outside of time and our familiar dimensions of length, width, and height. The Bible, as explained in the first chapters, identifies God as the Cause of the universe. But the Bible doesn’t stop at describing God simply as the Creator; it reveals much more about God’s character, including some attributes that are difficult to understand. Some of these include His triune nature and His simultaneous distance from and nearness to humanity. Dr. Ross explains that while these concepts may seem impossible to comprehend and thus causes us to doubt His existence, these attributes can make sense within the expanded existence of additional spatial dimensions and at least one more time dimension. Dr. Ross uses these two examples to demonstrate that the apparent difficulties in God’s character or interaction with the universe are not valid reasons to doubt His existence, and our understanding of the Creator’s ability to act within extra dimensions provide a possible way to resolve the apparent difficulties.
Chapter 19: The Point
Dr. Ross concludes by answering the question of why God has chosen this generation to be the beneficiary of all the evidence presented here and not previous generations. He explains that it appears that God gives more evidence-based upon the level of resistance to Him in culture. He explains that with all the extra time and comfort of this generation compared to previous generations, this generation tends to credit themselves with these great accomplishments and ignore the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. This revelation of stronger and stronger evidence of the Creator is presented to counteract the prideful attitude of today’s culture. But not every member of our generation thinks this way. Many are willing to look at the evidence presented and follow it to where it leads with an attitude of humility. Dr. Ross reminds the reader that the Creator will draw near to and reward those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Christians can use the evidence that God has revealed through the study of the heavens to strengthen their own faith and to show the honest seeker the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Reviewer’s Thoughts
As I alluded to in the introduction, this “The Creator and the Cosmos” was an indispensable tool that Christ used to help me resolve struggles that I had between what I heard scientists were discovering about our universe (the big bang) and my Christian faith. Not only has God turn naturalistic and atheistic arguments on their heads, He has demonstrated through His creation that His Word is true, inerrant, and authoritative. I love how Dr. Ross presented the evidence for each one of these. His approach of providing evidence upon evidence upon evidence upon evidence for both the beginning of the universe (what begins to exist must have a beginner) and the design of the universe (what is designed must have a designer) is compelling, to say the least, and his tone with which he presents his case is confident yet humble.
As he concludes his discussion in each chapter, Dr. Ross always brings the reader back to the God of the Bible. He presents the latest discoveries of scientists and shows how they demonstrate God as the Creator. He does not shy away from seemingly powerful challenges and shows how those challenges, when investigated more deeply, either come apart or actually make a case for God even stronger. I love how he concludes the book with a call to both the believer and the unbeliever. To the believer, Dr. Ross encourages them to use the evidence from God’s creation to provide to the unbeliever “a reason for the hope that they have…with gentleness and respect.” He invites the unbeliever to follow that evidence where it leads and surrender their life to their Creator and Savior.
I have always loved watching scientific documentaries that describe how the cosmos works, but I always felt uncomfortable when origins began to be discussed. Since reading “The Creator and the Cosmos” for the first time, I have not watched those documentaries the same. Every time a feature of the universe is described, I now see multiplied evidence of the universe’s beginning, of its intricate fine-tuning for humanity, and of its awesome beauty: all God’s handiwork. This book has turned nearly every scientific documentary into a tool to strengthen my faith and demonstrate to the scientifically minded skeptic the evidence for God as our Creator. This book had a tremendous impact on my faith, my life, and my witness for Christ. Any Christian bookshelf is incomplete without a copy of “The Creator and the Cosmos.”
I want to leave you with one more video. This video traces a prediction of big bang cosmology that Dr. Ross pointed out that would confirm the universe had a beginning (and a Beginner). This prediction was recently confirmed by observational evidence. When pressed by his fellow physicists, listen carefully to anti-theist Dr. Lawrence Krauss’ final response:
For those who want to continue to mass the evidence for God’s existence from the cosmos, follow up “Creator and the Cosmos” with these books:
For those specifically concerned about big bang cosmology (not evolution) and a literal, historical interpretation of Genesis 1-3, check out these books:
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