The story about how our universe was created and as well how it became habitable for the human being is a mystery that scientists have not been able to solve. This is despite scanning the universe with the highest possible strength telescopes for the last century and more. But the Bible does have an explanation, and in the words of NASA astronomer, John O’Keefe: “It is my view that the circumstances of the universe’s creation were specifically created so that humans could live in it.”
As an introduction to the subject of a supernatural creation of the universe and as well the creation of humankind, there have been a myriad of theories developed by scientists over the ages, but the bottom line is that modern day science really has two basic fundamental alternatives for the formative history of the universe: either it has always been here or it began at some point in the past, but neither gives us an explanation for the original ultimate origin. So, we are still left with the greatest question of all: Where did matter and energy come from? For example, what existed before the Big Bang.
As physicist Barry Parker has written: “Unfortunately, a very critical event happened—creation itself. And without a theory to explain this event we can only guess what happened. How do we contemplate such a situation ?… The only reasonable answer to this question is: we do not have any idea. Indeed, we cannot even make calculations describing it.” And it was Cornell astronomer Carl Sagan who said: “The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.”
However, among all the conjectures from science about the universe, one of the most enduring hypotheses is what has been known as the concept of Mother Earth and the Gaia Hypothesis. This concept is the closest many scientists and a number of non-theists have ever come to a full acceptance of the premise that our supernatural and transcendental God was the originator and the impetus behind our huge universe, and in fact still is.
But before we get there, let’s take a look at the Gaia Hypothesis which, among other aspects, is based upon the assumption that Mother Earth seems to have the ability to regulate both temperature ranges and oxygen levels within a narrow range which is critical for human life. So, an obvious question is was the Earth programmed from the beginning to maintain the critical temperature and oxygen levels within a narrow range to maintain an atmosphere which was conducive to a friendly environment for humankind. No one has an evolutionary scientific explanation; and as scientist James Lovelock points out that oxygen levels should have been fluctuating wildly over recent ages (see an article “How the Earth maintains life” from Time magazine, Nov 13, 1989). And as Lovelock continues: “Were oxygen levels to increase above 25%, spontaneous fires would break out; if they dropped below 15%, many higher life forms would suffocate”(see same article in Time). As a matter of fact, science knows that oxygen levels have remained close to 21% of the atmosphere for as long as mammals have been around. And the other key factors which have helped maintain the perfect Earth conditions for life e.g.: the ozone layer, the oceans, and the hydrologic cycle which continually recycles our rain, all combine to maintain a friendly environment for the human. Anyway, it is apparent that many in the predominantly atheistic scientific community still hold out for some unknown evolutionary answer for all the supposed lucky and accidental events that have resulted in Earths unique climate which has protected humankind.
However, though we lack an evolutionary answer, many of us are aware of the phrase from the Bible in Isaiah 45:18:
“This is what the LORD says: He who created the heavens, He is God; He who fashioned and made the Earth, He founded it; He did not create it to be empty but formed it to be inhabited.”
When we contemplate that our universe literally came from nothing, and according to astronomer Allan Sandage : ”We can’t understand the universe in any clear way without the supernatural”. But it is comforting to realize that even lacking any new scientific theory, that we are in good hands with God.
Next time we will continue the discussion about how and why our universe and the humankind was created. And so that you know what the remaining subjects are, here is an outline that will be followed:
- Evidence of a supernatural creation event(aka the Big Bang event)
- Miracles:
- From Exodus and the Hebrew’s escape from capture in Egypt
- By Jesus
- Modern day
- The true story about Christianity and the connection with America.
- The principles of the American Founding.
- The shortcomings of the Founding.
- Our path to fulfill America’s mission and our part in it.
Can’t guarantee that I won’t make changes along the way.
See you next time,
T.Q. Manning
T. Q. Manning is a new writer in the community
He has a BA from a large midwestern University. In addition, over the period of 1964 through 2006, he travelled throughout the US and many foreign countries. Along the way he learned to speak Spanish and French, though today he says his proficiency has declined. During his travels in addition to attending many churches and as well speaking with many church leaders, he also met and spoke with many business and government officials, including many people like you and me who sat next to him on planes, trains, buses, and cabs. His interest has always been to seek information from those he met relative to their thoughts about God, thus his title.
