According to evolutionists, the Universe looks like it was designed because it evolved that way.
The simplest explanation for most everything, usually turns out to be the correct explanation. When someone observes a beautiful home, they understand that someone with a degree of intelligence designed that home.
Those of us who believe that Intelligent Design should be taught and discussed along with Evolution as one of the possible answers for how the universe came into being, believe that the reason the universe appears designed, is because it was designed.
In the scientific world, a doctrine that has made it’s way into the main stream of scientific thought is “Methodological Materialism”. Simply stated it means that a person can believe whatever they want to in their own private life, but when it come to real science, a person must only use explanations consistent with “Philosophical Materialism”.
Philosophical Materialism says that the material universe is all there is, or ever will be. If we make statements that the universe was created by God and later find out that it came into existence purely by material forces, we would be embarrassed. More importantly, the entire scientific community would be embarrassed, and we cannot have that.
Opponents have stated that the reason Intelligent Design is not accepted as scientific theory, is because it violates Methodical Materialism. In other words, Intelligent Design is invalid as scientific theory for the origin of the universe because it is based on religious idealism. In reality, Intelligent Design. is the most logical and simplest explanation for why the universe appears to have been designed and fine tuned to make human life possible.
When we consider the uniqueness of the Milky Way Galaxy and it’s precise location in the universe, we begin to see just how this finely tuned environment is such a critical point. Were it not for the delicate environment found in this corner of the universe, there would be no life on earth. If Astronomers ever do find life on another planet somewhere in the universe, it will certainly be within the same constraints of environment that we find in our solar system that makes our inhabitation of earth a reality.
Galaxy size
If our Milky Way was too large: The infusion of gas and stars would disturb our sun’s orbit and ignite deadly galactic eruptions and burn up the earth. If The Milky Way was too small: The infusion of gas would be insufficient to sustain star formation long enough for life to form
Galaxy type
If The Milky Way was too elliptical: star formation would cease before sufficient heavy elements formed for life chemistry. If it was too irregular: radiation exposure would be too severe (at times) and life-essential heavy elements would not form
Galaxy location
If the Milky Way was too close to another dense galaxy cluster: that galaxy would destroy all life on earth.
The number of number of stars in our solar system.
If we had more than one star: tidal interactions would make the orbits of life-supportable planets too unstable for life. Most other Solar systems do have more than one star, why do we only have one?
Our Sun’s age
If the Sun was older or younger: It would be much brighter and make life impossible. There is an age of a star in which its brightness is perfect for life, we just happen to be at this perfect place in our suns life.
The Sun’s mass
If the Sun was Larger: It would burn up so quickly Life would not be possible on earth. If the Sun was smaller: it would throw off our rotation around it, and make life impossible.
The Sun’s color is white, which makes life possible. Most Stars are Red, or Blue
If redder or bluer: There would not be enough light to grow plants.
Size of our Moon, and placement of our moon
The earth has a huge moon orbiting around it, which scientists now know:
- Did not come from the earth itself.
- Could not have been captured by the earth’s gravity, because the moon is so huge..
The best explanation (other than outright miracle) for the moon’s existence is that a Mars-sized planet crashed into the earth around 4.25 billion years ago. The probability of two planets colliding in the same solar system is extremely remote. The moon is moving away from the earth (currently at 2 inches per year), as it has been since its creation. If we calculate backwards we discover that the moon must have formed at just about 7,300 miles above the earth’s surface.
Why is the moon important to life on earth?
In the creation of the Moon, by a collision from another planet with the earth, it resulted in the ejection of the majority of the earth’s original atmosphere which probably was toxic. If this collision had not happened, we would have had an atmosphere similar to that of Venus, which is 80 times that of the earth (equivalent to being one mile beneath the ocean). Such a thick atmosphere on Venus resulted in a runaway greenhouse affect, leaving a dry planet with a surface temperature of 800°F. For some strange reason, we have a very thin atmosphere – just the right density to maintain the presence of liquid, solid and gaseous water necessary to life (coincidence or design?).
The size of the Moon causes the Earth to rotate at only 1,000 miles per hour.
Scientists now know that the earth originally had a rotational period of eight hours. Such a rapid rotational period would have resulted in surface wind velocities in excess of 500 miles per hour.
Hydrogen-Helium
If the solar system had less Hydrogen and Helium the molecules essential to planet formation and life chemistry would never form. If the solar system had to much Hydrogen and Helium planets would form at the wrong time and place for life
Earths Gravity is perfectly balanced
If Earth had stronger gravity, our planet’s atmosphere would retain too much ammonia and methane for life. If the Earth’s gravity was weaker: Earths atmosphere would lose too much water for life.
Earths distance from the sun
If we were farther from the Sun, Earth would be too cool for a stable water cycle. If Earth were closer to the Sun The Earth would be too warm for a stable water cycle
The angle of Earth orbit
If our orbit around the Sun was too great: the temperature range on the planet’s surface would be too extreme for life
Earth’s Axial tilt
If the Earth’s tilt on her axis was more than 23.5 degrees, Earth’s surface temperature differences between night and day would be too great to sustain diverse life-forms. If our axis tilt was less than 23.5 Degrees: same result.
Earth’s Rotation of 1,000 miles per hour
If Earth rotated at more than 1,000 miles per hour, day time and night time temperature differences would be too great for life. If we rotated at less than 1,000 miles per hour, the wind would blow at too great a speed for life to exist.
Earth’s Age
If the Earth was younger: Earth would rotate too fast for life. If Earth was older: It would rotate too slowly for life
Earth’s Magnetic Field is extremely delicately balanced.
If Earth’s Magnetic Field was stronger: electromagnetic storms would be too severe. If it was weaker: Our ozone layer would be not be sufficient to protect us from hard solar and stellar radiation.
Thickness of Earth’s crust
If the crust of the Earth was thicker, it would rob the atmosphere of oxygen needed for life. If Earth’s crust was thinner, we would have so many volcanoes and earthquakes that life would be impossible.
The Earth reflects light off of its surface.
If earth reflected more light, we would be experience constant ice ages. If Earth reflected less light off its surface, we would be in a sub tropical hell.
Earth’s asteroid and comet collision rates
If the Earth had more collisions, life could not exist. If Earth had less collisions than we have experienced, our crust would contain too little of certain life-essential elements
Oxygen to nitrogen ratio in atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is made up mostly of the gases nitrogen (78%), and oxygen (21%). This perfect balance is what makes the skies their beautiful blue color. If Earth had more Oxygen: it would catch on fire and burn up.. If less Oxygen: No human life on earth.
Carbon dioxide level in atmosphere
If Earth had more carbon Dioxide: we would have a runaway greenhouse effect. If we had less Carbon Dioxide: plants would be unable to grow.
Water vapor quantity in the atmosphere
If we had more water vapor in our atmosphere: runaway greenhouse effect would develop If we had less water vapor, we wouldn’t get enough rain and Earth would be a desert, and everything would die.
Earth’s atmospheric electric discharge rate
If Earth had more electric discharge in our atmosphere, the forest would break out in spontaneous combustion.
Earth’s ozone quantity in atmosphere
If Earth had too much ozone: our surface temperatures would be too low for life; with insufficient UV radiation for life. If there was not enough ozone: surface temperatures would be too high for life; UV radiation would be too intense for life
Earth’s Earthquakes.
If we had any more earthquakes than we have: life would be destroyed; ecosystem would be damaged. If we had less earthquakes: nutrients on ocean floors from river runoff would not be recycled to continents through tectonics; not enough carbon dioxide would be released from carbonate buildup
Volcanic activity
If less volcanoes erupted: There would not be enough carbon dioxide and water vapor returned to the atmosphere; soil mineralization would be insufficient for life advanced life support. If Earth had too many Volcanoes erupting: advanced life would be destroyed; ecosystem would be damaged
Amount of oceans-to-continents ratio
If we had more larger oceans: diversity and complexity of life-forms would be limited. If we had less ocean, No complex life forms. If we had less land, land area would be insufficient for advanced life. If greater land: change would be too radical for advanced life to survive
Distribution of continents
If there were too many continents in the Southern Hemisphere: sea-salt aerosols would be insufficient to stabilize surface temperature and water cycle; increased seasonal differences would limit the available habitats for advanced land life
Earth’s gravitational interaction with the moon
If the Moon had more gravitational pull on the earth, tidal effects on the oceans, atmosphere, and rotational period would destroy all life by massive waives. If the Moon had less gravitational pull on the earth, all weather on earth would change so severely that life could not exist.
Jupiter’s distance from the Earth
If farther away from Earth: Jupiter would be unable to protect Earth from frequent asteroid and comet collisions. If Jupiter was closer to the Earth: Jupiter’s gravity would throw our orbit off and kill everyone on earth.
Our planets orbits around the sun
If the orbits of the planets in our solar system were longer: Earth’s orbit would be radically changed and life could not exist.
The frequency of forest and grass fires
If Earth had more forest fires: smoke and soot would choke out all life. If we had less forest fires: The forest would accumulate growth inhibitors that would make soil unsuitable for food production
Amount of sea-salt
If the seas had more salt, it would cause too rapid cloud formation over the oceans and would radically disrupt the climate and atmospheric temperature balances. If the seas had less salt, there would be insufficient clouds formation, resulting in inadequate water cycle, which would disrupt atmospheric temperature balances and hence the climate.
The odds that all 36 of these factors happening by chance are virtually impossible.
Total Probability that all these factors could occur to make life possible on earth: 1:1099
If just one of these constants were modified even slightly, life in the universe and on earth, would be impossible. It is also not possible that these absolute factors that make life possible, could have evolved by themselves. Either all these constants were in place at the same time, or life would not have begun in the first place, nor could it exist today.
Some intelligent being designed the universe this way, with the intention of making life possible for human beings.
What if the materialistic view of the universe is not true? What if there is an intelligence at work that caused these delicate and finely tuned absolutes to exist, so that life would be possible? It seems logical and reasonable to me as an intelligent man that the rational answer for a universe that appears to have been designed this way, is that it was designed this way.
No one in the scientific community today can prove that every feature of the universe came about strictly by material cause. During the past two hundred years, evidence for Intelligent Design has been growing in the areas of how scientists explain the existence of the universe and the origin of life itself. Advances in the areas of Microbiology have revealed that a simple single celled organism, is not so simple. Upon examination of the microscopic components within a cell, a reasonably thinking person would come to the conclusion that they were viewing the handiwork of a master engineer.
Every single cell that exists contains DNA information in that cell for how proteins should be assembled. Information scientists typically equate “complexity” with “improbability.” Since DNA contains the assembly instructions for building proteins, the gene expression system of the cell functions as a communication channel. The nucleotide bases function as alphabetic characters within that system. This enables scientists to calculate the information-carrying capacity of DNA. The complexity of both the instructions for how to build proteins in the cell, along with the fact that this code is clearly “digital”, leaves no doubt that this system was designed by an intelligence. There is no possibility that the evolutionary process over countless time, would ever have the capability to produce this complex system.
Scientists are being disingenuous when they claim that the reason these complex systems appear to be designed is because this is what the evolution of those processes produced, “The appearance of design”. How convenient to make such a claim when there is no other explanation other than to conclude they “Were designed by the evolutionary process.” There is not a single example in the history of the world, where evolution could produce any system requiring all the components be present at the same time in order to be fully functional. The only means by which many complex mechanical systems found in the universe could operate, is if all the components of that system were present at the moment it began to operate. This requires a moment of creation, and could not occur by random selection as evolution purports.
Sir Isaac Newton suggested that the stability of our planetary system not only depended on the regular action of universal gravitation, but also upon the precise initial positioning of the planets and comets, in their proximity to the sun.
Newton stated: “Though these bodies may indeed persevere in their orbits by the mere laws of gravity, yet they could by no means have, at first derived the regular position of the orbits themselves from those laws…”
In other words, our planetary system around the sun, must have been placed in their exact position and orbit around the sun, in the first place, or our solar system with an inhabitable earth would not exist. Someone designed our solar system this way, it was not a random occurrence that ordered our solar system. Newton made it clear that the arrangement of the planets cannot be explained by any natural law, but instead, by a wise and powerful artificer (Skilled Mechanic, Craftsman, or Inventor).
In fact, all those who are responsible for the early history of science, believed that the universe came into existence, not by any natural law, but by a creative force with unlimited intelligence. Many of the leading scientists of early western civilization over the past 400 years such as Kepler, Linnaeus, Copernicus, Ray, Curvier, Rutherford, Faraday, Agassiz and Boyle did not only assume that the universe came into existence by design, they argued this hypothesis based on their discoveries in science. Louis Agassiz believed that the patterns that appear in the fossil record point unmistakably to design.
Robert Boyle stated that the intricate clock-like regularities of many physical mechanisms, suggested that an intelligence had created them. Isaac Newton argued for design in his classic work “Optiks”, that the human eye could not have evolved, it must have been created all at once. Johannes Kepler argued his hypothesis based on his own discoveries in mathematics that revealed the precision of planetary motion in our solar system pointed to design by intelligence.
Today’s modern sciences were inspired by the historical conviction that the universe is the product of a rational mind who designed the universe to be understood by the human mind, in light of it’s creative origin by an intelligence described by the Bible as being “God”.
Chemist Robert Boyle said that the “job of the natural philosopher (the scientist) was not to ask what God must have done, but (as far as possible) to inquire into what God actually did.” Boyle stated that God’s absolute freedom as the designer of the universe and creator of life, requires us to see empirically (observed experience, not theory) and observationally, not deductively (from some law).
If the universe was made by an intelligence such as God, from nothing, then the structure of the universe cannot be understood from first principles or laws. We can only understand how he made it by our observation and experiment to determine how He did it.
What we observe in this creation, is all rational because it must have been created itself by an rational mind that acted freely in it creation. It is only by a careful study of the ancient scriptures found in the Bible that this creation makes sense and is intelligible. In the end, it is the simple fact that the universe appear to have been created, because it was created. All of the evidence points in the direction of creation because of the design, order, and rationality of everything that exists. The universe appears to have a designed purpose and in one tiny corner of this vast universe, hundreds of finely tuned constants were put into place to make life possible for a race of beings to which we are privileged to share this beautiful and unique planet.
Rob Robinson
