Recently I was showing an “Anatomy” video to my high school students and I heard the Narrator say (concerning the mechanics of the human hand): “This is evolution’s grandest design.” What took me aback was not only the assumption that our hands have evolved, but the Narrator’s use of the word ‘design.’ How can a random process like evolution that is non-living and non-thinking be praised for its design? Isn’t design an intelligent action that has intention and purpose?
Evidence for a Theistic God who created the universe by Intelligent Design is supported by Teleological Evidence: Evidence from design in nature and the cosmos.
Premise #1
Whatever has the appearance of design must have a designer–A building must have a builder; a painting or sculpture must have an artist; and a computer must have a programmer.
*Premise #2:
The universe has the appearance of design: Mathematics, engineering, physics and the fine-tuning of our Universe are all elements with evidence of design.
Premise #3:
Therefore, the Universe has a designer.
*Evidence for Premise #2
Evidence of Design in Mathematics:
Fibonacci Sequence: By definition, the first two numbers in the Fibonacci sequence are 1 and 1, or 0 and 1, depending on the chosen starting point of the sequence, and each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two:
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, …
- The next number is found by adding up the two numbers before it.
- The 2 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+1)
- Similarly, the 3 is found by adding the two numbers before it (1+2),
- And the 5 is (2+3), and so on!
- Example: the next number in the sequence above would be 21+34 = 55
We find examples of the Fibonacci sequence in nature…
The Golden Spiral
We also find the golden spiral in our galaxies and in plants and flowers:
The Fibonacci sequence in also seen in the Golden Rectangle:
We find the golden rectangle used in architecture and the design of logos:
AND, we find our Great Creator using His fibonacci sequence in one of His most important designs:
Evidence of Design in Engineering:
Bridge design: Warren’s truss
The strongest bridge design developed by humans…
But, we find this same bridge design in the wings of a bird. God was way ahead of us, but we are made in His image…
Evidence of Design in Physics:
The Fine Tuning of the Universe: The Anthropic Principle
- All the seemingly arbitrary and unrelated constants in physics have one strange thing in common – these are precisely the values you need if you want to have a universe capable of producing life.
- There are over 100 constants that we find in nature. If any one of these constants was off by a percent of a billionth there could be no biologically based life on earth or anywhere in the universe.
- These constants must be maintained on a balance thinner that a razor’s edge.
- This is one of the most compelling pieces of evidence of divine creation and has persuaded even some ardent atheists like Anthony Flew and Patrick Glenn to become theists.
Anthropic constants
There are over 100 very narrowly defined constants for life to exist here are just are few:
1. Oxygen level:
21% of the atmosphere is O2, if 25% fires would erupt spontaneously, if 15% human beings would suffocate
2. Atmospheric transparency:
If thicker not enough solar radiation would reach the Earth, if thinner we would be bombarded with far too much solar radiation
3. Moon-Earth gravitational interaction:
If the pull was a few degrees greater then tidal effect on the oceans, atmosphere, and rotational period would be too severe, if less, orbital changes would cause climatic instabilities, in either event life would be impossible
4. Carbon dioxide level:
If at a higher level a runaway a greenhouse effect would develop and we would all burn up, if lower plants would not be able to maintain efficient photosynthesis and we would all suffocate
5. Strong and weak nuclear force:
If at greater or weaker levels then elements could never form and the atom could not hold together
6. Gravitational force:
If altered by 0.37 of 1 percent our sun would not exist and neither would we
7. Centrifugal force:
If this force of planetary movements did not precisely balance the gravitational forces, nothing could be held in orbit around the sun
8. Expansion rate of the universe:
If at a rate one millionth slower expansion would have stopped and the universe would have collapsed on itself before any stars had formed, if faster then no galaxies would have formed
9. Atmospheric water vapor levels:
If greater a runaway greenhouse effect would cause temperatures to rise too high for human life, if less an insufficient greenhouse effect would make earth too cold to support human life
10. Jupiter’s orbit related to its protection for Earth:
If Jupiter were not in its current orbit the Earth would be bombarded with space material; Jupiter’s gravitational field acts as a cosmic vacuum cleaner, attracting asteroids and comets that might otherwise strike Earth
11. The thickness of the Earth’s crust:
If thicker too much oxygen would be transferred to the crust therefore not enough left to support life, if thinner volcanic and tectonic activity would make life impossible.
12. Earth’s rotational speed:
If the rotation of the Earth took longer than 24 hours temperature differences would be too great between night and day, if shorter than 24 hours atmospheric wind velocities would be too great to sustain life
13. Earth’s axial tilt:
The 23 degree tilt is just right, if altered slightly the surface temperatures would become too extreme
14. Atmospheric discharge rates:
If discharge rates like lightening are too great it would cause excessive fire destruction, if less there would be too little nitrogen fixing in the soil and plants could not grow
15. Seismic activity rates:
If more active life would be lost, if less then nutrients on the ocean floors and in river runoff would not be cycled back to the continents through tectonic uplift
Dr. David D. Deutsch, Institute of Mathematics at Oxford University says…
- If we nudge one of these constants just a few percent in one direction, stars burn out within a million years of their formation. If we nudge it a few percent in the other direction, then no elements heavier than helium form. No carbon, no life. Not even any chemistry. No complexity at all.
Dr. Robin Collins, Mathematics, Philosophy and Physics professor has said…
- The unexpected, counterintuitive, and stunningly precise setting of the cosmological constant is widely regarded as the single greatest problem facing physics and cosmology today. There is no way we can really comprehend it. This fine-tuning has conservatively been estimated to be at least one part in a hundred million billion, billion, billion, billion, billion. That would be a ten followed by 53 zeroes. That’s inconceivable precise.
Collins put it in another way to illustrate this extreme mathematical improbability:
- Let’s say you were way out in space and were going to throw a dart at random toward the Earth. It would be like successfully hitting a bull’s eye that’s one trillionth of a trillionth of an inch in diameter. That’s less than the size of one solitary atom.
This amazing fact of fine-tuning can also be illustrated by imagining a large control panel with a hundred different dials that have been carefully calibrated to just the right setting to allow for life to exist on our planet out of all the places in the universe. If any one of them were off by an infantile fraction there would be no life.
RAVI ZACHARIAS MINISTRIES has an excellent series called ‘Does God Exist.” It covers many of the arguments we are presenting in this post, click here to view the three minute segments: “The Design Argument”
J. WARNER WALLACE, AUTHOR OF “GOD’S CRIME SCENE” has an excellent article from his book on the fine-tuning found in our universe, click here to read his short article: “The Inexplicable Fine-Tuning of The Foundational Forces In Our Universe”
DR. WILLIAM LANE CRAIG speaks at Denton Bible Church, click here to view his presentation: “The Case for the Existence of God”
From the Christian Worldview:
- The God of the Bible and His nature best fits this description of an intelligent designer.
- The cosmological and teleological arguments give us two insights to the Creator – one is scientific, the other is personal.
- Does the Bible show us a God that has complete control and order over His creation (science) with a plan and ultimate purpose for His creation (personal)? YES-YES-YES!!!
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. -Romans 1:20
You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!
Join us this year as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.
Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.
Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.
Teri Dugan
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