Is there a God? Understanding the origin and design of the universe

Is there a God? A question as old as time

Is there a God? This question has puzzled humanity for centuries. From ancient philosophers to modern-day theologians, the existence of a higher power remains a profound inquiry. But can the origins of the universe and the complexity of life be explained without the existence of God?

If there is a God, what does he look like? Does God know me? Does God love me? These are perhaps the deepest and most important questions we can ask ourselves!

The origin of the universe: can atheism explain it?

Have you ever played dominos? When I was younger, I remember spending much time with my grandfather creating big long chains of blocks standing on end, and yet all toppled in a few moments as the first piece was pushed. 

Life is a bit like dominos sometimes, each generation moving forward from the previous, and handling the baton to the next. But who pushed the first block? Who set everything in motion?

Everything we know had a beginning. There was a time when we were born, a time we started school, got our first job. Everything in our lives has a starting point. Some things around us are much older. We can see ruins from previous civilisations. They began, and they ended; their records remain for us to see. 

But what was before that? Well there was someone else, someone who was born and who died, but before them? Before them? All scientists agree that this universe that we live in had to have a beginning. But what started that process?

The origin of the universe is one of the most compelling questions in both science and philosophy. While atheists often turn to naturalistic explanations like the Big Bang Theory or the Multiverse Theory, these perspectives raise further questions about the nature of existence and causality.

The Big Bang Theory posits that the universe began as a singularity billions of years ago, expanding rapidly in what scientists describe as an explosion of space and matter. But even if this was true, it leaves big unanswered questions around what caused the singularity to exist in the first place?

Even more speculative is the Multiverse Theory, which suggests that our universe may be one of many, each governed by different laws of physics. But this theory, has absolutely no direct evidence and still requires a cause for the multiverse itself.

Critically, both atheistic explanations fail to provide a sufficient account for the cause of the universe's existence. According to the Kalam Cosmological Argument, anything that begins to exist must have a cause. Since the universe had a beginning, it too must have a cause — a cause outside of time, space, and matter. This confirms the existence of God.

As renowned psychologist Jordan Peterson put it:

Jordan Peterson further critiques atheism, arguing that it not only struggles to explain the universe's origin but also leaves individuals grappling with meaning, morality, and purpose. Without belief in God, the existential void often leads to nihilism (a belief that life is essentially meaningless).

In order to explain the existence of the universe, we would need someone who is not governed by time, who is not himself made of matter, and who has no need for space. Someone capable of arranging the blocks, who himself is not a block, to use the dominoes' analogy.

The Bible has an answer to this question and refers to such a person as God. It calls him Eternal:

An eternal cause: what the Bible says about God’s nature

The Bible offers a compelling solution to the question of the universe’s origin: the existence of an eternal, uncaused being who is outside time and space. In Psalm 90:2, we read:

This verse conveys that God, unlike the universe, had no beginning and will have no end. He is not bound by time, matter, or space, and he is the originator of all that we see.

By recognizing the limitations of atheistic explanations and the logical necessity for a timeless Creator, the case for God becomes not only plausible but essential.

The Bible provides us with a framework to understand God and his actions. It reminds us that although there are many things that we can experience with our senses, there is an invisible world that is greater than we can comprehend.

Design in nature: evidence of a creator?

It was a rainy, wet Sunday evening. I was driving back home with some friends along a country road. Suddenly, coming the other direction was a light blue Audi TT, the new design at the time. As it came past, we all spun round to admire it. "Wow" said the guy sitting next to me, "did you see that?"

Whether or not you like cars, we can all recognise the hands of a designer, the intricate thought that has gone into crafting something that is completely suitable for its use. A tractor is a useful tool in a muddy field, much better than a formula 1 car, but I know which I would prefer on a racetrack. Both vehicles have been perfectly designed for their environment. A designer adds not only usefulness, but he makes something beautiful, the "Wow factor". This is what we see all over creation.

Consider for a moment the giraffe; The evolutionist would have you believe that this creature has been developed slowly over millions of years, its neck and legs slowly getting longer until it reached the stage it is at today. Have you ever thought about whether that is that possible? For the giraffe to survive, it has a very large heart, this magnificent pump is needed to provide blood all the way up that long neck to its brain, and that's amazing until it bends it's head down to drink. Now the large heart is working with gravity, and that blood at very high pressure will burst all the blood vessels in the giraffes head, yet it doesn't. Valves in a giraffe's neck are specially designed to close, so that this very phenomenon doesn't happen. There's a word for this, it is design, and to have design you need a designer. 

The Bible says:

It also says that 

Have you ever been in the countryside on a clear night? It's a humbling experience to gaze up at the vastness of space. Next time you do it, consider this: How much greater must the creator of all this be?

When we contemplate the complexity and beauty of the universe, it becomes clear that there must be a higher power behind it all. This reflection is more than mere coincidence; it is a glimpse into a grander reality where a higher power infuses life with purpose and meaning.

Ultimately, the search for God is not merely an intellectual exercise but a deeply personal journey. The Bible doesn't just describe God as a distant, shadowy figure, but as someone who desires to connect with us personally. He wants to provide forgiveness for our sins and offers guidance and companionship in our lives.

In contemplating the wonders of creation and reading what the Bible says about God, we encounter not just evidence of a Creator, but an invitation to experience his presence in our lives.

If you want to know more about the God of the Bible contact us, we would be glad to talk to you and answer any of your questions.