Lighthouse Fellowship

Anthropic Principle

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Dear Lighthouse,

 

            This week while reading through my beloved astronomy magazine Sky & Telescope I came across an article that caught my full attention.  The title was “The Anthropic Principle”.  I was surprised to see the thing mentioned in this magazine but I was pretty sure what would be said - I was unfortunately right.

            The anthropic principle is not a law nor really a guiding principle in science.  It is more or less an observation.  You see, the more scientists learn about the world, the universe and the life we find in it, the more they are forced to come face to face with a very uncomfortable, unavoidable fact:  we shouldn’t be here.  The fact is it’s amazing that anything at all exists.

            According to modern theory on how the universe was formed and how it is held together today there are a number of extremely small variables that, if out of line by the smallest of fractions, would work to dismantle the universe star by star and annihilate all life in it.  For instance:

 

1.  If gravity had been a bit stronger the universe would have been gone by now; if weaker stars would never form

2.  If subatomic particle masses were even slightly different then protons would decay and atoms would never form

3.  If the strong nuclear force were a bit weaker then the universe would be only hydrogen; if stronger then ordinary hydrogen would not exist and stars would never form

 

            So, you see we are pretty lucky that all the laws of physics that we know worked out just right to allow the universe to form.  We’re again lucky that all the matter and energy in our universe happened to be constructed to promote life.  And man, we’re lucky that life sprang into existence on its own thanks to a string of amazingly coincidental conditions that arose at the right time for evolution to occur.  BULL!

            I don’t think we’re lucky at all save for having a God who is benevolent and has a bent for creating things.  And therein lies the anthropic principle.  In a nutshell the principle suggests that the universe is too contrived, too manufactured, to be coincidence.  The tiniest variables in our universe are so finely tuned that they suggest there must be something that has indeed overseen construction.  A related term that is also seeing a revival is ID or intelligent design.  These are politically correct ways of saying that from all evidence it sure looks like God played a role in creation.  YA’ THINK?

            This sluggish resistance by science to point to a creator as the most likely reason for a Big Bang Creation is what frustrated me as a student and teacher.  It still does.  A famous axiom called Occam’s Razor in scientific circles states that the simplest solution to a problem is most likely the correct one.  I agree.  In this case God is the simplest solution that could arise from the evidence of intelligent design we see in the universe.  Mainstream science, however, points toward a more “reasonable” solution:  multiple universes.  You see they can eliminate the need for a God if they can create more opportunity for random chance and more times to let it work.  So, their solution comes from the abstract pages of uncertainty.  They think it is more likely that events conspired to give rise to multiple universes - an infinite number of them - than it is that one God created the one universe that we see all around us.  We only think that we are lucky to be alive in this universe because we cannot see the infinite number of other universes the ‘weren’t so lucky’ and never sprang into existence because their electron affinities were a little too high.  I say again, BULL. 

            This line of reasoning runs counter to Occam’s Razor and many other tenants of science they are not at all too hasty to dispatch.  So, I suggest that their knowledge, as impressive as it may be, is darkened because they refuse to see the one true and living God nor acknowledge Him.  Read these lines from Romans 1 and see what you think:

 

            “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images ...”  - Rom. 1:20-22

 

            Sound like what we’ve been talking about?  But, let’s not just hammer the scientists among us; what about you?  Do you fail to acknowledge God and honor Him despite all the evidence of His being around you?  Do you have ‘eye trouble’ as we’ve discussed in Sunday School class and are so focused on what you can see that you fail to notice the unseen Hand of God guiding you and protecting you and providing for you?  I ask you, where is your heart?  Is it in bank accounts, possessions, or self-interests?  Or, are you like the wise man in Matthew 13:44 who found a treasure in a field and sold out completely to gain it? 

My friend, you and I can’t serve two masters.  The world’s knowledge and God’s wisdom are not harmonious.  This week I challenge you to open your spiritual eyes and look for God.  He’s right here.  Sell out to Him this year.  Need help?  Come and join us at the Lighthouse in the many programs and events we are pursuing that are designed to do just that - help each of us to honor God, to glorify His Name above all names, and to teach and encourage others all the more until He comes again.

God made me and you.  Let’s at least give Him the credit.  But I pray we’ll do more than that and give Him glory.

 

 

Serving Him with you,

 

Evan