The universe and earth is full of exquisite evidence of design, functionality, art and order. We have a tremendous amount of observable evidence of systems with function and purpose, systems full of information and codes of instruction.
Trillions of cells in our body are carrying out tasks continually without our conscious direction. The cell is possibly the best example there could be of a designed system with functionality. Not only is the cell evidence of a functional system, but it is self correcting and maintaining. It is a microscopic organic nano-computer which accumulates to make up the physical body and is continually carrying out complex functions, with the amazing capacity also to renew itself and maintain its genetic integrity and order if threatened by disease or damage.
As the human body is being formed then cells are directed to the different areas of the body and begin to construct and form each of the differing physical structures and substances required for a fully functional integrated body. This process itself is rather miraculous and inconceivable. How each cell knows how to coordinate with those around it to become just the right body part, and how those cells then somehow congregate with the larger manifested organs and systems is a mind-blowing marvel of engineering no human intelligence could engineer or replicate from scratch. Each cell is continually performing tasks essential for physical health and life. Like trillions of biological computer processors operating at a microscopic level, none of which requires any conscious direction or consideration from us. As we go about our daily life we are oblivious to the miracle that is occurring on a physical level within the cells of the body. In fact, to truly grasp the magnitude of the detail, coordination and design of trillions of cells, with billions of bytes of information all operating simultaneously may be impossible, like trying to consider the number of stars. The cell is a bio-mechanical computer which is continually performing tasks, it is something more functional, self sustaining, efficient and condensed than anything the greatest human intelligence has been able to engineer, and so why do we imagine it happened by chance?
Current naturalist theories about cell, DNA and life origin have to assume it began as an accidental, chance arrangement in an unconscious primordial soup. Naturalism doesn’t even have the theory of evolution to help with this, as that only deals with replicating living organisms. The origin of the first cell, life and DNA is not something that should be assumed happened by chance. Even the most simple cell is full of coordinating mechanisms and processes that could not just magically arrange themselves. It would be irrational and credulous to believe such a thing. We are looking at the evidence of engineered systems here.
DNA is another example of a system of function and design beyond human intelligence’s ability to produce. Consisting of millions of codes of instruction and information, it is able to direct the development and formation of the body. The code within each cell contains a more sophisticated program and outcome than any human made software, and yet some believe such an organised code arose by unconscious chance.
Our consciousness is another thing quite apart from the design and systems we see, as it enables us the astounding ability to observe the universe and to reason. Awareness and recognition are not physical or tangible qualities. They are immaterial. Although we can measure the effects of certain thoughts and emotions in the physical brain, that is all they are, effects, not causes. Awareness and thought, which includes all reason and intelligence, is more evidence of a higher immaterial intelligence and awareness which exists behind the creation of the universe.
Along with that consciousness we have the conscience which recognises morality and justice, which suggests an objective standard and source beyond man’s subjective preference. If we are only matter and chemicals, then there is no objective morality or standard beyond man. If all is truly relative then, in terms of morality, any one person’s opinion has to be as equally valid as any others, regardless of the numbers in agreement. Even the opinion that murder or rape is natural and justified would have to be as equally valid as to think it’s wrong. An atheist may quantify harm as “wrong”, but another individual quantifies harm as good and part of the natural world, so who is to claim ultimately that one view is more true than the other, if all we have are relative cultural subjective opinions? This would mean the preference of a serial killer has equal validity as that of the pacifist. Even those who claim morality is relative, usually claim that things like murder, rape, torture, theft are wrong, and yet in reality there is no basis for doing so if there is no objective moral standard. In fact the claim that anything is wrong or unjust, is to call upon an objective moral standard. And a consequence of invoking an objective moral standard is that you are defining a universal law beyond mankind’s own making and invention. This consequently invokes a source for this objective standard beyond man’s opinions, which points to God, an intelligent and moral source transcendent of the material universe.
In addition to the myriad physical mechanisms and the ability to cognise and reason we can also see there is awesome beauty and art in nature and the universe. We only need to step back from the distractions of our ambitions, desires, mass media, cultural entertainment for a moment and look at nature to observe the breathtaking beauty there is. There is a wonderful congruency in the beauty of the universes systems. From the rising of the sun, to the reflective balance of the moon. From the falling of the rain, to the rising of the mists and formation of the clouds. All through out nature, from the kaleidoscopic colours and patterns of the fish beneath the ocean, to the butterflies and birds in the forests, to the rabbits, deers, elephants and tigers, we see a plethora of majestic living artwork.
We see clear evidence of order, systems, beauty and consciousness, reason and morality – this is all solid empirical evidence of a master intelligence and artist, and evidence against an unconscious chaotic origin.
Some who deny God speculate that the universe is eternal, but is that really a rational conclusion? We know that the basic principles and properties of the universe are not intelligent or aware in themselves. Properties such as energy, matter, gravity do not have the awareness or ability to create themselves into existence or impute their qualities and characteristics. Logic points to a cause outside of these elements which would bring them into existence and impute their qualities and function.
Even if you hypothesis an initial singularity before space or time – that still requires a cause and origin to bring it into existence. Also, any initial singularity would have to have, at least in potential, everything we see today unfurled contain within it, which makes the notion much more implausible and unfathomable than some believe. However simple you want to hypothesis about origins, it had to contain the tremendous variety, beauty, detail, ordering, functionality, systems, geometry, order and awareness we see today in potentiality. The notion this can be attributed to unconscious happenstance is unreasonable and irrational.
When we come to the logical need of an ultimate cause for the finite universe, that cause would have to exist beyond it, to be able to bring it into existence and imbue and coordinate its principles and properties. This cause would be beyond space and time and thus eternal in character, meaning there would be no beginning or end or requirement of any precursor. Only what is finite and contains unconscious elements, properties and principles requires formation and imputing into existence. What exists outside of that and prior to it, has to be, by logic, eternal in character and is not subject to the same limits.
All of this observable evidence, of functional ordered systems, consciousness and conscience and the great beauty is abundant evidence of a master superconscious designer and cause at the helm and inception of existence. The notion that awareness, reason and conscience, such cohesive functional systems of design and information, along with the vast beauty we observe “just is” or came from an unconscious cosmic accident, is really the irrational position.
So in summary we can conclude by logical deduction that the universe requires an ultimate cause external to it, that that cause would thus be eternal in character, and from observation of the design, systems, beauty, conscience, reason and intelligence, would also be of a degree of intelligence and awareness far beyond any human mind. What reason and observation points to therefor, is a superconscious eternal non physical creator who is pre existing and exists in His domain transcendent of the created universe.
vesselanaw 