[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” publish_date=”” class=”” id=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_top=”3%” padding_right=”3%” padding_bottom=”3%” padding_left=”3%” gradient_start_color=”” gradient_end_color=”” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”#fafafa” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_blend_mode=”none” video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” video_preview_image=”” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”yes” link=”” target=”_self” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” hover_type=”none” border_size=”0″ border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ box_shadow_color=”” box_shadow_style=”” background_type=”single” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”” background_image=”” background_image_id=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend_mode=”none” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” filter_type=”regular” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ first=”true” last=”true”][fusion_text]
The CAUSED Evidence – Part 1
Modern science has determined properties of the cause of the universe, and these specific properties were predicted by the biblical account thousands of years in advance of modern science or any other source. Does the necessary, uncaused cause of the universe have to be God? Or is there something else that could be the cause the universe?
[/fusion_text][fusion_text]
What other no-God-involved causes of the universe do people believe in?
Scientific and philosophical literature outlined possible causes of the universe. Alternatives to the biblical model fall into three general categories:
- NATURAL CAUSES, such as vacuum fluctuations;
- HYPER-NATURAL MATERIALS beyond our universe, this includes multiverse models; and
- ABSTRACT OBJECTS, such as laws of nature.
[/fusion_text][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””]
Figure 1: Summary of the options for the ultimate or uncaused first cause of the universe
[/fusion_text][fusion_imageframe image_id=”3012|full” max_width=”85%” style_type=”” blur=”” stylecolor=”” hover_type=”none” bordersize=”” bordercolor=”” borderradius=”” align=”center” lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” lightbox_image_id=”” alt=”” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””]http://thoughtfulbeliefs.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Cause-Options.png[/fusion_imageframe][fusion_text columns=”” column_min_width=”” column_spacing=”” rule_style=”default” rule_size=”” rule_color=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=””][/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ spacing=”” center_content=”yes” link=”” target=”_self” min_height=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” hover_type=”none” border_size=”0″ border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ box_shadow_color=”” box_shadow_style=”” background_type=”single” gradient_start_position=”0″ gradient_end_position=”100″ gradient_type=”linear” radial_direction=”center center” linear_angle=”180″ background_color=”” background_image=”” background_image_id=”” background_position=”left top” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_blend_mode=”none” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_offset=”” filter_type=”regular” filter_hue=”0″ filter_saturation=”100″ filter_brightness=”100″ filter_contrast=”100″ filter_invert=”0″ filter_sepia=”0″ filter_opacity=”100″ filter_blur=”0″ filter_hue_hover=”0″ filter_saturation_hover=”100″ filter_brightness_hover=”100″ filter_contrast_hover=”100″ filter_invert_hover=”0″ filter_sepia_hover=”0″ filter_opacity_hover=”100″ filter_blur_hover=”0″ first=”true” last=”true”][fusion_text]
1. A Natural Cause?
1.1 Naturalism or materialism has already been disproven.
If all things of the universe (of nature) are contained in the circle (see Figure 2), then because all in that circle had a beginning and was caused, the cause must be outside that circle—otherwise being in the circle just means it had a beginning and also requires a cause.
What does this mean? Naturalism or materialism (the belief that all things can be explained by things in nature, or the physical or material stuff in nature, and that there is nothing supernatural or beyond nature) has already been disproven by modern scientific discoveries.
1.2 Something in nature cannot be the cause of nature because there was no nature. (There was nothing, not anything, or at the least, no natural things of this universe.)
Additionally, a God or energy, which is “one with the universe,” is just a part of nature and suffers the same limitations as natural causes. Such a God or energy would also need a cause and would also suffer the same fate as our universe—what physicists call “heat death.” The cause must be transcendent, supernatural, or beyond nature.
One who stands on a no-god belief should be very uncomfortable with this and probably won’t like to use such terms as “transcendent” and “supernatural.” But that doesn’t change the fact that science determined these properties, and those directly involved recognize this: “The world began abruptly in an act of creation. . .That there are what I or anyone would call super-natural forces at work is now, I think, a scientifically proven fact,”[1] as stated by astronomer Robert Jastrow and echoed by astronomer, physicist, mathematician Sir Arthur Eddington and others.[2]
1.3 Claiming X created X is nonsensical.
If you want to say something (let’s call it “X”) creates something else (let’s call the created thing “Y”), then you must presuppose the existence of X in the first place in order to bring about Y. X à Y, for example, parents à child. However, people who want to claim some natural cause led to the universe are saying something in nature (X) created itself and what turned into the rest of nature (X), and they must presuppose the existence of X to create X. In other words, part of nature has to exist before it or the rest of nature exists in order to create itself and the rest of the natural universe. Confusing? It should be because it is logically absurd; as Frank Turek has noted, it’s like believing you gave birth to your parents.
Science has shown there is not a natural cause to the universe. What options are left?
[1] Robert Jastrow, as quoted by B. Durbin. “A Scientist Caught Between Two Faiths: Interview with Robert Jastrow.” Christianity Today, vol. 26, 6 Aug 1982, p. 15.
[2] Eddington, Sir Arthur. The Expanding Universe. Penguin: Harmondsworth, Middlesex UK, 1940, p.117.
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]