Introduction
Greetings, once again, dear reader! We
are settling comfortably into this series. This is the fourth article
on Christian Evidences. The first
article, on 10/28/2022, introduced the topic and listed the
four questions that this series will answer.
The first question is “Does
God exist?”
The second
article, on 11/4/2022, proved that God exists by the moral
argument. The third
article, on 11/16/2022, proved the existence of God by the
teleological argument.
This article is the third and final
answer to the question: Does God exist? It will affirm the
cosmological argument for the existence of God. Each of the
three answers proves—independently—that God exists. One proof is
sufficient. We have three proofs.
Are you ready to build “the third
and final pole” that supports the “bright street light”?
Let's get the building project started!
The Cosmological
Argument
I have joked for decades that ladies
use cosmetics to turn chaos into cosmos! My apologies to the
ladies, who are reading. I will explain.
The Greek word κόσμος (kosmos) is
the root of “cosmetics” and “cosmology.” “Cosmos” is the
transliteration. The word refers to that which is ordered, such as an
ordered system (e.g., the universe, the world, etc.). A lady “orders”
her face by applying cosmetics. That's how “cosmetics turn chaos
into cosmos.” Don't worry, ladies. Men's faces usually stay in
a state of chaos!
The cosmological argument may appear to
be like the teleological argument, which the third
article has already proved. Cosmology,
however, refers to the study of the origin and structure of the
universe. “Cosmological” is used in that sense. The
cosmological argument is also called “the argument from origin”
or “the argument from cause and effect.”
As the first
article states:
The cosmological argument: If the universe is not eternal,
then an Eternal First Cause has always existed. The universe is not
eternal. Therefore, an Eternal First Cause, God, has always existed.
A simpler form is: If something exists, then something or Someone has
always existed. Something (i.e., the cosmos and all that is in it,
including the earth, you, and me) exists. Therefore, something or
Someone, God, has always existed.
Definitions for the argument are
from Merriam-Webster
Dictionary—which
is called, with respect, “Mr. Webster.” Note that clarification
on the use of “eternal” and “eternity” will be stated.
– Eternal
(adjective): of or relating to
eternity. Eternity
(noun): the quality or state of being eternal.
** Notice that Mr. Webster has “defined himself in a circle!” He
states that eternal is eternity and that eternity is being eternal.
The
use of “eternal” and “eternity,” in this argument, means,
specifically, “that which has always existed, had no beginning, and
will have
no end.”
The
importance of the clarification will present itself under The
Atheist's Further Quibbles, just before the Conclusion.
**
– First
(adjective): preceding all others in time, order, or importance.
** Note that the use of “first,” specifically, means “preceding
(being before) all else in time,
which also includes order or importance.” **
– Cause
(noun): something that brings about an effect or a result.
– Matter
(noun): material substance that occupies space, has mass, and is
composed predominantly of atoms consisting of protons,
neutrons,
and electrons,
that constitutes the observable universe, and that is
interconvertible with energy.
Major premise:
If the universe is not eternal, then an Eternal First Cause
has always existed.
The Latin phrase “ex nihilo, nihil
fit” means “from nothing, nothing comes.” “Nothing”
means, obviously, that which does not exist—a vacuum, a void, a
null, zero, emptiness, complete nonexistence. If ever there were
nothing at all, then nothing would exist now.
We understand this
innately. It
is a self-evident
truth. Nothing (that
which does not exist) cannot create something. To say that nothing
can create something is a logical contradiction. A thought or an idea
forms in the mind and soul. It doesn't “just pop into one's head”
from nothing.
I have often asked atheists to believe
me when I state, “I was walking down the street and, all of a
sudden, I saw a brand new car appear—from thin air, out of
nothing!” They don't believe me, of course, but they
usually understand where I am going in my effort to enlighten them!
Obviously, something exists now
(e.g., the universe, the earth, the keyboard on which I am typing,
you, me, and so forth). Logically, therefore, something or Someone
(the Eternal First Cause) has always
existed. What or Who is
the eternality (that has always
existed) that caused (as the first cause) that which exists?
The major premise is valid.
Next, the fact that the
universe is not eternal will be established.
Minor premise:
The universe is not eternal.
The
atheist must know and prove that matter (i.e., the
tangible, the universe, and everything that is in it), not mind
(i.e., the intangible), is eternal. Matter
must have always
existed—if God, the
Eternal Mind, has not always
existed.
Has matter, the
tangible universe (in some shape or form), always existed? No, it has
not, as the Second Law of Thermodynamics will prove. Matter is
finite, not infinite.
After establishing that the universe is not eternal, the refutation
of two standard atheist rebuttals will be mentioned. Also, brief
comments will be made on the Big Bang theory and on macroevolution.
Second
Law of Thermodynamics—Proof
that Matter is not Eternal
This section
includes certain scientific details. The reference sources contain
further details that are not included in this article. Please do not
allow the details to overwhelm or distract your focus! The
basic point is simple, as will be explained.
First, we must
understand and distinguish an “open system,” a “closed system,”
and an “isolated system.” In an open
system, energy and matter can enter and leave (e.g., an
open frying pan, containing meat, vegetables, and water, on a heated
stove eye). In a closed
system, matter cannot enter or leave, but energy can enter
or leave (e.g., a pot, with a lid on it, containing vegetables and
water, on a heated stove eye). In an isolated
system, neither matter nor energy can enter or leave. A
thermos or cooler is an approximate example; however, isolated
systems exist only in theory. (Of several sources, see
LibreTexts:
Basic Definitions: Thermodynamics, by Emily V. Eames.)
The Second
Law of Thermodynamics is one of the four Laws of
Thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is the branch of physics that studies
energy transfer, as heat and work, in matter. (Source:
Encyclopædia Britannica:
thermodynamics
and laws
of thermodynamics.)
The
Second Law of Thermodynamics states
that the universe contains a finite amount of usable energy that
degrades (decays,
deteriorates, becomes disordered) over time. This degradation is
called entropy. Entropy,
thus,
is
the degradation, running
down, unwinding, and trend to disorder of a system, such
as the universe. (Sources: the two Britannica references cited above.
Also, among several other sources, see Khan
Academy, The
laws of thermodynamics—which
is based on
OpenStax
(part of Rice University): Books: Biology: 6.3 The Laws of
Thermodynamics.)
We
understand entropy. Physically, we are born. We grow. If
we live long enough, we begin to age and to “run down.”
Eventually, we die physically. As another example, I have a 2006
Nissan Frontier truck. If I don't maintain and care for my truck,
then he will “run down” faster. Now, I love my old truck! My
truck, however, is slowly winding down. I am too. So are you. As a
final example, every morning, I must bathe myself to order the
disorder from a night's sleep. Eventually,
I will “run down” to the point that I won't be able to
do so. Someone else may have to bathe me. In time, I will die
physically and won't need to be bathed. We
can restore order, temporarily, in the relentless trend to disorder
(entropy). Entropy, however, wins in the end. The
fact is established by science and understood in life practically.
The
Second Law of Thermodynamics—an
established law of science that we understand practically—confirms
that matter, the
tangible universe, is “winding down.” It is
finite. Matter will “wind down” completely at what is
called scientifically maximum entropy, thermal equilibrium, or “heat
death.” Since matter is
finite, then it had to have been started (as in winding a watch)—by
an infinite
something or Someone.
The basic point is simple. Matter, the tangible universe, is not
eternal. It is finite. It is winding down. It had a beginning. The
minor premise is valid.
The following sidetracks refute two standard atheist rebuttals,
comment briefly on the Big Bang theory, and remark on macroevolution.
The conclusion will be after these sidetracks.
Refutation of Two Standard Atheist Replies
The atheist—in
his blind, atheistic faith—may fight against the scientifically
established fact that the universe is not eternal. The following are
not two “straw
men” that are built (which is a fallacy in logic). They are known
counterstatements by atheists, which I have heard personally. The
refutation of two standard
atheist replies to the scientific fact that the universe is not
eternal is given to assist readers who may encounter the quibbles.
“But,
wait!” —the atheist may state first—“What about the First Law
of Thermodynamics, which states that matter cannot be created or
destroyed? Matter must be eternal, if it can't be created or
destroyed.”
Yes, as the
citations above confirm, the
First Law of Thermodynamics states that—in a closed
system—matter (i.e., tangible mass and energy) cannot be created or
destroyed.
Matter, however, is
not eternal. It is finite, as the Second Law of Thermodynamics
establishes. Further, “matter” (nothingness) could not create
(spontaneously generate) matter (tangible mass and energy). That
would violate the First Law of Thermodynamics in
a closed
system and the self-evident truth that “from nothing,
nothing comes.”
The
universe (i.e., all the tangible mass and energy that exists
physically), therefore, has to be an open
system, whereby a non-physical and eternal force (not mass, matter,
or energy)—that exists before and above the universe—created the
physical universe.
(For further study, see
"God
and the Laws of Thermodynamics: A Mechanical Engineer’s
Perspective," Apologetics Press, by Jeff Miller, PhD, 4/1/2007.)
The
atheist’s first “but wait!” does him no good.
“But
wait!”—the atheist may continue—“the Big Bang proves
that the universe and all life in it evolved. Thus, there is no God.”
The
fact that the universe is not eternal, could not have created itself,
and had to have been created by an eternal, non-physical first cause
has already been established. The atheist must admit this
truth. The Big Bang theory does not help him. The
atheist's second “but wait!” falls by the wayside in defeat.
Brief Comment on the Big Bang Theory
The following summarizes the Big Bang theory (or theories), with
references, if any reader would like to study the topic further
independently.
Do
not allow conversations with atheists or independent study of the Big
Bang theory (or theories) to intimidate you! The theory is a big bust
(or failure). See
"The
Big Bust," Institute for Creation Research, by Henry M. Morris,
PhD, 5/1/1994. The article is timeless truth, despite having been
written almost three decades ago.
What
is the Big Bang theory (or theories)? The
Big Bang is an astronomical theory that
was postulated about a hundred years ago, has undergone several
revisions, continues to be revised, and has several versions.
(Various versions of the Big Bang theory continue to evolve.) A
predominant
version of the theory
speculates that the
universe started
violently, about 13.8 billion years ago, by
the explosion of a very
small, very hot, and very dense “singularity.”
The theory states that, over billions of years, the initial “bang”
expanded, changed, and evolved to form the universe, the Milky Way
galaxy, our solar system, the earth, you, and me. The theory is used
to support the theory of macroevolution (or the molecules-to-man
theory).
My
grade school and high school science teachers had to teach me this
version of the Big Bang theory—even if they didn't believe it. Of
the many sources that explain the theory and revisions, the
article “Understanding
the Big-Bang Theory,” ThoughtCo., by Andrew Zimmerman Jones,
updated 6/11/2019 is good enough. The article points out the history of the
Big Bang theory, revisions to the theory, alleged evidence for it,
problems with it, and questions that the theory cannot answer.
By the way, the predominant version of
the Big Bang theory alleges that the universe is 13.8 billion years
old. The alleged age of the universe had been calculated more widely.
For example, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) article "Then
vs. Now: The Age of the Universe" (May 2006) states, “Before 1999, astronomers had
estimated that the age of the universe was between 7 and 20 billion
years." The article—which
assumes that the Big Bang is true, with no solid evidence—explains
how the various alleged ages of the universe have been redetermined
during this century.
It
is significant to note that the predominant Big Bang theory begins
with the assumption that an undefined “singularity” already
existed. The theory is that an unknown
“singularity” exploded, which started time and space. (The “clock
wound up and started ticking.”)
Big Bang theorists speculate that they
can calculate the evolution of the universe, starting at 10-43
seconds after the
Big Bang. Of various sources, two are cited. See
EarthHow:
“The History of the Universe: The Big Bang and Beyond.” See
also “How
did the universe begin—and what were its early days like?”
National Geographic, by Michael Greshko, updated 1/18/2017.
In summary on this point, the
predominate
version of the Big Bang theorizes that,
billions of years ago, a random
quantum fluctuation occurred in a spaceless, timeless “singularity.”
That fluctuation (or bang),
over billions of years, formed the known universe.
The unknown
“singularity” was, according to the predominant
Big Bang theory, smaller than the size of the period at the end of
this sentence. The theory does not and cannot explain the origin of
the “singularity” (i.e., the very small, very hot, and very dense
substance that existed before the Big Bang).
The entirety of the immense universe started by the explosion of a
dot? That's their theory, in a nutshell, and they don't know how the
dot got there. (A nutshell is much larger than a dot.)
The atheist, therefore, must know, and
cannot know, the origin of the theoretical “singularity,” which
could not have been eternal, even if it had existed.
By the way, other versions of
the Big Bang theory exist. These include (with my comments
italicized):
– The multiverse:
One “singularity” exploded or “banged” and has formed and is
forming an ongoing multitude of other universes besides ours. What
or Who started the first “bang”?
– The
oscillating universe:
There is an endless series of “big bangs” and “big crunches.”
Again, what or Who started the first “bang”? An
“endless series” is a logical contradiction. The line had to
start somewhere.
– The
“flat hologram” universe:
The universe is only a projection on the surface of a vast sphere.
Really? Is this a joke? What or Who created the vast
sphere?
– The
digital simulation universe:
The universe is only code inside an immense computer. I did
not and cannot make up this one! It's imagination gone wild. What or
Who created the hypothetical immense computer?
One
source, for the four versions listed above, is “Alternatives
to the Big Bang,” Space.com, by Karl Tate with contributions from
Daisy, 3/8/2022.
For further study on the Big Bang
theory or theories, see Answers
in Genesis, under Topics,
and select the Big
Bang topic page. The page explains five problems with the Big
Bang theory. Several other articles that debunk the Big Bang theory
are listed on that topic page.
Brief
Comment on Macroevolution
Macroevolution is
the Darwinian “molecules to man” theory that speculates—with no
proof—that life evolved from non-life (“the rocks to molecules”
theory). Darwinian theory speculates that life, which evolved from
non-life, continued to evolve, eventually evolving into human life.
The theory was introduced just over 160 years ago and continues to be
revised. (Darwinian evolutionary theory continues to evolve.)
Darwinian
scientists express their theory in intricate, scientific jargon,
which intimidates some into believing the theory. Do not allow their
jargon to intimidate you! They have no proof to support their theory.
Their jargon reasons in a circle—by using assumptions, based on
their conclusion, that, in their minds only, “prove” their
conclusion. Such circular reasoning is a logical fallacy.
The theory
violates the law of biogenesis, which has established that new
life always comes from existing life, not from non-living matter. Of
course, anyone with common sense knows this.
For
comprehensive and further study on Big Bang theories, macroevolution
(Darwinism), and proof that God exists, see “Proof
Evolution is False,” Nelson.Ink, by Shawn Nelson, D.Min., February
2014. (The
article can be downloaded.) It is a 31-page scholarly paper, which
encapsulates the flaws in Darwinian evolution. Note that Dr. Shawn
Nelson's ongoing website is Geeky
Christian. His academic work is on Nelson.Ink,
from which his February 2014 article is cited. I may not agree with
all of his articles. I accept and agree with his paper that I have
cited.
Darwinian
evolution relies on the refuted Big Bang theory and does not help the
atheist. It is hoped that these brief sidetracks did not
distract the reader's attention from the main purpose of this
article.
Let's return now to
that main purpose. The major and minor premises have been
established. The conclusion is next.
Conclusion:
Therefore, an Eternal First Cause, God, has always existed.
Since the
universe is not eternal (is finite), then an Eternal First Cause has
always
existed. This article has
proved it.
The Eternal First Cause is called God—the
Eternal Mind, Power, and Intellect, Who has always
existed, above and before matter, space, and time. The argument is
sound and must be true. It cannot be wrong.
The Atheist's Further Quibbles
The atheist, in a
labored effort to support his position, may offer a few more
quibbles. The rebuttal of two will be brief.
First,
the atheist may ask, “What if an infinite line of 'First Causes'
caused the universe?” The reply, obviously, is that an infinite
line is a logical contradiction. Every line must start somewhere!
What eternality, or Eternal Being, started the line? God is the
Necessary (or First) Cause.
Second,
the atheist may ask and state, “What if the 'First Cause' died?
Your argument does not prove that God is still alive.” The
reply, again, is obvious. If ever nothing or no one existed, then
nothing would exist now. An eternality, or Eternal Being, has always
existed and, therefore, cannot
die. This is why the specific definition of “eternal” and
“eternity,” in this argument, means “that which has always
existed, had no beginning, and will
have no end.”
Conclusion
This article has
explained that the universe could exist by only three possible means.
The first is spontaneous generation (creating itself from nothing).
That has been verified as false. The second is an eternal universe.
That has been disproved. The third and final is that God created the
universe. That is proved.
Atheists rely on
one thin “matchstick” (the Big Bang theory) to prop up their
“short, little stool.” This article has broken that “matchstick.”
Their “stool” has fallen.
This article is the
third and final “strong pole” that supports the “bright street
light.” May these three articles be used, to God's glory, as the
first step to bring many non-believers to saving faith in Christ.
The first sentence
in the Bible is a fitting conclusion:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(Genesis 1:1, NIV)