Dear Editor,
The question of God is one we cannot ignore.
I am sitting in my house on a chair. The chair and house have either always existed, were created, or appeared out of nowhere and it cannot be explained how this happened. We know that the chair and the house did not always exist. If I say that the chair and house simply materialized around me one would either suppose that I spoke in jest, or was of unsound mind.
Although the universe is much more complex than the chair and the house, the same possibilities hold true for it. Either the universe has always existed, was created, or simply appeared with no possible explanation. The first and third options have been removed by science.
We know, scientifically, that the universe came into existence. This process is called “The big bang.” Because of science we know that the universe came to be as opposed to being eternal. We also have an explanation for this process. But the scientific is answer is ultimately unsatisfactory.
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The interesting question is not how something becomes something else. Of course hydrogen and oxygen can become water. And yes, scientists can create proteins from molecules. But what is the origin of hydrogen and oxygen? How do we make molecules? The interesting question is “Why does anything exist at all?” How do we get something from nothing? What is the source of everything?
It is not a surprise that one can find meaning in family, community and work, if the universe itself has telos. But if the universe cannot be explained as anything more than an accident then these things cannot have a real purpose or goal. If the universe has no ultimate meaning then neither does our life.
To suggest that we create the meaning from our otherwise meaningless lives begs the question where we could possibly get meaning in meaningless universe. We can only create from what has already been created. To say that the universe just is, is neither scientific nor sound.
Timothy Nelson