Recently I found myself reading a Xtian's position on Creationism, employing the usual litany of how all the conditions and ingredients necessary for life to exist on Earth couldn’t be by chance.
Relying on well versed talking points from one of many Creationist websites, he regaled me with the complexity of the Big Bang; the absurdly remote probablity for Earth to be in the habitable zone of our sun; the formation of the moon; the inexplicable development of complex life forms from inert chemicals; all the while sprinkling in the necessary scientific jargon and theories to make it sound like he knew WTF he was talking about.
Then, to sum it all up and slam the door on the improbability of the Big Bang and evolutionary theory he tossed out this insightful gem:
”I can’t even begin to imagine the odds of all those things coming together by chance that would result in our existence.”
Well, neither can I. I also don’t know what the odds are for life to exist on other planets, among the billions of solar systems in the universe. Nor do I know the odds of how many of those billions of planets are the right distance from their sun to permit life as we know it. Nor do I know how many more billions of solar systems have gone extinct, extinguishing any life forms they may have once sustained.
Sure… if there were only one solar system, in a finite and closed system, the odds for all the things coming together to allow life to develop and flourish on one of its eight planets (Pluto got demoted remember) may well be in the realm of impossible. Then again…maybe it is in the realm of very probable... 1 in 8. We’ll never know since that criteria doesn’t exist.
But none of that really matters. What really matters is the question I proffered in response:
”How much easier is it for you to calculate the odds on the formation and existence of a creator god being who was never himself created but who has existed for all time?”
I’m still waiting for his considered reply... with the supporting worksheet. I won’t hold my breath.
9 comments:
To answer the probability of life in the universe, multiply the 100 billion stars in an average galaxy times the 400 billion galaxies times the number of planets per star and you get a huge number. The probability is very high.
Bob, yes...true that.
But then the Creationist question becomes what are the odds that THOSE life forms happened by chance and not by divine edict?
And around it goes...
So with 400 billion galaxies each containing 100 billion stars and about eight planets per star, I am almost certain that life has developed somewhere else in the universe and I think it is probably more common than we think, its just that we are too far away to observe it. But if the universe was created solely for us, as many Christians believe, it kind of leaves you wondering what the point of the other 3.2x10^23 planets that exist in our universe really is, especially considering that they are too far away for us to ever get to them.
My daughter summed it up when she was 8 years old: "If God exists then WHO created him?"
If a small child can see this obvious logical flaw in the concept of creationism then is still hope for humanity...
”I can’t even begin to imagine the odds of all those things coming together by chance that would result in our existence.”
Well, for this universe and this planet, the odds are 100% aren't they?
The fact is that life on Earth came about by utilizing the resources provided by nature. Not the other way around.
I'd like to ask this creator god why he didn't make it so the entire planet was 70 degrees year-round.
Why are there huge areas of the Earth that inhabitable for humans?
And what was the moon explanation? to provide some sort of counter-balance to keep the Earth in a stable orbit or something? Why would a creator god need to create a moon for that?? Why couldn't he just "make it so"?
Why is there nothing on this planet that cannot be explained by science? Why isn't there anything magical? Why isn't there something cool like if you cut down a rainforest tree, it grows back in 3 seconds before your eyes?
Surely a creator god would have wanted us to have unlimited resources.
I think I could've done a better job.
Obvious case of puddle mentality.
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