A number of recent books and articles would have you believe that science has somehow disproved the existence of God. Their authors often claim that we know so much about how the universe works that God is simply unnecessary: We can explain all the workings of the universe without the need for a Creator.
The Vast Knowledge of Science
Science has indeed brought us immense understanding. The sum total of human knowledge doubles roughly every couple of years or less. In physics and cosmology, we can now claim to know what happened to our universe as early as a tiny fraction of a second after the Big Bang, something that may seem astounding. In chemistry, we understand the most complicated reactions among atoms and molecules, and in biology, we know how the living cell works and have mapped out our entire genome.
But does this vast knowledge base disprove the existence of some kind of pre-existent outside force that may have launched our universe on its way?
Historical Context: Science vs. Dogma
Science won major victories against entrenched religious dogma throughout the 19th century, fundamentally altering our understanding of the natural world and humanity’s place within it. One of the pivotal moments came with the discovery of Neanderthal remains in Belgium, Gibraltar, and Germany. These findings revealed that humans were not the only hominids to occupy the earth, challenging the long-held belief in human uniqueness and prompting a reevaluation of our evolutionary history.
In addition to the Neanderthal discoveries, paleontologists unearthed fossils and remains of now-extinct animals and plants, providing compelling evidence that flora and fauna evolve, live for millennia, and sometimes die off, ceding their place on the planet to better-adapted species. These findings lent strong support to the then-emerging theory of evolution, famously published by Charles Darwin in 1859. Darwin’s theory proposed that all species, including humans, evolved over time through a process of natural selection, further challenging traditional religious narratives of creation.
In 1851, Leon Foucault’s ingenious experiment using a special pendulum provided definitive proof that the earth rotates. This experiment delivered a critical blow to geocentric models of the universe, which held that the sun revolved around a stationary Earth, a view supported by literal interpretations of certain religious texts. Foucault’s work helped to cement the heliocentric model initially proposed by Copernicus and further developed by Galileo.
Geological discoveries throughout the same century dealt a devastating blow to the “young earth” hypothesis, which posited that Earth was only a few thousand years old, as calculated by some theologians based on biblical genealogies. Advances in geology demonstrated that Earth is, in fact, billions of years old, providing a timeline that could accommodate the slow and gradual processes described by evolutionary theory.
All of these scientific advancements collectively defeated literal interpretations of Scripture, forcing a reexamination of religious dogma in light of empirical evidence. The 19th century thus marked a significant period in which science and religion were often seen in direct conflict, leading to a broader acceptance of scientific explanations for natural phenomena and human origins.
Modern Science and the Existence of God
But has modern science, from the beginning of the 20th century, proved that there is no God, as some commentators now claim? Science is an amazing, wonderful undertaking: it teaches us about life, the world, and the universe. But it has not revealed to us why the universe came into existence nor what preceded its birth in the Big Bang.
Unanswered Questions in Science
Biological evolution has not brought us the slightest understanding of how the first living organisms emerged from inanimate matter on this planet and how the advanced eukaryotic cells—the highly structured building blocks of advanced life forms—ever emerged from simpler organisms. Neither does it explain one of the greatest mysteries of science:
- How did consciousness arise in living things?
- Where do symbolic thinking and self-awareness come from?
- What enables us to create great works of art, music, architecture, and literature?
Science is nowhere near to explaining these deep mysteries.
The Fine-Tuning of the Universe
Much more important than these conundrums is the persistent question of the fine-tuning of the parameters of the universe: Why is our universe so precisely tailor-made for the emergence of life? This question has never been answered satisfactorily, and it may never find a scientific solution. The deeper we delve into the mysteries of physics and cosmology, the more the universe appears to be intricate and incredibly complex.
The Creation of the Universe
We know that 13.7 billion years ago, a gargantuan burst of energy initiated the creation of our universe. Then suddenly, the Higgs boson gave the universe its mass. Why did this happen? The mass constituted elementary particles—quarks and electrons—whose weights and electrical charges had to fall within immeasurably tight bounds for what would happen next.
The Role of Probability
The great British mathematician Roger Penrose calculated—based on only one of the hundreds of parameters of the physical universe—that the probability of the emergence of a life-giving cosmos was 1 divided by 10, raised to the power of 10, and again raised to the power of 123. This number is as close to zero as anyone has ever imagined.
The Multiverse Theory
Some scientists have proposed the existence of a multiverse—an infinite set of universes, each with its own parameters, offering an explanation for why the improbable can occur in some universes. While renowned physicists have explored the multiverse theory, it remains controversial within the scientific community. Critics argue that the multiverse theory does not meet the criteria of a scientific theory because it fails to make falsifiable claims, thereby challenging its scientific validity
The Takeaway
The incredible fine-tuning of the universe presents the most powerful argument for the existence of an immanent creative entity we may well call God. Lacking convincing scientific evidence to the contrary, such a power may be necessary to force all the parameters we need for our existence—cosmological, physical, chemical, biological, and cognitive—to be what they are.
Science and religion are two sides of the same deep human impulse to understand the world, to know our place in it, and to marvel at the wonder of life and the infinite cosmos we are surrounded by. Let’s keep them that way, and not let one attempt to usurp the role of the other.
Afterword
This post does not aim to prove the existence of God. However, it is important to address the common misconception that science and atheism are inherently linked, as they are fundamentally separate domains.
If someone is an atheist because they believe that science explains the creation of the universe without the need for a higher power, their rationale may be misguided.
The case for atheism is rooted in the principle that all natural phenomena can be explained through empirical evidence and reason, rather than invoking a “god of the gaps” to account for currently unexplained phenomena.
Online Sources
Neanderthal Discoveries
Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin
Leon Foucault and Earth’s Rotation
Geological Discoveries
Multiverse Theory
- Scientific American Articles on Multiverse
- Phys.org – Debate on the Scientific Validity of Multiverse
- Nature – Articles on the Multiverse Debate
Science and Religion
Fine-Tuning of the Universe
#ScienceAndReligion #GodAndScience #FineTuningArgument
