Origins of the Universe
Fine Tuning
Fine tuning refers to conditions that are just right for the existence of the universe and of life. There are hundreds of physical parameters and conditions that have been designed with care to support the universe and life. Interestingly, there are so many finely tuned systems that even many evolutionary scientists have noted this curious fact. Evolutionary scientist Sir Fred Hoyle said the “commonsense interpretation of the facts is that a super-intelligence has monkeyed with physics, as well as chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces in nature.”
Fine tuning can be compared to a transistor radio. When someone turns the dial, he is tuning the radio to certain frequencies. As the dial is turned and approaches a station, initially the sound will contain static. However, with a little more fine tuning, the station’s signal will become clear. If you discovered 100 transistor radios in a room all tuned exactly to a station, you would conclude that an intelligent person had set the stations on each radio. Even though you may not know the reason, the design is obvious.
The universe is exponentially more complex than a transistor radio. Many physical factors are just right for the existence of the universe and life. Consider the system of the sun, earth, and moon. The size, brightness, and color of the sun are finely tuned for life on earth. The sun’s spectral color is just right for photosynthesis in plants. If the sun’s color were a little redder or a little bluer, photosynthesis would either be greatly reduced or cease entirely. If there were no plants, there would be no life on earth. The distance between the earth and the sun is designed for life. If the earth were closer or further away, the planet would either be too hot or too cold to support life. The relative size of the sun and moon in the sky, as viewed from Earth, is the same which results in total eclipses. The distance from the earth to the moon is just right to produce tidal action. If the moon were too far away, tides would not be strong enough to perform their cleansing action. If the moon were closer, tides would be enormous, covering coasts with water twice per day.
Fine tuning is evidence of a designer. Fine tuning shows design, plan, and purpose – indicating a primary (or intelligent) cause rather than a secondary (or natural) one.
Origins of Life
Information Theory
Succinctly, information theory states that intelligence is necessary to create information. Imagine that you’ve just read a good book, such as Dorothy Sayers’ The Mind of the Maker. You enjoy the book so much that you immediately seek out other works by the author. You realize that the words did not spontaneously generate on the paper through natural processes, even though you have never met Sayers nor did you witness her actually writing the book. Why is an author assumed? While it is possible to chemically analyze the physical book to determine its precise natural components, the existence of the information content of the book demands an intelligent author as opposed to a secondary, natural origin of The Mind of the Maker.
God created life as matter with teleonomy. Teleonomy refers to information content. The DNA in the nucleus of a living cell is information. Teleonomy is the characteristic which separates living things from inorganic matter. In other words, life is matter plus a separate vital ingredient, namely information. In the creation model of origins, the formula for life is M+T+E+I = Life; M(atter) + T(ime) + E(nergy) +I(nformation) yields life. While matter, time, and energy are natural components with a secondary cause, information demands a primary cause.
Information is a key to distinguish between primary (intelligent) and secondary (natural) causation. One can determine whether a tree fell via a lightning strike or a hand saw based upon the information gathered at the scene.
Origin of Diverse Life
Fossils
The creation model states that diverse life existed from the beginning on earth. Original life forms were highly complex created entities, fully formed and fully functional, while each animal kind remained distinct from another.
In order to understand the difference between creation and evolution, consider this analogy of a student pursuing two options while writing a paper. The first choice is to write random characters. After reviewing the text, the student applies purposeless changes. Over time, the hope is that a good paper will develop from the initial nonsense. The second choice would be to write a good, coherent paper in the beginning. After reviewing the writing, the student adds or subtracts small details as needed. This second approach is similar to the creation model. Originally, kinds of life were created ready-to-run, and then changed slightly over time.
Fossils are found as fully formed distinct kinds throughout the fossil record. From the lowest strata to the highest, fossils appear abruptly with no trace of transitional forms among kinds. Many fossils can be identified since they appear in a form similar to modern animals. A fossil starfish looks like a modern starfish, a fossil bat looks like a modern bat, and so on.
The Image of God
Humans
The creation model states that the origin of human beings is separate from every other kind of living creature. Human beings are special since they were originally created in the image of God. The uniqueness of humans is evidenced throughout Scripture, such as in Genesis 2:7 [ESV]: “The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” God directly fashioned human bodies and provided them with a soul.
The Image of God refers to attributes, not physical appearance. Symbolic language, abstract reasoning, and creativity are part of the image of God. Abstract thought is a unique human ability. We can look at an object – or merely hear or read about one – and have a fully developed idea of the object in our mind. We can also separate the idea of the object from the object itself. Abstraction means we can combine an idea in our mind with other ideas and produce novel objects. The rational ability allows people to invent marvelous machines, such as computers, along with novel fiction, such as talking horses.
The human conscience, intelligence, and imagination (qualitatively different from animal life) is strong evidence that people were created in the image of God.