Something atheists and agnostics fail to explain is the fact that the universe has laws. These laws include the laws of physics, the laws of logic, and the laws of mathematics. But today we will only be looking at the laws of physics.
Now, if there was no God then we would expect to see a "universe" with no laws of any kind, utter chaos. In fact, we wouldn't expect to be able to exist at all without a God. When there is order, there is usually someone keeping the order.
People look at the universe through a telescope and think it looks chaotic and random, but if you understand some astronomy and mathematics, you will know the universe is a complex system with set rules. The universe is not chaotic at all, it is perfectly ordered.
Stars die, but not before dozens of elements that wouldn't exist otherwise are formed. New stars are born from the death of old stars, and around those stars planets form, some of which can harbor life. This is only possible because of the elements that were manufactured inside earlier stars. Without this cycle, there would be no planets, no life, and the only elements in the universe would be hydrogen and helium. Why does this cycle exist?
Atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons with different numbers of protons creating different elements. Light is made of photons. But why do protons, neutrons, photons, and electrons even exist? Why do they have the properties they do? Why do neutrons weigh more than protons? Why do protons weigh so much more than electrons? We have light because photons are particles that have no mass and thus, always move at the speed of light. But why do photons have no mass?
The speed of light is a set number. The force of gravity has a set strength. The electromagnetic force has a set strength. If you tweak any of these set properties the universe would fall apart. Life would be impossible. Why are these numbers what they are?
Science will never answer these questions for you. Despite the arrogant claims of certain individuals. I have found only God can truly answer these hard questions.
Many unbelievers try and rationalize this by using the anthropic principle. This states that the universe must have properties that allow life to exist, because otherwise we wouldn't be here to observe it. Ergo it doesn't matter, the laws of physics just are. Right?
Not even close, there are many holes is this idea, but I will only argue one major one. It is the fact that this implies that the universe, from its infancy, somehow "knew" humans would come into existence. At the big bang, how did the universe know to arrange its properties in such a way that people could observe it? The universe by itself is not conscious, it doesn't care if people exist to observe it.
To give an example, quantum mechanics shows us it is possible for quantum particles to suddenly rearrange into objects. There is an absurdly tiny probability that the moon will suddenly rearrange into a cube-shape, or any other possible shape for that matter.
So, you are in a desolate mountain range hiking, and you come across a small cabin. Do you say "this cabin must have quantum mechanically rearranged itself into existence from a boulder, sure the probability is very small, but if it weren't here then I wouldn't be able to be surprised about seeing it."? Or do you say "someone must have built this cabin!"? I'm going to bet you choose the latter.
In conclusion, the universe has laws, and laws require a lawmaker. Any being you can imagine existing as this "lawmaker" will boil down to God in the end.
Psalm 19:1 "To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
References:
1. Quantum Tunneling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_tunnelling
2. Occams Razor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor
3. Gravitational Constant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_constant
4. Why The Multiverse Can't Explain Fine-Tuning: http://www.reasons.org/articles/do-infinite-universes-explain-the-fine-tuning
Now, if there was no God then we would expect to see a "universe" with no laws of any kind, utter chaos. In fact, we wouldn't expect to be able to exist at all without a God. When there is order, there is usually someone keeping the order.
People look at the universe through a telescope and think it looks chaotic and random, but if you understand some astronomy and mathematics, you will know the universe is a complex system with set rules. The universe is not chaotic at all, it is perfectly ordered.
Stars die, but not before dozens of elements that wouldn't exist otherwise are formed. New stars are born from the death of old stars, and around those stars planets form, some of which can harbor life. This is only possible because of the elements that were manufactured inside earlier stars. Without this cycle, there would be no planets, no life, and the only elements in the universe would be hydrogen and helium. Why does this cycle exist?
Atoms are made of protons, neutrons, and electrons with different numbers of protons creating different elements. Light is made of photons. But why do protons, neutrons, photons, and electrons even exist? Why do they have the properties they do? Why do neutrons weigh more than protons? Why do protons weigh so much more than electrons? We have light because photons are particles that have no mass and thus, always move at the speed of light. But why do photons have no mass?
The speed of light is a set number. The force of gravity has a set strength. The electromagnetic force has a set strength. If you tweak any of these set properties the universe would fall apart. Life would be impossible. Why are these numbers what they are?
Science will never answer these questions for you. Despite the arrogant claims of certain individuals. I have found only God can truly answer these hard questions.
Many unbelievers try and rationalize this by using the anthropic principle. This states that the universe must have properties that allow life to exist, because otherwise we wouldn't be here to observe it. Ergo it doesn't matter, the laws of physics just are. Right?
Not even close, there are many holes is this idea, but I will only argue one major one. It is the fact that this implies that the universe, from its infancy, somehow "knew" humans would come into existence. At the big bang, how did the universe know to arrange its properties in such a way that people could observe it? The universe by itself is not conscious, it doesn't care if people exist to observe it.
To give an example, quantum mechanics shows us it is possible for quantum particles to suddenly rearrange into objects. There is an absurdly tiny probability that the moon will suddenly rearrange into a cube-shape, or any other possible shape for that matter.
So, you are in a desolate mountain range hiking, and you come across a small cabin. Do you say "this cabin must have quantum mechanically rearranged itself into existence from a boulder, sure the probability is very small, but if it weren't here then I wouldn't be able to be surprised about seeing it."? Or do you say "someone must have built this cabin!"? I'm going to bet you choose the latter.
In conclusion, the universe has laws, and laws require a lawmaker. Any being you can imagine existing as this "lawmaker" will boil down to God in the end.
Psalm 19:1 "To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
References:
1. Quantum Tunneling: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_tunnelling
2. Occams Razor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor
3. Gravitational Constant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_constant
4. Why The Multiverse Can't Explain Fine-Tuning: http://www.reasons.org/articles/do-infinite-universes-explain-the-fine-tuning