March 3rd: The Design Argument
Speaker: Chris Laws
Doctrine class takes a brief look at the apologetic argument which has reappeared as the Intelligent Design movement
REVELATION IN NATURE
Psalm 19.1 “The heavens declare the glory of God.”
Rom 1.20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen” so that all are “without excuse”.
The world obviously has a great designer.
God has given mankind Creation’s message. CHS: ‘Natural Bible’.
But though powerful, the message of creation cannot save.
BCF 1.1 “Although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God so much that man is left without any excuse, they are not sufficient to provide that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary for salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord...”
But Creation’s message is a challenge from God to atheists.
DESIGN ARGUMENT
This is an old series of arguments founded on Creation. (‘Argument' in apologetics = a family of arguments).
In 1990 the Discovery Institute, a secular think tank was founded.
From it arose the Intelligent Design movement. It championed the Design Argument again.
1996 Michael Behe's Darwin's Black Box. Came to public attention.
Shook the establishment. Savage attacks and ridicule from evolutionists.
Intelligent design is underestimated. It looks at Creation, and challenges atheists to explain a lot of things.
We'll look at eight features of Creation. Atheists cannot explain them.
(1) ORDER
Fundamental question – why is the universe not chaotic, a chaos of particles?
Examples of order – animal/plant growth in proportion/rate, motion of planets, atomic world. Keep in their place.
It was this orderliness (or scientific laws) which inspired the early scientists.
Brain – could never assemble one. Every component has to be in the correct place, connected precisely.
In a single cell there are ~25,000 genes & 50,000 proteins all in the right place to keep us alive.
Body has 37 trillion cells – all in the correct place. 37 trillion piece jigsaw. Impossible.
Bible: Gen 1.2 “the earth was without form (confusion) and void” and was made orderly in Creation week
Who is the builder of such a remarkable orderly, precisely-engineered structure as this world?
(2) COMPLEXITY
Astounding complexity. We now know each cell is like a hi-tech city.
The body's 37 trillion cells in complex formation.
The brain has 80 billion neurons, each connected to 7000 other parts of brain on average.
Each neuron is like a microprocessor.
The brain a work of genius. Has inspired the artificial neural network computer.
Ps 139:14 “I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous (miraculous) are thy works.”
An amazing genius needed to account for nature’s complexity.
Way beyond human ability – needs to be super-human Creator.
(3) PURPOSE
Someone finds a satnav/GPS system on the ground – never seen one before, soon realises it navigates.
Has a purpose therefore a designer.
Migratory bird's navigational system – to the precise field. Has a purpose, therefore a designer.
World is full of purpose. Eye for seeing; ear for hearing.
Brain for thinking; immune system for protecting against illness.
A human being has all these and more: hence we're made for a purpose.
Shorter Catechism: ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.’
Matt 22.37 “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy heart.”
The atheist cannot explain the inbuilt sense of purpose.
(4) ABILITY TO THINK
No computer can think – just programmed.
How does a little child begin to think? No animal can.
A mind is what makes a person different from all animals. A person explores, imagines, debates, learns.
You debate a complex issue with someone, and they corner you. You experience the power of an intellect.
Where does the invisible world of logic and thought come from?
Adam was created with intelligence. Gen 1.27 “God created man in his own image.”
Gen 2.20 “And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field.”
Where did our minds come from? Must come from another vast mind and intelligence.
(5) INFORMATION
Eg One DNA molecule = 100,000 large books. Vast engineering manual.
World is overflowing with information. Internet has nothing by comparison.
Where does the information come from? The Big Bang?
Information always comes from a mind. Complex information comes from a highly intelligent mind.
Prof Werner Gitt: In the beginning was information.
Ps 139.14: “Marvellous are thy works.” Astonishing breadth of learning required to understand Creation.
Who put all that information in just one cell?
(6) ELEGANT SIMPLICITY
Good designs are simple; there's an elegance about a device which uses 10 times less components. 'A clever idea.'
Elegant simplicity requires thought. Cheaper, smaller – more thought.
Whole field of study called biomimetics – copying designs in nature because always best.
Gravity/laws of motion describe apple falling/galaxy rotating on three lines of paper.
Light, UV, infra-red, heat, X-rays, radio, radar, microwaves, radioactivity one phenomenon. Maxwell, 4 lines of paper.
Gen 1.31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.”
Why are natural designs so elegant, always the best?
(7) BEAUTY
Why is there such beauty – sunset, birdsong, landscape, light on water, aromas, Milky Way?
Beauty is always the work of a great artist. (A lot of modern art is the opposite).
It doesn’t just happen. Try making a beautiful painting.
Matt 6.29 “I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
Who is the artist behind Creation?
(8) CORRECT FOR LIFE
Sun just right distance for warmth. Moon for tides.
Gen 1.16 “And God made two great lights…and set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth.”
Minute changes in our solar system, and nothing could exist.
Physicists today say that if the forces that hold our universe together were different by one 100 thousand trillionth, the universe couldn’t exist.
How come everything in the world is so precisely right for life?
APPLICATION
Rom 1.20. 18-21: “For the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold [down] the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse”.
Don’t underestimate the Natural Bible.
Why is Creation's clear message suppressed, held down? Because unanswerable.
Remember that all people hear God’s message from the natural Bible, though, as Paul goes on to say, unbelieving hearts become darkened.
One reason why unbelievers will be condemned.
Kurt Wise – we are on the higher ground. Don’t go on the defensive.
Believers: Our lives are miracles. We are created with orderly, complex bodies by God for a purpose.
Are we wasting them, or serving Christ?
