A Case for the Creator

The much acclaimed theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has recently said, in his book "The Grand Design", that God had nothing to do with the coming about of the Universe. While I am not qualified to argue on the scientific evidences available, the following is a perspective from the point of view of a believer – a species that is fast becoming an endangered one. Hope someone can develop this trail of frail thoughts to build the basis for a sound life rooted in the faith in God, despite what the interpreters of science may be able to show today.

Also reminding myself and all readers that it is only a modern trend to see science and faith pitted against each other. In the days of the early Christian Church, the greatest theologians were also the greatest expounders of the sciences. In India the great sages of yore were revered not only for their faith in God but also for their knowledge of the medicines, the nature and the sciences.

Also I believe that faith is beyond reason, though not necessarily against
reason. Probably seeing such unbelief the Lord Himself asked - "when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth" (St. Luke 18:8)

Hypothesis: There is no God. God's spirit is just a fantasy. On a similar note, there is no evil spirit. We are just results of an accident. We have no one to answer to. We are just a combination of some fluids, masses and chemicals, combination of which cause varied emotions within us. There is no after life. We are just highly evolved animals. We are designed to pass along our genes to the next generation.

We have evolved thus far only because we have the traits that aid our survival and reproduction. Since we are the most highly evolved among all animal species that have occupied the earth, and we have survived so far suggest that we must have the best instinct among all species for survival, for procreation, for even more evolution. We have survived where the dinosaurs have not. We seem to have perfected the tricks of the trade needed to make ourselves always available for "natural selection"(having better characteristics than 'others' to survive in the environment)

Is this hypothesis true?

Some thoughts outlined below, seem to be squarely inconsistent with this hypothesis:

1) Suicide:  

Survival of the fittest is what evolution is all about. What then explains the sudden loss of the desire to live in some people? Why do some people commit suicide? Ending one's own life is cutting off, or harming one's own future reproductive success. If we have come this far by "natural selection", then how come only we, human beings, have this trait of "suicide" which is so contradictory to our survival instinct. Ideally going by the "natural selection" theory, we must be the best equipped to survive, among all human beings, yet we are the only species that has suicidal tendencies. I would say this puts a big hole in the framework of the theory of evolution.

Does it make more sense to believe there indeed is God, as there indeed is the Devil; that we are just not "highly evolved", we are very carefully designed by a Creator, who wants to care for us, who loves us and who gives us hope. When a person loses hope in the love of God, when he is ignorant about the love of God, when he engulfed with the hopelessness that comes from the Devil. he commits the ultimate act of hopelessness - suicide.

2) Ethics: 

If living and surviving by hook or by crook is the only intent, why does man strive to live in a honest, civilized manner? If reproduction and procreation was our only intended motive,if temporal life is everything, why do
we not condone rape? Also, why do we use contraceptives, why do people sterilize themselves? Why do ethics matter to us? None of these matter to the "other" animals, do they?

The ethics, the morals, and the guilt - all strike at the root of the evolution theory. Does it make more sense to accept that the hypothesis above is wrong - that there indeed is a God who is infinitely good, in whose image we are created? And whom we yearn to be like in our innermost being?

3)Celibacy:

 If our natural instinct for survival makes us want to pass on our genes to the next generations, if that is the explanation for us surviving so far - what explains some among us want to remain ascetic? What drives them to choose to deny their selves and their chance of procreation?

Is it possible that it is man's only purpose is NOT to pass on genes - that there is indeed a higher calling?

4) Sacrifice: 

The Cross reminds us of that ultimate sacrifice

If survival is our sole aim - what explains the idea of sacrifice among human beings? Why do, at least some of us, have a tendency to give up our own benefits, their own comforts, sometimes even our own lives, so that someone else may have a better life, why is sacrifice considered a virtue among us? How can some fluids and chemicals explain our deep sense of satisfaction when we have helped someone in need even at the cost of some of our comfort?


True, man sometimes behaves worse than animals, but is accepting evolution as the only possible explanation for the origin of species taking the generalization too far?

Also read:
The Creationists' And The Evolutionists' Views - By V.L. Eapen
where the author puts forth an argument that there could be a meeting point between science and faith.

Src: ICON