missio

[Note: This line of reasoning applies to non-believers. Reason? Because as believers, we see evidence for God everywhere: in creation, in one another, etc. His existence is highly likely to us…because He has revealed Himself to us.]

I’m currently reading Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. For those of you who don’t know, Richard Dawkins is at the forefront of the New Atheist movement, an evangelistic-type push to “out” atheists. I’ve only read the first two chapters, and I must say that is extremely interesting. To be fair, I haven’t explored the full argument because I haven’t read the entire book, but I’ve found that his writing style is very fluid, though coarse (insulting), yet I appreciate that. For those of you who know me, you understand. But I have a problem with his main argument: that it is highly unlikely that God exists, therefore He doesn’t. This isn’t just a philosophical/logical problem, but it’s a scientific problem as well.

First of all, just because something is highly improbably does not negate it’s existence. That’s a logical faux pas.

Scientifically speaking, improbable things happen on a daily basis. I’m sure Dawkins is familiar with quantum mechanics: the principle of uncertainty requires improbability. So does the Heisenberg principle. And wave-particle duality. So is the existence of this particular world with regard to quantum superposition. Astronomically speaking, how likely would the Big Bang event be? Ask any cosmologist about the parameters required for life in the universe, or ask about the cosmological constants required to keep the universe from collapsing on itself. High improbability seems to be the common thread for awe-inspiring things to be in existence. It would seem, then, that they are directly proportional. The more unlikely something is, the more awe-inspiring it is. Apply this to God.  It may be that His existence is more improbable than anything else in the universe. Proportionally then, it would mean that His existence is more awe-inspiring and wondrous than anything else in the universe. That is something that believers agree to. Good job, Mr. Dawkins.

How bout them apples?