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Why indeed.

“Much of life may seem uncertain, but look at what we can count on day after day: gravity remains consistent, a hot cup of coffee left on a counter will get cold, the earth rotates in the same 24 hours, and the speed of light doesn’t change — on earth or in galaxies far from us.

How is it that we can identify laws of nature that never change? Why is the universe so orderly, so reliable?

The greatest scientists have been struck by how strange this is. There is no logical necessity for a universe that obeys rules, let alone one that abides by the rules of mathematics. This astonishment springs from the recognition that the universe doesn’t have to behave this way. It is easy to imagine a universe in which conditions change unpredictably from instant to instant, or even a universe in which things pop in and out of existence.

Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner for quantum electrodynamics, said, “Why nature is mathematical is a mystery…The fact that there are rules at all is a kind of miracle.”

The above  quote is from this article by Marylin Adamson at http://www.everystudent.com

So why does the universe obey rules? Why doesn’t the universe and our very reality, exist in an eternal state of constant and complete chaos?

It’s obvious that we could not exist in a reality like that, without structure and void of universal physical laws. If we are to accept that we exist in an uncaring and impersonal universe, we have to face the fact that our reality doesn’t shape itself to accommodate us.  But we do exist, and so do the rules. We can’t have it both ways, so back to square one. Why does the universe obey the rules that we had no part in creating?

The answer is simpler than we would have it. The universe is structured, ordered, and consistent  for our benefit. It has indeed been shaped to accommodate us. It’s the only explanation that makes any sense given the facts.

I’m going to explore this further, and explain the basis of my conclusion.*

First though, I want to tell you about something that’s been on my mind for the last few months. It’s essential to understanding why our universe lends itself to our existence. I think it’s something everyone should consider.

Do you believe in god?

You do? Oh, you don’t?

Either way, Why?

I’m not talking about a religion, or any particular embodiment of  god. I am referring to an ultimate higher power at work in the universe. For most people this is a no-brainer, a kind of a mental knee-jerk reaction to the subject that involves little serious consideration. For me, that has certainly been the case for most of my life.

Of course I believe in god. Why would I doubt it?

Well Denigris, why wouldn’t you doubt it?

Over the years, I found myself disagreeing with, and ultimately leaving the religion I grew up in, but wondering about the existence of god never entered into my thinking processes. That I can remember, anyway.  But understanding the behavior of the universe and our place in it begs the question. Again, I think it really boils down to two parts:

Do you believe in god?

If so, why?

I don’t think it’s wrong to go here mentally. If we think we believe in god (or don’t), but we haven’t examined why, what good is it to have a belief on the subject at all? Bad news? Read on.

It’s taken some hard thought, and a lot of time to finally be able to answer those two big questions, but here it is; Yes I believe in god. It has nothing to do with church, religion or blind faith. It takes logical evidence to come to a personal conclusion about the existence of a god. Once you come to that conclusion, you can decide where to take it. Who god is, why god is, what religion (if any) brings you spiritual fulfillment; These are matters of faith, and optional. But the existence of god is standard equipment. You have to decide this one because your conclusion will define your judgments and perceptions in every thing you do. Sorry, no way out of this pickle. Even deciding not to decide is a decision. There’s one to wrap the cells around.

There are lots of good answers that someone can use when considering or debating the existence of god. Ultimately, if an individual is unwilling to look at why they believe what they do, then no amount of persuasion or evidence will ever matter. There are people who believe the world is flat. End of discussion.

This need for logical evidence for the existence of god gave me the title for this piece, and the ultimate answer to the question of  ‘does god exist’ and why I think so. Ms. Adamson’s article was excellent, but one observation had a huge impact on me, and provided conclusive evidence for me. I never thought to ask myself, ‘why does the universe obey physical laws that never change? Why is it consistent, reliable and predictable in all of it’s complexity. Why does the universe exist in a state that can be described using the language of math?’ It’s really amazing to me that these basic questions  have escaped my notice for all these years. Let me repeat the quote from Marylin Adamson’s article:

“Much of life may seem uncertain, but look at what we can count on day after day: gravity remains consistent, a hot cup of coffee left on a counter will get cold, the earth rotates in the same 24 hours, and the speed of light doesn’t change — on earth or in galaxies far from us.

How is it that we can identify laws of nature that never change? Why is the universe so orderly, so reliable?

The greatest scientists have been struck by how strange this is. There is no logical necessity for a universe that obeys rules, let alone one that abides by the rules of mathematics. This astonishment springs from the recognition that the universe doesn’t have to behave this way. It is easy to imagine a universe in which conditions change unpredictably from instant to instant, or even a universe in which things pop in and out of existence.

Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner for quantum electrodynamics, said, “Why nature is mathematical is a mystery…The fact that there are rules at all is a kind of miracle.”

*The conclusion;

There is a god that makes order out of chaos. There has to be a god. Without universal physical laws, we couldn’t exist. The only way to force order, to bring absolute and unbreakable laws to our universe is to be an all powerful entity, a god with the power to command the universe and have it obey. As it has been pointed out, the universe doesn’t have to act predictable at all. Logically, it follows that any entity, god if you will, that is powerful enough to impose order out of chaos, must be the same one that created that universe. And this is what makes the universe personal and alive in our collective consciousness. It’s why we explore far from our stellar home and search for extra terrestrial intelligence.

Now, I think it’s important to note that this is only about whether a god exists. Or an all powerful entity if you’re more comfortable with that.

This isn’t about Allah, Buddha, or Jesus Christ. Or L. Ron Hubbard

That is the next step, since I think being an agnostic is a bit lazy.

Denigris

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