Complexity and order in the world proves nothing!

The other day I read in my devotions the following: “The intricate physical, chemical, and biological interactions that comprise our world bear the imprint of a sophisticated Designer.” Now you might think that as someone who believes in God I would positively resonate with these words, but I did not. This type of statement annoys me. Copious amounts of words both written and spoken have consistently demonstrated that one cannot conclusively resolve the so-called connection between complexity in the world and a Cosmic Designer (aka God). The basic problem is this: What would a world look like, which does NOT bear the imprint of a cosmic designer? You see, in order to know whether this world has been designed and created by God, we have to compare it to a world which has not been designed. That we cannot do this leaves us with an unsatisfactory circular argument.

However, before any atheist gets too excited we should note that the reverse is also true. To know what a world looks like which has not been designed and created by God, we need to compare it to one that HAS. That we cannot do this also leaves us with an unsatisfactory circular argument. It also begs the question; if an atheist could know and experience a world that has been created by God, then why are they an atheist?

Let me put it another way… When I go to the gas station to fill up my car, I don’t walk into the store and buy 17 gallons of milk and then fill up my gas tank. If I walked around arguing with people on the forecourt that my combustion engine runs on milk bought from the store, they would think I was crazy. I don’t debate the issue of what I need to put into my gas tank in order to to make my car run because the facts are indisputable. Gasoline powers combustion engines, not milk! Yet the facts surrounding the origins of the world are not indisputable. The issue has been long debated and will continue to be so. For instance, the issue of how we get from rocks (inanimate matter) to living things (animate matter) is presumed to have happened, yet is much debated. People say it happened, but do not know how or why. Also, using the principle of observation the known universe does not reveal to us how the things we see around us came into existence. We can't observe anything outside of this realm of existence. Statements about events and causes prior to this world and universe existing are not facts but hypothesis and speculation; beliefs, opinions and theories no matter who speaks them. They are these things because no-one can ever witness any moment before time began outside of this sphere of reality. We ALL live by faith!

I've stopped using the idea of order and complexity in the world as proof of God's existence. I'm tired of the arguments and going round and round in circles. I'm also tired of the anger and vitriol generated. Instead, I focus on the ways God is seen in the lives of others. If you want proof of God's existence then I'll point you to how people are doing good to each other. I'll point you to changed lives. I'll take you into the presence of love (1 John 4:12).