“Why there is such an order in the universe from its
very inception? This is a fundamental question. The most striking feature of the universe is
that order began from the very start, at its initial stage. According to some
physicists everything occurs as if mankind was born in a universe created for
them, in effect, intentionally designed for human beings. It is similar
preparing a bedroom before the birth of a baby.” The question is asked in an
article, titled “The Universe Was Not Born from Chance” in Le Point, June 10,
1991.
How is the universe a cradle for human life and all
other physical life? Let’s go over some key scientific findings. The evidences
point to a Designer unambiguously.
Sun
& Light: Our life-sustaining source
We hardly realize how special is the light and heat of
the sun that arrive on earth in the precise amount and type to sustain life. Of
all the vast ranges of solar energy possible to bathe the earth, ours happens
to be of just the correct wave-length and quantity to produce beneficial
effects on life.
What would happen if the light and heat radiated from
the sun did not fall within the precisely correct range of possibilities? “Our
amazement grows further,” adds biochemist Michael Denton in his book, ‘Nature’s
Destiny, 1998, pp.53, 70; “when we note that not only is the radiant
energy in this tiny region the only radiation of utility to life, but that
radiant energy in most other regions of the spectrum is either lethal or
profoundly damaging. Electro-magnetic
radiation from gamma rays through X-rays to ultraviolet rays is all harmful to
life.”
“Moreover, this fitness [of light] is not merely for
simple microbial life, but for the complex organisms such as ourselves. It is
fit to provide the warmth upon which all life on the earth’s surface depends.” Light
is a type of energy without correct amount of which there would be no life. It
is a prerequisite for life.
Water
Water is another wonder with its uncanny
characteristics. Drinking, washing,
cleaning, sustaining crops, having our blood flowing and many other bodily
processes. Scientists are awed by the unique features of water that permit life
to flourish. For instance, just before it freezes, water does an about-face at
39-degree farienheight and, unlike other solidifying liquids, begins to expand
instead of contract—thus becoming less dense as it converts into ice. If this
were not so, when a lake or river froze over, the ice formed at the top would
keep sinking to the bottom, and eventually the lake or river would be frozen
solid, killing fish and other life and preventing thawing in the spring. It
would prove fatal to the chain of life on earth.
Water also has a surprising quality when it turns into
a gas. When water evaporates from ocean it mixes with other gases in earth’s
atmosphere. Suspended water droplets
form clouds that cover more than half the earth’s atmosphere. This makes the miracle of life-sustaining
rain possible.
Another amazing property of water is how gently it
acts as a solvent. While easily
dissolving enormous variety of substances, it is not strong enough to wear down
the rocky cliffs by the seashore—otherwise all the continents would have
crumbled into the sea. What is so very remarkable about the various physical
properties of water is not that each is so fit in itself, but the astonishing
way which, in many instances, several independent properties are adapted to
serve cooperatively the same biological end.
Did all of the peculiar but wondrous characteristics
of water just happen by chance? Or were they designed?
Although water is one of the most familiar of all
substances, its remarkable nature never fails to impress. Water forms the fluid in which occur all the
vital chemical and physical activities upon which life on earth depends.
Without water, life that exists on the earth would be impossible. Most
organisms are made up of more than 50% water; in the case of man, water makes
up more than 70% of the weight of the body. As far as the thermal properties are
concerned, water would appear to be ideally adapted for life on earth.
Scientists still puzzle over the origin of the
enormous amount of water on earth, covering 70% of its surface. They also
wonder where all the salt came from to produce the precise ratio found in
saltwater that acts as an antiseptic and sustainer of life in the sea.
Carbon—the
matrix for life
When we think of carbon, the first thing that comes to
our mind is coal, which is made mostly of carbon. Carbon forms the chemical backbone
for all living things. Carbon is another marvel of universe design.
“A house is built up from wood, stone, and metal
components,” explains Denton in his book, ‘Nature’s Destiny’, that “In case of
living organisms, the basic chemical building blocks utilized in their
construction are organic compounds—molecules composed of the atom carbon. The world of life is very much the product of
the compounds of carbon. “Carbon is so uniquely fit for its biological role,
the various compounds so vital to the existence of life that we may repeat the
aphorism, ‘If carbon did not exist, it would have to be invented.’” (pp.104,
116). Astronomer Hugh Ross concludes about carbon and the just-right amount of
it in the universe: “Without carbon, physical life is impossible. No other
element displays the rich chemical behavior needed to form the range of complex
molecular structures life requires. Given that physical life must be
carbon-based, why would God make a universe with so little carbon?
“Researchers have found that the quantity of carbon
must be carefully balanced between just enough and not too much because carbon,
though essential for life, can also be destructive to life. Too much carbon translates into too much
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane.
In large quantities, these gases are poisonous. In modest quantities,
their greenhouse properties keep the planet sufficiently warm for life. In
larger quantities they can heat a planet’s surface beyond what physical life
can tolerate.” (Why the Universe Is the Way It Is. 2008, p.28).
The
Size of Living Things—Not An Accident
We take for granted the size of the living things we
see around us, but, as scientists have discovered, these have been carefully
created with the optimal dimensions, given their different functions. “There
are cogent reasons to believe that the smallest and the largest organisms
represent, approximate limits to the possible size of animals under the
conditions that prevail on our planet.” (p.309).
Scientists talk about constraints or limiting factors
in these regards. If a biological
structure exceeds or fall short of the range allowable by the physical laws
that govern it, it simply will not work. For instance, the method of delivery
of oxygen to living creatures falls into two categories—the circulatory system
for vertebrates (animals of large group with spines and backbones) and the
tracheal system for invertebrates such as insects and spiders. Scientists
conclude “it is impossible not to be struck by the enormous functional,
structural, and behavioral diversity manifested by life on earth. Is it conceivable that there could be a world
of life more varied than the one existing on our watery planet? From the tiniest bacterial cell to the
immensely of the blue whale, our senses reel before the fantastic panoply (wide
array) of carbon-based life forms which clothes the earth”(pp.302, 311).
Yes, virtually every square inch of this earth is
teeming with life. Yet all the world’s laboratories have not been able to
create anything close to any of it!
The
Creation of Organic Backup Systems
Some people fear flying in a plane. The idea of being up thousands of feet above
the ground can send shivers down their spines. Yet about four million people
around the world take flights every day, and very rarely does something go
wrong. Why?
Two of the reasons are: (i) man has been able to
harness the physical laws of flight, and (ii) people have carefully designed
and built backup systems so that if one device fails, there is another to take
its place. Engineers call this redundancy. For instance, the space shuttle launched
by the United States, last time in 2011, had five backup computers to ensure
its navigational system.
Similarly, the more that’s known about life on earth,
the more redundant systems are found to protect organisms from minor errors
that could destroy them.
In sum, from the many striking examples of carefully
fine-tuned physical properties that are all around us, we can conclude that
Nature did prepare the universe and the earth as a “cradle” for life—especially
for mankind. Indeed, with all the wealth of evidence we see more and more, we
can better understand why in Bible, Psalm 14:1 declares as “Only a fool would
say, ‘There is no God!’” “We created the heavens and the earth and all that
lies between them… and no fatigue overcame us.” (Qur’an: 50:38).
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