Considering God
The belief that the universe has always existed assumes that there was a primary substance that at some point in time began to change and over a very long period of time it changed into everything we see today...on its own. The current version of this belief is known as the "Big Bang" theory. Specifically, 14 billion years ago, this single, primary substance exploded (or expanded very rapidly) and over time it cooled down creating innumerable stars, and billions of galaxies and solar systems. As our solar system cooled down, there was one very unique fundamental substance (earth) that cooled down in such a way that the singular substance changed into many different types of elements. Water was formed and all kinds of chemicals. And as the millions of years turned into billions of years, some of the chemicals mixed together, and were hit by some energizing force like lightening, and the first building blocks of life resulted. Then around, 4 billion years ago, those building blocks combined to actually form life which then somehow was able to replicate itself and life was no longer dependent upon random combinations of chemicals being hit by an energizing force. And the result…earth and life and us, who are amazed at such wonder and complexity and orderliness which resulted from that "big bang".
The second major belief on the origin of the universe reasons that there are too many insurmountable problems with accepting that the universe always existed and is itself responsible for the complexity and orderliness which we see. One problem is time…how does something happen in a "point in time" in a physical universe that is supposedly eternal? Another issue is how does organization result from explosions? Explosions are destructive not constructive. Order and organization are the result of intelligence. Life is magnificent…and fragile. All life dies. Why? Is death some universal law that existed before life came into being? If early forms of life were dying, how did they develop the ability to reproduce before they died? The old conundrum of "which came first the chicken or the egg" is still a conundrum. Surely early life wasn't aware that it was going to die and needed to figure out a way to replicate itself. Those who believe that there is a power (God) not bounded by the physical universe, do so because there are too many obstacles to overcome to believe in a self-existent, self-creating universe. Time and chance are not creators of physical things, they are destroyers. Is it really reasonable to believe that we are here by pure luck? Is it really reasonable to believe that what exists today as Earth, and all its amazing contents, including ourselves, was the inevitable outcome of the "Big Bang" but Venus and Mars were destined to a very dull and boring existence?
But it isn't just the issues of the inability of time and chance that lead people to believe in a Creator. It is as the writer said in Psalms 104:24 "LORD, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions". And again in Psalms 139:14 "I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well". Our assessment of the wonder and complexity of the universe leads to the only reasonable conclusion that Someone, more wonderful and complex than the universe is responsible, just like we reason when we see a beautiful painting or a complex piece of machinery.​
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Belief is the combination of evidence and reason. Most often we witness the after-effect of an event (evidence) and then must draw a conclusion as to how it happened (reason). Explanations for the origin of the universe reasons that it all occurred by chance over billions of years and these explanations come and go...and the Big Bang theory will eventually be replaced by new theories. But the belief that things exists by an intentional action by Someone greater than the universe has always been around and will continue to exists because it is the most reasonable explanation.