Where did we come from? Who created the world? Was the world even created? Or did it just appear out of nowhere?

Many years ago, atheists held that the universe did not need an explanation. Bertrand Russell was known for claiming, “The universe is just there, and that’s all.” Not only is there a lack of argument for this belief, but a complete lack of logic!

Today’s atheists are much more prepared and much more studied to attempt to deconstruct the theists argument for creation. Modern atheists do not deny a genesis of the cosmos, but refer to a beginning point in which it came into existence in the finite past. Niel Degrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Richard Dawkins, and a myriad other atheists would say that it was 13.8 billion years ago.

We agree with atheists that the universe had a beginning point in time due to two discoveries.

The first is the Second Law of Thermodynamics, which states that everything in the universe is running down. Some apologists have stated that if the universe is winding down, then it must have been wound up. The sun will eventually run out of energy is one example. For the universe to be running down, it had to begin somewhere.

The second is the fact that the universe is expanding as evidenced by research through the Hubble telescope.  For the universe to be expanding, like the first example, it had to begin somewhere.

Take note that it is held in common between theists and atheists that the universe began at a specific point in the finite past. The question is, from where or whom did it come?

God or Big Bang?

A theist would say that the origin of the cosmos is in God (as seen in Genesis 1), whereas an atheist would refer to the Big Bang. There must be an uncaused first cause. Everything comes from a cause. People exist because their parents procreated. Plants exist because of a seed that was planted. Yet, all of this must have began somewhere. There had to be a beginning, the first human or the first plant, which is what we are searching for.

For our purposes, we will utilize what is known as the fine-tuning of the universe. For things to run properly, they must be tuned properly. Take a car, for example. When you go and get new tires placed on your car, you must get them balanced–or tuned–properly for them to work properly on your car.

Likewise, for life to exist, everything has to be perfect. The earth has to be such a perfect distance from the sun for temperature levels to be just right, be able to sustain life through habitat, while the ozone has to be well structured. This universe cannot be tuned properly is there was not someone to tune it. We wouldn’t expect to find a perfectly tuned car apart from a person tuning. Why should we expect to find a perfectly tuned universe (which is infinitely more complex than a car) apart from someone to tune it? It is logically absurd!

As one does not see wind, one sees the implications and effects of wind, and comes to the conclusion of wind itself through that. The effects of the designer work in the same manner as one sees the effects of the designer all around. Everywhere we look, we se evidence of the designer (Romans 1:19–20). It is in fine-tuning that we find the beginning, “In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1).

For those who want a larger discourse of this subject, I have attached a PDF of a research paper I wrote on this subject while in a Seminary course for apologetics.  Follow this link: In the Beginning