Footprints

How do you know I am writing this right now? I could be a robot or ghost-writer, or this could even be plagiarized material. However, over time enough of the persona of the writer does start to emerge for us to be convinced of their presence and authenticity.

That line of thinking was prompted by something Doctor House said last night when faced with a patient who had a mystery illness. In counseling his colleagues he said, “If we cannot find the root cause we must be guided by effect.” What he meant was that they had to deduce, in this case that there was a small tumor, without the benefit of evidence.

That same logic was applied to black holes. No one can see a black hole. By implication it will always be invisible and intangible, because its gravity is powerful enough to suck in light and matter, leaving a void. But, we know its there, because of effects.

There was a time when science could not observe sub-atomic particles, but scientists were able to predict what was subsequently proved to be so, because they could observe the footprints of particles based on specific behaviors.

The famous case of a student who asked an audience if they had ever seen their professor’s brain is another case in point. Clearly no one had seen his brain, but on balance of evidence or effects, they could safely conclude that he had a brain.

So now, Stephen Hawking, a theoretical-physicist who devoted his lifework to the observation of black holes and the implications that held for science, has decided to buck his own trend. Rather than follow respected scientific reasoning to come to the reasonable conclusion that Einstein came to about the existence of an intelligent designer of the universe, Hawking has concluded that God did not make the universe.

It seems he could not make the point without conceding to the existence of God, thus stumbling over the phase, “God did not make the universe”. However, in making his sweeping statement he also subverted the principles that guided his search for black holes by refuting the existence of a dynamic that revealed its existence without revealing itself.

The bible confirms the point in Hebrews 11, stating that the invisible things of God are “clearly” seen and “understood” in that which was made. The idea is supported by the third law of thermodynamics which effectively argues that nothing can move to a higher state of order or matter without the influence of an external factor or force. Thus Newton also refuted an atheistic position, arguing that order can devolve from chaos.

So, we can stand in violation of all reason and subjectively follow Hawking down a dark road into the black hole of skepticism, to arrive at a kind of retro dark age, or we can apply all reasonable logic and come to the irrefutable conclusion that God is the unseen creator. But whether we accept that or not, will never alter the fact that it is so.

(c) Peter Eleazar @ www.4u2live.net