More Than Coincidence (09/07/2004)
(http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Parents &TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=13670)

The BreakPoint article poses this question: Besides DNA coding, are there any other positive arguments for creation? The article proceeds with a discussion of the anthropic principle which states that the physical structure of the universe is exactly what it must be in order to support life.

This argument has a sports analogy. Consider a football team that wins the Super Bowl. Along the way, there will no doubt be close games and significant individual efforts, perhaps last second heroics, and there will probably be a few lucky plays, perhaps opportune turnovers. When the team finally wins the big game, a person could look past at those events along the way and conclude that this was ‘meant to be’, that it was ‘destiny’ that this team should win. The Super Bowl game in 2002 between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams was heavily favored for the Rams. That season the Rams had the best record while the Patriots were tied for 6th best. In the game itself, the Rams dominated statistically but in the end the Patriots won on a last second field goal. It was the first time the Patriots had won a Super Bowl. Did these teams get into this game and did the Patriots win as part of their ‘destiny’ or was it all just part of the game?

I find it mindless to look at the outcome of any natural process (or even a sport) and conclude that the series of interrelated events must be so much more than a coincidence that the situation must have been managed by hand of God.

If the earth was a different distance from the Sun then that would have affected the life forms on this earth so the variety of life would be different. If water had different characteristics then water-based life would require different conditions - perhaps it would require an Earth-like planet to be at the distance of Venus rather than that of the Earth so that water would remain in its liquid form. Life exists on this planet because of the conditions that exist here and the natural processes inherent in that life depend on them. If the conditions were not right then life would not exist here. That life exists here implies the conditions were right.

The complexity found in nature is just that - complexity. Complexity does not imply a master plan.

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created - Mar 2005
last change - 03/12/2005