Basis for an Assured Faith
SOME persons who consider faith to be impractical have never thought deeply about whether there is a solid basis for faith. Have you?
If you wanted to investigate the matter, where would you begin and what evidence would bear on it? Well, you could examine many things about the world around you and locate pertinent facts.
THE VERY LARGE—THE VERY SMALL
It would be fair to say: You could study the very large—the seemingly endless universe of outer space. Or you could peer at the very small—even microscopic parts of us and our world. In either case, you could find reason for faith in the Creator.—Gen. 1:1; 2:1-4.
Some 3,000 years ago, in the Middle East, a man named Elihu said: “Look up at the sky and then consider.” (Job 35:5, The New English Bible) He felt that evidence of a Creator was observable in the heavens above. Of course, with his unaided eye Elihu would have been able to detect less than 5,000 of the more than 100,000,000,000 stars in our Milky Way galaxy. He could not have known that there are thousands of millions of galaxies, each with its billions of stars. But if he could have known that, as we do now, do you think that would have weakened his faith in God? Or, would this knowledge have strengthened that faith? Somewhat later, the psalmist David said: “The heavens are declaring the glory of God; and of the work of his hands the expanse is telling.”—Ps. 19:1.
Now scientists have probed the solar system with space vehicles, peered into outer space with visual telescopes and listened to the sounds from the distant reaches of the universe with radio telescopes. This increased knowledge has given added reasons for faith in God.
Physicist Wernher von Braun, former director of a space flight center for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of the U.S.A., wrote: “The materialists of the nineteenth century and their Marxist heirs of the twentieth, tried to tell us that, as science gives us more knowledge about the creation, we could live without faith in a Creator. Yet so far, with every new answer, we have discovered new questions. The better we understand . . . the master plan for the galaxies, the more reason we have found to marvel at the wonder of God’s creation.”
That same conclusion can be reached if you turn from the immense universe and examine minute aspects of our own bodies. David was moved to exclaim of God: “You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb. . . . all you do is strange and wonderful.” (Ps. 139:13, 14, Today’s English Version) Over his years as a neurosurgeon, Professor Robert J. White, M.D., has had occasion to examine the human brain very closely. He relates:
“My experiences with my patients, and in my neurological research trying to unravel the mysteries of the brain, have put me more than ever in awe of the brain. And I am left with no choice but to acknowledge the existence of a Superior Intellect, responsible for the design and development of the incredible brain-mind relationship—something far beyond man’s capacity to understand.”
If you were in position to investigate even down into the very makeup of the human cell, you would find ample reason for faith in the Creator. The cell is the basic component of every living thing on earth. You have some 100,000,000,000,000 tiny cells making up your body. But each one is amazingly intricate and well designed.
For instance, in each of your body cells you have tens of thousands of genes and the much publicized DNA, which tells the cell how to function and reproduce. It determined the color of your hair, how fast you grew and countless other details. Ask yourself: How is it that all this information could be contained in the DNA of each of my cells?
In his book Whence and Wherefore (1978), Dr. Zev Zahavy tells of a discussion that took place in a biochemistry class at Cornell University’s Graduate School of Medical Sciences. The professor was discussing “the programmed molecules of the DNA.” We read:
“The class was comprised of young students who grew up in the era of computer technology, and, therefore, were quite conversant with the necessary role of the programmer in formulating a computerized program. The mention of ‘programmed molecules’ prompted an alert inquiry from one of the students.
“‘If the RNA and DNA structures are programmed to perform and produce in accordance with their designated patterns,’ he asked, ‘from whence come the programs themselves?’
“The professor responded with a whimsical smile, ‘Why from the Generator of Diversity, of course.’
“The puzzled student quizzically exclaimed, ‘The Generator of Diversity? Who is that?’
“‘Well, I guess He is better known by His initials,’ came the genial mentor’s rejoinder.”
The professor meant, of course, the letters G O D.
Yes, an investigation of the very large or the very small aspects of creation provides a solid basis for an assured faith in God. You may still wonder, though, Is it practical to have such faith in this day and age?
[Picture on page 5]
Part of a DNA molecule