Theism Is Incomplete

Briefly thinking on ideas of how the universe began, life began, and how humans came to be …

Materialism can't explain how the universe came into being. As appealing as the Big Bang theory might be, the physics of it don't work (in fact, the singularity that supposedly produced the Big Bang is a state in which laws of physics don't exist/apply) and it can't explain why the physics of the universe are suited for life. Nor can the laws of physics and chemistry of this universe explain how life began or how it evolved from "simple" single cells to humans. In fact, Physics and Chemistry (what we know of them) are quite hostile to life as we know it coming into being by chance and to life evolving, unaided, from “simple” to more complex. For that matter, the single-celled animals humans tend to regard as “simple” - may have been taught to be “simple” - are in fact extremely complex, highly adapted to their niche in nature, and often highly adaptable.

Theism can explain the origin of the universe and how life began. God "spoke" and everything was there; God's words were the true “Big Bang”. The complexity and intricacies of the universe proclaim that the universe was designed and created! The problem hypothetical Theism has is the classic Problem of Pain - evil, catastrophes and disease. The Problem with Pain may be stated as a question: Why would an omnipotent, good, God create and tolerate a universe in which pain exists? This is a good question, one for which mere Theism is not sufficient to answer. Theism is what can be inferred from observing creation. We can observe the fact of evil, catastrophes and disease, but we cannot observe how those might be consistent with the existence of a Creator. That leaves two possible answers to the Problem with Pain question. One, that God does not exist, the answer toward which the askers often are leading doesn't work either (as pointed out above). The other answer is of a kind that humans tend to find unsatisfying and frustrating: “I don't know.”

Christianity goes beyond simple Theism. Christianity's God has spoken to mankind. God has “spoken” in nature - letting those willing to recognize and acknowledge it know God exists and created nature. Christian theologians refer to this as “General revelation”, as it is generally observable. This is the revelation on which Theism is based. God has also spoken more directly - and at some length - in what Christianity calls the Bible. Christianity's God informs mankind that the universe was created good, but was changed. Mankind was created with the ability to choose good or evil - to obey or disobey the Creator - and was given stewardship of the world. Mankind chose evil, thereby letting evil into the universe. Some evil is inflicted by people on people - usually others, but sometimes on themselves. Humans still have considerable freedom to act for evil or for good; monsters like Stalin or Hitler illustrate the fact that this freedom can be enormous. Less well understood is that the universe is no longer good, and therefore catastrophes and disease happen. God has not revealed what limitations He may place on human evil nor natural “evil”, nor on what basis He might intervene. As unsatisfying as that might be for some, Christianity does provide an explanation the existence of evil (pain). The explanation may not make some people very happy – who likes knowing that they are tainted to the core of their being with evil? Human history bears out – ad nauseum, almost ad infinitum – the accuracy of that Divine diagnosis. As for what we don't know about how/why God acts when evil, could it be that our Creator wants us to trust Him when we experience evil? To remember and rely on Him that He is with us as we go through it?