Open Universe or Closed Universe

In my research for our current series Faith Has Its Reasons, I've read a lot of books and articles "from the other side". One of the most popular scientists of all time was Carl Sagan, who died form a rare blood disease in 1996 at the age of 62. Sagan published more than 600 scientific papers and popular articles and wrote 30 books. His 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, had 13 episodes and was viewed by more than 500 million people around the world. Carl Sagan had a tremendous amount of influence.

Sagan was a "televangelist for naturalism", a philosophy he held with religious fervor. In Sagan's television program and books, he makes it clear that he has no use for the transcendent Creator revealed in the Bible. In his book Broca's Brain, Sagan mockingly describes the Christian God as "an outsized, light-skinned male with a long white beard, sitting on a throne somewhere up there in the sky, busily tallying the fall of every sparrow." Sagan regards the cosmos as the only self-existing, eternal being: "A universe that is infinitely old requires no Creator." For Sagan, the cosmos was his deity. And for Sagan this is scientific fact.

This is where Sagan could not be more wrong. I understand why every worldview has to begin somewhere; with a theory of how the universe began. But, let's be clear... naturalism is just that... a theory. Naturalistic scientists try to give the impression that they are fair-minded and objective, implying that the religious people are subjective and biased in favor of their personal beliefs. But this is misleading, for naturalism is as much a philosophy, a worldview, a personal belief system as any religious is. Naturalism begins with premises that cannot be tested empirically, such as the assumption that nature is "all that is or was or ever will be", to use a line from the late Carl Sagan's popular science program Cosmos. This is not a scientific statement, for there is no conceivable way it could be tested. It is a philosophy.

I'll be the first to admit that I can't prove God exists, but as this series unfolds I pray it becomes evident that when it comes to worldviews and discussions regarding the big questions like "Who created the universe?" and "Why are we here?" Christianity makes the most sense. If you are seeking the truth claims of Christianity, I encourage you to continue your journey, for I believe you will find Jesus Christ, the Son of God, at the end of your journey, for He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life."

On the Victory Side,

Dave