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"big bang." The image of such an
event is one of great chaos, a ran–
dom flying apart of the various
components of the cosmos. But once
again, astronomers are coming to
gríps wíth the evidence that the
ínitial· explosion-if that ís indeed
what happened-must have been
very uniform.
In studying the degree of uni–
formity of the expansion of the
universe, NASA scientists have
found that the assumed explosion
was anything but chaotic. "Our
measurements give a picture of an
extremely smooth process," states
one NASA report. " The big bang,
the most cataclysmic event we can
imagine, on closer inspection ap–
pears finely orchestrated."
And who, we might ask, was the
orchestrator?
"Nor could life-at least life as
we know it-evolve on a planet
where the mass, temperature, chem–
ical composition, and many other
requirements were not exactly
right," observes science writer
Jeanne Hopkins. "The very fact
that we are here implies that in our
small corner of space and time–
and so far as we know,
onlJ!
in our
small corner-all the improbable
conditions necessary for the emer–
gence of life were met."
Nigel Calder, England's foremost
science writer, contends that man is
indeed the only intelligent life to be
found in our galaxy. Calder bases
his evaluation-admittedly still a
minority view--on the new knowl–
edge man is discovering about the
nature of the universe and the pro–
cesses taking place in it.
Cosmological Hangups
Princeton astrophysicist Freeman
Dyson has analyzed a whole series
of what he calls "cosmological
hangups"-strange and bafning
relationships between the various
forces and energies of the universe
that are absolutely essential for the
existence of life. Observes Dyson:
"It
turns out that the universe as
we know it survives not by any
inherent stability but by a succes–
sion of seemingly accidental 'hang–
ups.' "
Dyson contends that the size of
the universe, the motion of the
various parts of the universe, the
February 1980
laws of thermonuclear reactions,
the transport laws of energy, and
the laws of nuclear surface ten–
sion-just to name a few-all con–
spire to ensure that life can exist in
the uníverse. But the slightest
change could make life impossible.
As man looks in greater detail at
the interactions of these various
Jaws, Dyson asserts that "our sal–
vation seems even more providen–
tial."
Pointing out that the earth is a
uniquely beautiful and fragile oasis
in a harsh and hostile universe,
Dyson concludes: "As we look out
into the universe and identify the
many accide.nts of physics and
astronomy that have worked to–
gether to our benefit, it almost
seems as if the universe must in
sorne sense have known that we
were coming."
Famed British astronomer Sir
Bernard Lovell asserts that our
presence on earth is the result of a
train of events so unlikely as to
reduce to zero the chances of intell i–
gent life evolving elsewhere in the
galaxy.
Physicist and cosmologist John
Wheeler has concluded that the
chances are overwhelming that we
ourselves are the only physical life
in the entire universe.
Could it be true, then, that in
spite of currently popular belief in
evolution and "the inhabited uni-.
verse" that life and man himself
are in fact unique creations in a
carefully and specially designed
universe?
God's Plan for Man
The book of Genesis tells us that
God-not evolution-designed
plant and animal life on the earth.
"Then God said, ' Let us make man
in our image, after our likeness; and
Jet them have dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the birds of the
air, and over the cattle, and over all
the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps upon the earth' "
(Genesis 1:26, RSV).
The Bible contains absolutely no
revelation that physical life as we
know it exists on other planets at
this time. On the other hand, that
fact in itself does not preclude the
possibility that God has created
other physical beings on other plan-
ets in other galaxies, for perhaps
different purposes.
Yet the Bible does reveal that
God is specifically interested in
what goes on here on earth. The
earth, Jesus said, is God's "foot–
stool" (Matthew 5:35). It is here
that God made human beings. It is
here that God sent the One who
became Jesus Christ, born of the
virgin Mary, to become the Savior
of mankind (Matthew 1:18-23).
The earth is not at the physical
center of the universe; it 's not even
at the center of the solar system.
But it is, unquestionably, a central
focus of God's present interest. God
is vitally concerned with events that
occur on earth.
lt
is on the earth
that God is working out his supreme
purpose: creating His Divine Family
which will eventually rule the whole
universe with Him.
Little wonder that the apostle
Paul was inspired to write: "Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither
have entered into the heart of man,
the things which God hath prepared
for them that !ove him" (1 Corin–
thians 2:9). o
\VHY \VERE
YOU BORN?
No brute beast ever thought ol
quest ioning the meaning ol his own
exislence. Man alone needs l o un–
derstand his own meaning. Where
are you going in l ile? What's it all
aboul? Why was the human race
placed here on this earth? Does
man have a unique destiny so glo–
rious that it is all but incomprehen–
sible? Find the answers l o l hese
and olher questions aboul lhe
meaning of li le in lhe exci ling
booklet
Why Were You Born?
For
your free copy, wrile to
The Plain
Truth
office nearest you.
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