I am open minded and could buy into atheism but there's one big problem?

Question

Big bang theory for the universe seems possible, evolution of plants and animals seems possible. But there's no way for life to begin. Its against the physical laws of the universe to make life from dirt, dust, water, and heat. Even with todays hitech science it's just impossble. How can so many people ignore this issue?

Answer 1

"Despite the evidence to the contrary, a number of high profile modern-day evolutionists have constructed their theory of origins on the rejected premise that life as we know it today developed (evolved) from non-life. Consider this startling admission by Nobel Prize winner George Wald (1906–1997):

There are only two possible explanations as to how life arose. Spontaneous generation arising to evolution or a supernatural creative act of God. . . . There is no other possibility. Spontaneous generation was scientifically disproved 120 years ago by Louis Pasteur and others, but that just leaves us with only one other possibility. . . that life came as a supernatural act of creation by God, but I can’t accept that philosophy because I do not want to believe in God. Therefore I choose to believe in that which I know is scientifically impossible, spontaneous generation leading to evolution.5

If a theologian had argued this way, he would be accused of letting his religious assumptions interpret the facts. But when a scientist follows a similar methodology in defense of evolution, hardly anyone blinks a questioning eye because the declaration is made in the name of science.

In addition to not being able to account for biological life within the confines of accepted scientific theory and experimentation, evolutionists are unable to account for the needed information that gives instructions on how an organism functions. It’s one thing to postulate that eyes, ears, tongues, and hearts evolved, an impossible task given the inherent problems in partially evolved organisms,6 it’s another thing to explain where the information (programming) came from so these organics mechanisms can function. And how does an organism know what’s pertinent to the propagation of its existence, and why would it care? In addition, evolutionists who are strict materialists (only matter matters) cannot account for the source of the needed operating information since information does not have the properties of matter. Dr. Werner Gitt, an information specialist, outlines the problem for the evolutionist:

The question “How did life originate?” which interests all of us, is inseparably linked to the question “Where did the information come from?” Since the findings of James D. Watson . . . and Francis H. C. Crick, it was increasingly realized by contemporary researchers that the information residing in the cells is of crucial importance for the existence of life. Anybody who wants to make meaningful statements about the origin of life would be forced to explain how the information originated. All evolutionary views are fundamentally unable to answer this crucial question.7

Consider the computer. Not only must all the physical parts work flawlessly—parts which were designed and manufactured—the programming necessary to run the parts also must function without error. No one would ever propose that the computer evolved spontaneously or that the programming appeared out of thin air and found its way into the computer’s internal parts without some form of outside design and directive to operate in a specific way."

Excerpted.from an article at www. Americanvision.org

Answer 2

No, it is not against the physical laws of the universe, but the truth is that we don't know yet how life began and it is not sure that we will ever find out. The answer of duffmanhb is not correct. It could be shown that certain organic compounds of life such as amino acids can form spontaniously in lab when you imitate conditions that might have prevailed on the earth billions of years ago, but this is still far from creating life. There are scientists who work on this and make different theories, but there is no fully convincing and accepted theory for this yet. However there are theories that already explain some of it, but need to be improved. I am a PhD student of biology and although I do not work in the field of origin of life I had a look at publications on this just out of curiosity. It is difficult to do research on something that happened billions of years ago, it all depends on the creativity of researchers to get the right ideas, there is nothing that you can just look at and see how it is. I have it much easier in my field of bacterial metabolism, where I have the object of my research in my lab.
I do not ignore the issue. But I think that we just don't know the answers yet although they are there, and that we will come closer to the truth by using the scientific method. In the theory of evolution, there are also many things that aren't understood yet, and same is with the big bang. You should also keep in mind that if we already knew everything, there wouldn't be any more science needed. I don't believe that there will ever be a time for humanity that we will know everything. There will always be questions remaining.

Answer 3

You probably cherish your right to believe whatever you wish to believe. So does almost everyone else. By exercising this right, earth's six billion inhabitants have produced an amazing diversity of beliefs. Like the variations in color, shape, texture, taste, smell, and sound that we find in creation, differing beliefs often add interest, excitement, and enjoyment to life. Such variety can, indeed, be the spice of life.-Psalm 104:24.
BUT there is a need for caution. Some beliefs are not only different but also dangerous. Early in the 20th century, for example, some people came to believe that Jews and Freemasons had plans to "disrupt Christian civilization and erect a world state under their joint rule." One source of this belief was an anti-Semitic tract entitled Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. The tract alleged that the plans included advocating excessive taxation, promoting armament production, encouraging giant monopolies so that 'Gentile wealth could be destroyed in one blow.' Allegations also included manipulating the education system so as to 'turn Gentiles into unthinking beasts,' and even constructing underground railways to join capital cities so that the Jewish elders could 'quell any opposers by blowing them sky-high.'
These, of course, were lies-designed to inflame anti-Semitic feelings. 'This preposterous fiction,' says Mark Jones of the British Museum, 'spread abroad from Russia,' where it first appeared in a newspaper article in 1903. It reached The Times of London on May 8, 1920. More than a year later, The Times exposed the document as a fake. In the meantime, the damage had been done. 'Lies like these,' says Jones, 'are hard to suppress.' Once people accept them, they produce some very jaundiced, poisonous, and dangerous beliefs-often with disastrous consequences, as the history of the 20th century has shown.-Proverbs 6:16-19.
Belief Versus Truth
Of course, it does not take deliberate lies to develop mistaken beliefs. At times, we just misread things. How many people have met untimely deaths doing something they believed was right? Then again, often we believe a thing simply because we want to believe it. One professor says that even scientists "often fall in love with their own constructions." Their beliefs becloud their critical judgment. Then they may spend a lifetime in vain trying to shore up mistaken beliefs.-Jeremiah 17:9.
Similar things have happened with religious beliefs-where immense contradictions exist. (1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 4:3, 4) One man has deep faith in God. Another says that the man is only "weaving faith out of moonshine." One maintains that you have an immortal soul that survives death. Another believes that when you die you cease to exist, totally and completely. Obviously, conflicting beliefs like these cannot all be true. Is it not the course of wisdom, then, to make sure that what you believe actually is true and not simply what you want to believe? (Proverbs 1:5) How can you do that?

Answer 4

It's not against the physical laws of the universe. Life came about through the gradual building of its components (as a result of those physical laws and random chance) - deciding when exactly it came about is determined by where exactly you decide to draw the line between life and non-life.

It really isn't a problem for atheists or for scientists, because science is based on the idea that knowledge can and will be accumulated, not on the idea that we already know all of the answers to everything.


By positing the existence of a God, we don't solve the issue anyway. Specifically:

If we say God exists, then we say God created life. But now: who created God? He just exists? Well, why can't the universe and life have just existed, or come into existence?

All adding God to the equation does is replace the question of "Where did life come from" with the question of "Where did God come from."


Odds are that research will move towards an answer to how life originally came about on earth. It will be very interesting to find out.

Answer 5

I am an open minded person as well,but I still believe in God.That does not make me narrow minded.I accept that there are some things that are beyond us.Things that we will never understand.Maybe it's better this way,who knows?I've questioned God many times,I still do,I want to know everything,even though I know it's impossible.I don't go to church that often,I guess I'm not very drawn to that.I believe that u can have a connection with a greater Force with the help of nature,meditation,a healthy lifestyle,yoga.I don't need Church that much to help me build a connection with God,because God is everywhere.Maybe u think I'm wrong,but that is how I feel.

Answer 6

It is quite possible that this larger religion you speak of is simply unbelief: Luk 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. Luk 11:29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. Luk 11:30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. Luk 11:31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. Luk 11:32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. John the Baptist

Answer 7

I disagree with your point about the "physical laws of the universe." Take a look at "panspermia" as an example that the origins of life here on earth could have originated elsewhere.

That said, I do have faith, and I do believe that, regardless of the origin of life, random evolution can't account for everything in our existence.

Answer 8

But you are an Atheist!

Do you believe in the six-armed goddess? How about the Elephant-head God? The purple-headed duck-beaked cave-drawing monster God? The Japanese God and Goddess, Izanami and Izanagi, brother and sister who parented the earth and the sky and the mountains and sun and moon? No? None of these? One of these? Oh, another one, perhaps? The God of the Bible? THAT is selective atheism.

Just because science has not identified the right ignito-spark that triggered the blast does not necessarily bring us to the conclusion that there is a cosmic God of your particular design.

Answer 9

If you go down to the bottom of the deep ocean trenches, you will find the most ancient life on this planet, simple bacteria. they have found the same bacteria inside lumps of meteorite, so we truly are made from dust of the stars.

If you buy into evolution, but still have doubts you are an Agnostic. Ironically it is derived from the Greek words, meaning "without" and gnosis, "knowledge", translating to unknowable. Agnosticism is the philosophical view that the truth value of certain claims — particularly theological claims regarding metaphysics, afterlife or the existence of God are somewhat exaggerated. However, I can not see how somebody who is educated and open-minded could be a follower of any of the worlds religions - with the possible exception to Buddhism.

Answer 10

You make a good point however since evolution has been proven what kind of God would start off with something so small as Bacteria and waste millions of years adding and taking away from its characteristics when with one wave of his hand he could make everything just be there?

Everyone is entitled to believe what they feel is the truth and its refreshing to see a believer with an open mind!

I am an atheist due to my belief in things that can be proven and until there is irefutable proof in a higher power i will remain as such!