November 17, 2019

In Their Own Words XLII: A Vast Unseen Force, Part 2


In my last post I ended pointing towards Aristotle's philosophical Unmoved Mover or what is called the/a Primary Cause. Philosophically the unmoved mover moves other things, but is not itself moved by any prior action and is necessary so not to cause a fallacy of logic called an Infinite Regress or causal change forever backwards in time (ad infinitum). Said another way, the Unmoved Mover is essentially a rudimentary cosmological argument, or an argument that draws the conclusion that God has to exist by necessity. 

Everything in the universe needed to be put in motion/created by something that itself didn’t need to be put in motion because it always was in motion or couldn’t be moved (God). If the cosmos had a beginning, Aristotle argued, it would require an efficient first cause.  

This Aristotelian concept had its roots in cosmological speculations of the earliest Greek philosophers and became highly influential and widely drawn upon in medieval philosophy and theology. Thomas Aquinas, for example, elaborated on the Unmoved Mover in the Quinque viae. The Quinque Viae (Latin: Five Ways) are logical argument for God’s existence. Aquinas stated these things and are essentially a logical defense and reasoning for God’s existence.

(1) The argument from "motion"
(2) The argument from causation
(3) The argument from contingency.
(4) The argument from degree.
(5) The argument from final cause or ends (or the design/teleological argument).

The first proof or number (1) The Argument from Motion…is God. God, an infinitely powerful being was/is the only One capable of something this large. These things move and are moved by a unique being capable of putting them in motion and/or keeping them in motion. You see… Aquinas did not think the finite human mind could know what God is directly. Therefore, God's existence is not self-evident to us. So instead the proposition God exists must be "demonstrated" from God's effects, which are made known to us (Romans 1:19). Forces we can observe. Forces like the one newly out of ‘Science’ in the news this past week. Science…which is still baffled by its enormity and complexity.

So enormous and so complex…that the Bible already had an answer to it millennia ago. (Sarcasm intended). In truth, as a Christian I’m here to tell you what this force or these forces are very plainly as if it hasn’t already become self-evident already. It indeed is a ‘force’ to not a thing per se like dark matter as the Bible clearly states that things in the creation ‘hang on nothing’

He stretches out the north over the void and hangs the earth on nothing ~Job 26:7

I have officially dubbed them GLOBs (Galaxy Linkage Observed Biblically) Yes, my tongue is planted firmly in my cheek. So, what are these GLOBs or forces at work? They are divine forces and are spoken (pun intended) of in the Bible multiple times just in case we miss one. God literally spoke/speaks things into existence.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. ~Genesis 1:14-19

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. Psalm 33:6-9

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:1-3

So, there you have my complete synopsis folks. God, Jesus the Son. The Unmoved Mover who created all things and sustains them through the power of His words. From the scale of the universe and galaxies down to the scale of molecules and atoms, the pattern is the same. Mostly uniform but with occasional interruption that implies something acted upon them.

I agree in principle that there is clearly something underlying these movements. I just don't agree that it is purely physical. I believe it includes metaphysical. I do not preclude the possibility of direct intelligent interaction in our universe by an otherworldly force. Namely the God of the Bible. You would expect having had a Cosmos created by One Being and ‘held together’ by that Being that it would behave as if it is part of a ‘system’ being 'interacted' with and ‘held together’ by not just something but Someone. You would think.

But perhaps just calling it ‘hydrogen vapor filaments’, ‘dark matter’ or calling it ‘magic’ is more pragmatic or helpful? Whatever it takes not to acknowledge God as Creator. For me it's Occam’s Razor folks. Sometime the simplest answer is the correct and most profound answer. God’s voice. God’s words. God’s omnipotence. God's actions. Nothing more is needed.

2 comments:

El LaGrew said...

Good conclusion! We do not need to know all the intricacies of the Universe. We need to have FAITH. When looking at the universe, do you ever wonder what sin has done with it? How, once sin was loosed in the Universe, how utterly corrupt it has become? Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now...
Theologians call this the noetic effect of sin. We are hardly aware of it since we live, berath, and eat this throughout our lives, but even now I hesitate to trust what I see, touch, hear or smell. The only straight-edge we have is the WORD. Remember that Jesus was the INCARNATE WORD. These are the only thing that I can trust and really hold on to. Blessings Brother! You make me THINK! That is never a bad thing.

Andy Pierson said...

Thank you again El...I am glad it lets you ponder the greatest of God! That is why I write these! Blessings.

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