Why the Universe Is the Way It Is (Reasons to Believe)

by Hugh Ross

In addition to being highly motivated to do whatever we can to preserve our physical lives and enhance our physical well-being, people express a motivation not seen in any other animal species—a yearning for a sense of purpose.

Somewhere around 50 billion trillion stars make their home in the observable universe.

Anyone who hasn’t had the privilege of studying astrophysics may not realize that the universe must be as massive as it is or human life would not be possible—for at least two reasons. The first concerns the production of life-essential elements.

Physical life cannot exist in a universe with a mass density

any less or any more than the actual cosmic value.

the mass of the universe is fine-tuned to provide two life-essential features simultaneously: (1) the just-right amounts and diversity of elements, and (2) the just-right expansion rates throughout cosmic history so that certain types of stars and planets form at the just-right times and in the just-right locations.

This degree of fine-tuning is so great that it’s as if right after the universe’s beginning someone could have destroyed the possibility of life within it by subtracting a single dime’s mass from the whole of the observable universe or adding a single dime’s mass to it.

As it turns out, life requires that 5 percent of ordinary matter be bright and 95 percent dark.

The surface of the universe acts the opposite way—it is like a gigantic elastic band that wants to expand outward. The more the cosmic surface stretches, the more energy the surface gains to propel even more stretching of the surface. When the universe was very young, gravity kept

Why? The universe's expansion rate will accelerate either way, if the gravity gets weaker due to expansion, without the increase of dark energy

Rather than seeing ourselves as insignificant specks in the immensity of the cosmos, we can consider that immensity an indicator of our worth.

1. Essential heavy elements need to build up.

2. Long-lived radioactive isotopes need to build up.

The radiation they release provides nearly all the energy that drives and sustains plate tectonics.[2] And the energy produced by these elements also helps sustain Earth’s magnetic field.[3]

Tectonic activity also helps compensate for the changing luminosity (brightness) of the Sun throughout its history.[4]

3. Dangerous events must subside.

The Sun’s Stability

Stars more massive than the Sun increase in brightness too quickly. Stars less massive manifest significantly greater flaring and chromospheric activity.

The Bombardment Subsidence

The Earth’s Transformation

Just-Right Age for Observing

Second, these lights were much brighter in the past than they are today. The

But we can only see the faraway stars in their past forms

If humans had arrived significantly later upon the cosmic scene, the situation also would have been less than optimal. The accelerating expansion of the universe (due to the effect of dark energy) will eventually propel the cosmic origin event beyond the limits of viewing.

Astronomers established that the universe has no physical center (see chapter 2). Everything physical about the universe—all of its stars, galaxies, energy, and matter—resides on its surface in much the same way as life and civilization reside on Earth’s surface.

about 26,000 light-years distant from the galactic core does advanced life stand a chance. Astronomers call this region the galactic habitable zone.[14]

second problem is that all environments outside of living organisms will quickly drive any single-handed or homochiral reservoir into a random mixture of left- and right-handed molecules.

Mixture of righr handed with left handed molecules wouldn't prevent life to happen though

however, that generating miniscule amounts of a few amino acids is irrelevant to the origin of life because the chemicals in Miller and Urey’s experiment were exposed to neither oxygen nor ultraviolet light.

Thus, the solar system’s planets are fine-tuned in two ways: (1) they maximize the observational capabilities of Earth’s inhabitants, and (2) they provide essential protection for all life.

The bigger the star, the faster its fuel burns, just as larger car engines consume fuel more rapidly than smaller ones.

This special timing of humanity’s appearance in cosmic history represents either a caused, purposeful concurrence or an unexpected coincidence.

Likewise, given that it costs the material resources of the entire universe and the investment of 13.73 billion years of time to support humanity and its civilization for only a few tens of thousands of years, the human species indeed must have immense worth and purpose.

Astronomers’ observations of the universe’s past, tests of general relativity’s reliability, and confirmations of the space-time theorems combine to establish that the universe was brought into existence by a causal Agent

(see “Where Did the Cosmic Causal Agent Come From?” p. 132) with the capacity to operate before, beyond, unlimited by, and transcendent to all cosmic matter, energy, space, and time.

While scientists have at least attempted to explain the origin of physical life from nonlife, no naturalistic explanation has yet been proffered for the origin of these soulish qualities of advanced animals.

God’s cessation from creation during the human era helps explain a perplexing enigma. The fossil record reveals a turnaround in speciation with the appearance of humans. Before humans, new species came on the scene at the rate of about one per year, on average. After humans appeared, the rate dropped to none per year. In natural habitats undisturbed by human activity, biologists have yet to observe the production of even one distinctly new (physiologically incapable of interbreeding) animal species.[25]

Humanity’s arrival brought about the sudden and pervasive appearance of clothing, complex tools, jewelry, music, art, and religious ceremony.[26] Discounting technological advances, these cultural capabilities show no signs of evolving. The earliest humans were as expressive with their art, music, and spirituality as humans today.

Physical anthropologists have determined that only Homo sapiens sapiens (distinct from Neanderthals, Homo erectus, and archaic Homo sapiens) possess the brain structure to support various spiritual activities.

Hundreds of Bible passages declare that the Cause of all things is a personal Being rather than a force or a principle. Only persons can create, plan, prepare, care, nurture, and act “on purpose.” Forces and principles cannot.

What’s more, persons communicate and relate at a level that is unique among all creatures.

Many theologians express concern over treating, or rather mistreating, the Bible as a science textbook. They quote Galileo in warning readers that the Bible’s primary purpose is to tell us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go.[29]

While the Bible certainly focuses on revealing God’s plan for eternity, nevertheless, the information it includes about the origin, history, and operation of the universe is abundant and impressive.

From the moment spiritual death (autonomy from God) invaded creation, physical death became a blessing, an avenue through which God could temper the outbreak of evil and suffering.

The concept of evil cannot arise in a “neutral” universe, one without a divine Maker.

The skeptic presumes to judge God by a standard that does not exist apart from God. How

Here again, God’s design of the universe and Earth to support a wide diversity of birds and mammals reflects purpose and planning, for these creatures make excellent mirrors. Because they are endowed with intelligence, will, and the capacity to express and respond to emotions, they bond with human beings in unique ways.

the Creator with a powerful desire to serve and please human beings, then perhaps we too have been endowed with an innate desire for relationship with a higher Being.

Humanity’s treatment of Earth and of its creatures exposes our penchant for selfishness, greed, and foolishness, not to mention our arrogance

Many people wonder why an all-loving, all-powerful Creator would subject humans to the tribulations and tragedies of this world. One partial answer may be that if evil and suffering are temporary and humans eternal, then each person’s encounters with these troubles and griefs may serve as preparation for some high reward not possible otherwise. This consideration might also imply that humans are part of God’s strategy to bring about a total and permanent triumph of good over evil.

Time limits wrongdoing because it is: unidimensional unstoppable irreversible

It appears that unless humanity is exposed to and tested by the greatest possible temptation, the most compelling attraction of evil, in the first creation—the rewards, pleasures, and relationships of the new creation cannot be made both perfect and permanent.

beings with free will. Human free will was crucial because without it, love is impossible. But to be truly free, a person’s will must be tested by deliberate choices.