The Case for a Creator - Lee Strobel [56]
“It’s the standard paradigm of contemporary cosmology,” he answered. “I would say that its broad framework is very securely established as a scientific fact. Stephen Hawking has said, ‘Almost everyone now believes that the universe, and time itself, had a beginning at the Big Bang.’ ” 23
By this point in our discussion, Craig had provided compelling facts to support the two premises of the kalam argument. All that remained was its conclusion—and the absolutely staggering implications that logically flow from it.
STEP #3: THEREFORE, THE UNIVERSE HAS A CAUSE
In arguing for the existence of God, thirteenth-century Christian philosopher Thomas Aquinas always presupposed Aristotle’s view that the universe is eternal. On the basis of that difficult assumption, he then sought to prove that God exists. Why did he take this approach? Because, Aquinas said, if he were to start with the premise that the universe had a beginning, then his task would be too easy! Obviously, if there was a beginning, something had to bring the universe into existence.
But now, modern astrophysics and astronomy have dropped into the lap of Christians precisely the premise that, according to Aquinas, makes God’s existence virtually undeniable.
Craig offered that story to punch his next point. “Given that whatever begins to exist has a cause and that the universe began to exist, there must be some sort of transcendent cause for the origin of the universe,” Craig told me.
“Even atheist Kai Nielsen said, ‘Suppose you suddenly hear a loud bang . . . and you ask me, ‘What made that bang?’ and I reply, ‘Nothing, it just happened.’ You would not accept that.’ 24 He’s right, of course. And if a cause is needed for a small bang like that, then it’s needed for the Big Bang as well. This is an inescapable conclusion—and it’s a stunning confirmation of the millennia-old Judeo-Christian doctrine of creation out of nothing.”
At the time an agnostic, American astronomer Robert Jastrow was forced to concede that although details may differ, “the essential element in the astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis is the same; the chain of events leading to man commenced suddenly and sharply, at a definite moment in time, in a flash of light and energy.” 25
But although logic dictates that a cause sparked the Big Bang, I wondered how much logic can also tell us about its identity. “What specifically can you deduce about this cause?” I asked Craig.
“There are several qualities we can identify,” he replied. “A cause of space and time must be an uncaused, beginningless, timeless, spaceless, immaterial, personal being endowed with freedom of will and enormous power,” he said. “And that is a core concept of God.”
“Hold on, hold on!” I insisted. “Many atheists see a fatal inconsistency. They don’t see how you can say the Creator could be ‘uncaused.’ For instance, atheist George Smith says, ‘If everything must have a cause, how did god become exempt?’ 26 In The Necessity of Atheism, David Brooks says: ‘If everything must have a cause, then the First Cause must be caused and therefore: Who made God? To say that this First Cause always existed is to deny the basic assumption of this theory.’ 27 What would you say to them?”
Craig’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, that just misses the point!” he exclaimed. “Obviously, they’re not dealing with the first premise of the kalam argument, which is not that everything has a cause, but that whatever begins to exist has a cause. I don’t know of any reputable philosopher who would say everything has a cause. So they’re simply not dealing with a correct formulation of the kalam argument.
“And this is not special pleading in the case of God. After all, atheists have long maintained that the universe doesn’t need a cause, because it’s eternal. How can they possibly maintain that the universe can be eternal and uncaused, yet God cannot be timeless and uncaused?”
At that point, another objection popped into my mind. “Why does it have to be one Creator?” I asked. “Why couldn’t multiple Creators have been involved?