In a similar way, if there was any significant alteration to any of the mechanisms which comprise our galaxy, or our solar system, or our planet, or our environment, or our own bodies, we would be either dead, or hovering on the brink of extinction. Let me explain, what I mean in layman's terms.
The speed at which our galaxy turns is important. Any faster or slower and catastrophe would soon follow. The fact that our sun is a medium size and very stable is also important. Many stars emit huge solar flares, but ours doesn't. We also whiz through a very empty, and therefore safe area of the galaxy.
Our Earth has a tilt of exactly the right angle. This ensures seasons, which bring warmth periodically to the surface, and also help the oceans circulate. The circulation of water is important for all life, as it carries oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the planet, and also mixes fresh with salt, and cold with warmer waters. The spin of the planet is . . .
Suppose someone built a car with everything as it should be, but instead of the usual tyres, they filled the inner tubes with concrete, or left out the steering wheel. The car would still go, but it would not be very efficient. Just one change to one significant variable would spoil the performance of the whole machine.
In a similar way, if there was any significant alteration to any of the mechanisms which comprise our galaxy, or our solar system, or our planet, or our environment, or our own bodies, we would be either dead, or hovering on the brink of extinction. Let me explain, what I mean in layman's terms.
The speed at which our galaxy turns is important. Any faster or slower and catastrophe would soon follow. The fact that our sun is a medium size and very stable is also important. Many stars emit huge solar flares, but ours doesn't. We also whiz through a very empty, and therefore safe area of the galaxy.
Our Earth has a tilt of exactly the right angle. This ensures seasons, which bring warmth periodically to the surface, and also help the oceans circulate. The circulation of water is important for all life, as it carries oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the planet, and also mixes fresh with salt, and cold with warmer waters. The spin of the planet is just right too ? any faster or slower and many disadvantageous things would happen. Earth also orbits the sun in a circle, rather than an ellipse ? an ellipse would cause the planet to freeze and boil, but a circle is exactly the right shape to support life.
The moon orbits at just the right distance and speed from Earth to create tides. The tides cause water to break on shores, which oxygenates the water. Without the tides the oceans would die along with all life in them. If the moon were smaller, the tides would be too small, if it were larger the tides would devastate and erode the land. If the moon were closer it would be crushed by Earth's gravity, if further away it would spiral off into space. The moon is also made of a very reflective mineral, which means that it gives light to the Earth at night (see Genesis 1:16)
The biosphere of Earth is a fully integrated system, including many subsystems. One simple subsystem is the fact that plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, while animals absorb oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. The whole natural realm displays interdependence like this. Flowers need bees, bees need flowers. Symbiosis and mutualism are two terms that scientists have coined to express this mutual interdependence in nature.
Moving into chemistry we find more evidence of fine tuning. For example, Stephen Hawking (an evolutionist and theoretical physicist) has written that it is an interesting feature of protons that they are 1.836 times heavier than electrons, and that this ratio is essential to the formation of molecules that are the building blocks of all life. The precise ratio between protons and electrons is a fundamental number governing the universe. He said, 'the remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been finely adjusted to make possible the development of life.?
Taken all together, the numbers stack up against any of these things being the result of random chance. The universe and life are best explained in terms of some Intelligent Designer. But who might this Designer be? The Bible says his name is Jesus.
Richard Gunther, Copyright 2005