I mentioned in my last post (found here) that my path to a strong Christian faith was a long, rational journey rather than one of spontaneous emotions. As I stated in that post, starting in the 7th grade, I began to see how descriptions in the Bible and the discoveries of modern science fit together perfectly. My first discovery involved the First Law of Thermodynamics. The second piece of the puzzle, discussed here, was built around the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
I knew that many ancient philosophers, some mythical religions and a handful of scientists believed that the universe was eternal, implying that there need not be a catalyst or creator to bring our universe into existence from nothing.
As I learned about the Second Law, though, I came to understand that all the physical matter in the universe could not have eternally existed, because by now there would be complete disorder and no useable energy left in the universe. And not long after absorbing this lesson in an academic classroom, I was involved in a Bible study class on Genesis 1: 1. “In the beginning”, it says, “God created the heavens and the earth”. The Bible boldly states that the universe is not eternal. God’s word claimed that the universe had a beginning and would have an end. Time, space and matter had not always existed. According to the Bible, it came into existence at a definite point at the desire and command of God.
And the implications of the Second Law of Thermodynamics prove that to be true. Just as the First Law laid a rational block in the foundation of my faith because it supported statements in the Bible, the Second Law and its reconciliation with scripture added to that existing rational foundation.
Andy’s book, Clear Vision: How The Bible Teaches Us To View The World, can be purchased here.
