Predestination versus Timely Intervention
Limits of Physical Predestination
Quantum mechanics makes physical predestination impossible. Possibly God could arrange that a planet like Earth would certainly come out of the particle production, rapid expansion, and star formation that occurred at the beginning. Mass action, that is, random collisions, formed the elements in the interior of stars. Mass action also forms simple molecules like water and carbon dioxide in space and on planets. But the Heisenberg uncertainty prevents setting the initial conditions at the beginning well enough to ensure that normal physical and chemical processes will form molecules as complex as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
Neither mass action nor physical predestination can guarantee the appearance of life on any planet, even where the gross physical conditions happen to be right. This is because the simplest living system requires the interaction of many different complex molecules, and mass action occurring throughout the age of the universe cannot build up a sufficient concentration of enough complex molecules for life to begin. Our thoughts require the functioning of our brains, and brains only work when they are alive.
In short, even God Almighty could not predetermine our thoughts from the beginning of the universe, if He limited Himself to the indeterminacy of the physical laws He established. This is the guarantee of our physical independence, but it also makes us responsible for our own actions.
Neither mass action nor physical predestination can guarantee the appearance of life on any planet, even where the gross physical conditions happen to be right. This is because the simplest living system requires the interaction of many different complex molecules, and mass action occurring throughout the age of the universe cannot build up a sufficient concentration of enough complex molecules for life to begin. Our thoughts require the functioning of our brains, and brains only work when they are alive.
In short, even God Almighty could not predetermine our thoughts from the beginning of the universe, if He limited Himself to the indeterminacy of the physical laws He established. This is the guarantee of our physical independence, but it also makes us responsible for our own actions.
Timely Intervention as Life Appeared
All of this shows that one act of creation is sufficient for astronomical objects, but another is needed for living organisms and still another for humankind. This coincides with the moments of divine creative activity the Bible describes. If we trace the uses of the Hebrew word בָּרָא bara´ we find a list of the times when God intervened and created something new, according to the Bible. The first, of course, was at the very beginning.
God Created the Heavens and the Earth
In the beginning God created <בָּרָא bara´> the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
In the beginning God created <בָּרָא bara´> the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
God Created Plant Life
I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created <בָּרָא bara´> it (Isaiah 41:19‑20).
I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set pines in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together, so that people may see and know, may consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created <בָּרָא bara´> it (Isaiah 41:19‑20).
God Created Marine and Avian Life
So God created <בָּרָא bara´> the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:21).
So God created <בָּרָא bara´> the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:21).
God Created Animals More Than Once
24 How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number--living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27 These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit, they are created <בָּרָא bara´>, and you renew the face of the earth (Psalm 104:24‑30)
God’s Spirit created some animals after others had breathed their last, died, and returned to dust.
24 How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number--living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro, and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27 These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit, they are created <בָּרָא bara´>, and you renew the face of the earth (Psalm 104:24‑30)
God’s Spirit created some animals after others had breathed their last, died, and returned to dust.
God Created Humans, Male and Female
So God created <בָּרָא bara´> man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).
So God created <בָּרָא bara´> man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).
New Heavens and a New Earth
17 Behold, I will create <בָּרָא bara´> new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create <בָּרָא bara´>, for I will create <בָּרָא bara´> Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy (Isaiah 65:17‑18)
The Bible has God intervening just at the times the Heisenberg uncertainty principle breaks the chain of predetermination that physical causality could produce. This is remarkable because Bible writers could never have anticipated quantum mechanics by themselves. Even now, very few people understand why the Heisenberg uncertainty principle makes it impossible to trace every cause back to a prior cause. The First Cause of philosophy led to grave problems involving physical determinism, human free will, and justice. Unlike the First Cause of philosophy, the God of the Bible is just in judging because the laws of physics do not determine people’s thoughts and actions. According to the Bible, God continues to take interest in His creation and intervenes in it from time to time.
First Evening: Energy and Particles
A special kind of energetic darkness made the material of the universe. To understand how pure energy can make particles, we need to know how much energy it takes to make a particle. Finally, we will be ready to look at another confirmation.
The Energy of Particles
How much energy does it take to make a subatomic particle? Once we know the particle’s mass, we multiply the mass by the square of the speed of light to find the latent energy, using Einstein’s famous formula, E=mc².
The mass of an electron is 910.938 188 micro-micro-micro-micro-micrograms.
There are prefixes for combining repetitions of “micro.” A micro-microgram is a picogram, a micro-picogram is an attogram, and a micro-attogram is a yoctogram. However, we promised not to use technical language. Even if we did use technical language, there is no prefix yet established for a micro-yoctogram. We could invent one and say that the mass of an electron is 910.938 188 “itsy-bitsy-grams.” Is that better or worse than awkward repetitions?
Protons and neutrons are nucleons, the major components of nuclei. Nucleons are almost 2000 times heavier than electrons.
The proton mass is 1.672 621 58 micro-micro-micro-micrograms. The neutron mass is slightly heavier, 1.674 927 16 micro-micro-micro-micrograms.
Appendix A collects physical constants that are explained in the text. It also shows an easier way of writing large and small numbers for people who understand mathematical notation. Appendix B corrects the erroneous idea that the Bible says that the Earth doesn’t move.
17 Behold, I will create <בָּרָא bara´> new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create <בָּרָא bara´>, for I will create <בָּרָא bara´> Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy (Isaiah 65:17‑18)
The Bible has God intervening just at the times the Heisenberg uncertainty principle breaks the chain of predetermination that physical causality could produce. This is remarkable because Bible writers could never have anticipated quantum mechanics by themselves. Even now, very few people understand why the Heisenberg uncertainty principle makes it impossible to trace every cause back to a prior cause. The First Cause of philosophy led to grave problems involving physical determinism, human free will, and justice. Unlike the First Cause of philosophy, the God of the Bible is just in judging because the laws of physics do not determine people’s thoughts and actions. According to the Bible, God continues to take interest in His creation and intervenes in it from time to time.
First Evening: Energy and Particles
A special kind of energetic darkness made the material of the universe. To understand how pure energy can make particles, we need to know how much energy it takes to make a particle. Finally, we will be ready to look at another confirmation.
The Energy of Particles
How much energy does it take to make a subatomic particle? Once we know the particle’s mass, we multiply the mass by the square of the speed of light to find the latent energy, using Einstein’s famous formula, E=mc².
The mass of an electron is 910.938 188 micro-micro-micro-micro-micrograms.
There are prefixes for combining repetitions of “micro.” A micro-microgram is a picogram, a micro-picogram is an attogram, and a micro-attogram is a yoctogram. However, we promised not to use technical language. Even if we did use technical language, there is no prefix yet established for a micro-yoctogram. We could invent one and say that the mass of an electron is 910.938 188 “itsy-bitsy-grams.” Is that better or worse than awkward repetitions?
Protons and neutrons are nucleons, the major components of nuclei. Nucleons are almost 2000 times heavier than electrons.
The proton mass is 1.672 621 58 micro-micro-micro-micrograms. The neutron mass is slightly heavier, 1.674 927 16 micro-micro-micro-micrograms.
Appendix A collects physical constants that are explained in the text. It also shows an easier way of writing large and small numbers for people who understand mathematical notation. Appendix B corrects the erroneous idea that the Bible says that the Earth doesn’t move.