Fear of faith
I came across an article on twitter today (not calling it x) and I felt compelled to write about it. The article Uncoding Divinity, comes off the heels of a more in-depth overview from the author on the simulation theory and begs the question: is the universe "not divine, but designed"? Why not both?
Frank Turek from Cross Examined does a great job laying out an overview for the teleological argument for God, that is, the argument that design proves the existence of a Designer. It amazes me how humans (and those in the tech industry in particular) will praise the benefits of reusable and repeatable design (like code libraries and frameworks) then disregard the observance of similar patterns in nature. Human code, our own DNA, differs from the closest primates by less 2%, yet mankind is infinitely more advanced, creative, and adaptable. While the divergence between Basecamp and Shopify will no doubt exceed 2%, the principle of reusable code is the same. The end application for each company may be different, but both were built from the same starting point that underpins thousands of applications across dozens of industries. The question in my mind is do we believe God can manufacture such different creatures with so little difference in our underlying code? If the world were indeed created by an intelligent designer, and we were made in His image, is it ridiculous that our own design patterns would inevitably mirror God's? I find it incredibly fascinating!
But I digress. The article mainly contrasts (incorrectly) religion in the broad sense against the simulation. Religion, the article states, is a closed system created by fictitious parental figures.
The simulation, on the other hand, is open-ended, created by the uninterested "simulation" itself or maybe even from nothing. It runs because it runs, as the author put its.
Ouch! Maybe I'm too simple-minded to comprehend, but after a few readings of the article, it seems like another argument for "something besides God" and not the "creator vs simulation" contrast that was promised. Take this quote for instance.
Again, I see a contrast being inferred that doesn't exist. Here the author is saying that divine will (the creator) governs morality. Next, he follows it with a programmer (the simulation) setting parameters that govern morality. How is this different? In both instances, somebody had to make a choice to decide the moral standard.
Most of the other arguments seem to follow a similar pattern of relegating the awesomeness of creation to impersonal processes or some sort of disinterested system administrator keeping the lights on...any explanation imaginable that leaves out God and His "religion".
I get it. I have gone most of my life living in denial of God. If asked, I would have said with little doubt that a creator did exist, but I would have stopped short of submitting to any being claiming the title. I have wrestled with doubt and disbelief a lot lately. I find myself continually repeating the prayer in Mark 9:24 "Lord I believe; help my unbelief!"
Being an analytical person, it's hard for me to push past what I can see with my own eyes, but the more I look for God, the more validation I see in His word. God tells Noah "while the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease". Our universe is orderly and predictable. This alone lays the foundation on which science has made breakthrough after breakthrough.
So why have I moved past the belief in a generic creator to professing Jesus as Lord and Savior? The article states that "reality doesn’t need a designer...it runs because it runs". That's not enough for me. Code doesn't wonder in awe of its programmer, but we look to the heavens amazed at its sight. Creation itself declares the glory of God. Take a ride on a motorcycle through Northwest Arkansas, or the Rockies, or down to the Twisted Sisters in Texas. The article suggests a complex simulation that "created" itself for no reason. But God chose to create, and like our heavenly Father, we yearn to create and we look for efficiency in design. That similarity doesn't feel like a coincidence.
Sure, feelings aren't proof. And that's exactly where faith comes in, not blind faith, but faith through reasoned examination. In faith I have taken the first steps of repentance and confessing that Jesus is Lord. The rest of my doubts I must hand over to Him. I pray this author comes to the same conclusion.