Life - Evidence that God Exists

            Life is evidence of God's existence. All complex objects result from a maker. Life is a complex object. Therefore, life resulted from a maker. The maker of life is God.

            Let's examine the statement that life is a complex object. Consider the specific case of human life. Humans are able to carry out many functions. The external functions, too abundant to mention, include manufacturing, mining, construction, food production, distribution, transportation, entertainment, art, etc. The basic internal functions include breathing, eating, metabolizing, excreting, growing, reproducing, moving, and being responsive to external stimuli. These internal functions are highly interdependent such that a failure of just one of them can have a large negative impact on the individual. The functions are achieved through a number of bodily systems: circulatory, digestive, endocrine, excretory, integumentary, muscle, nervous, reproductive, respiratory, and various sensory systems. These systems are comprised of distinct parts such as the eye, ear, nose, brain, aorta, teeth, heart, kidney, lung, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bone vertebral column, pancreas, spleen, spinal cord, testis, ovaries, thymus, thyroid gland, and uterus.¹

            The cell is the basic building block of the body. The human body contains roughly 75 trillion cells that can be divided into 200 types. The biochemical constituents of humans include proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, vitamins, and hormones. These are in turn composed of specific atoms including hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, sodium, iron, sulfur, magnesium, cobalt, copper, iodine, zinc, etc. The information essential for life to develop and function is contained in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The DNA consists of two molecular coils each consisting of a sugar-phosphate-base combination called a nucleotide. The bases consist of two purines (adenine, guanine) and two pyrimines (cytosine, thymine). Three adjacent nucleotides form a unit called a codon and form the genetic code specifying the amino acid type and order for the protein chains used to form the living creature. This genetic code specifies the exact amino acid types and order to form specific proteins. Except for a few specialized cells, such as those for reproduction, the entire DNA code is contained in each cell of the body. The amount of information in a human cell has been estimated to be 10¹² bits which is comparable to a hundred million pages of the Encyclopedia Britannica. The genetic code is universal for all life forms.¹ These facts firmly support the statement that a human is a complex object. A similar analysis applied to other living organism leads to the general conclusion that life is a complex object.

            Before proceeding further, it is necessary to define the term complex object. A complex object is a material object consisting of distinguishable parts that work together to enable the successful execution of one or more functions. The complexity of an object increases with increases in its number of materials (specific material requirements), distinct parts or features, and functions performed. Some objects are able to function only when their parts have specific physical properties arising from different materials. For example, many electronic devices require certain parts to be electrical conductors and others to be electrical insulators. The complexity of an object tends to increase with its number of distinct parts or features. Consider a typical door hinge as an example. It needs to have a part of the object that can be attached to the doorframe and a second part that can be attached to the door. These two parts must be joined together in a manner to allow the door to pivot or swing. It should be noted that having many parts or features do not make an object complex in the sense being used here. Rather, the parts and features need to be related to one another such that together they are able to carry out a function. The complexity of objects tends to increase with the number of functions. For example, an object capable of both hammering and removing a nail (two functions) is more complex than an object that can only be used to hammer a nail (one function). Rocks of many shapes may serve well enough for the hammering of a nail, but a more complex device is needed to accomplish both of these functions. Objects vary in their degree of complexity.

            Let's explore the statement that all complex objects result from a maker. Complex objects have distinct parts (often with specific material requirements) that can only function when arranged in a limited number of ways. Parts that are missing, in the wrong location, composed of the wrong material, or defective can all lead to an object's malfunction. The formation of a complex object requires the right parts made of the right materials being oriented relative to one another in the right place. As the number of these requirements increase, it becomes increasingly unlikely that all of them are achieved so as to obtain a functional object. It is a simple and observable fact of daily life that complex objects do not form by themselves. People can make complex objects but the fundamental forces of nature (gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force) act upon matter in a uniform way with no particular preference for specific configurations. As the complexity of a function required increases, the likelihood of the function being achieved through objects of natural origin (formed by themselves) decreases. For example, the safe transport of 100 people with their luggage between two cities separated by a distance of 500 km in less than two hours would require a highly complex object. Such an object has not been found to occur by itself. Such objects, airplanes do occur as a result of man's efforts. If an object were found capable of this function (say on the moon), it would be logical to conclude that someone had made it. Some functions are readily achieved through relatively simple objects while others require a high level of complexity. Complex objects do not form without a maker because the arrangements of materials that fail to achieve functionality far outweigh arrangements that function.

            Let's consider the effectiveness of life as evidence of God's existence. A notable feature of life is its abundance. No living human has ever been far from this evidence since even his own body contains the evidence of God's handiwork. Roughly two million species of plants and animals have been named and described with estimates of millions remaining to be documented. Life exists in a multitude of environments throughout the world from North to South and from East to West. Life can be found even at extremes of temperature, pressure, and alkalinity. The food people eat has its origin in plant and animal life. Thus, the abundance of life and its central role in our existence makes it essentially continuously available for our examination. If life is, in fact, evidence of God's existence, it will be difficult to justify the position that claims an insufficient amount of evidence exists.

            A second feature of life as evidence is that it is capable of renewing itself through a variety of reproductive processes. While complex objects created by man are seen to break down and wear away over time, life is able to endure through time. Thus we see a second feature of life that makes it function well as evidence of God's existence. Namely, it appears to be capable of sustaining its complexity essentially forever given the appropriate environmental conditions. We therefore see these two features working together. The evidence of life is present both geographically and through time. As long as humans exist, life will be present and can be examined as evidence of the creator.

            A third means by which life excels as evidence is its degree of complexity. The number of materials (specific material requirements), distinct parts or features, and functions performed by the various forms of life is greater by far than many objects in a modern society. The likelihood of an object forming by itself decreases with increasing complexity. Since life is arguably the most complex object known to man, it is logical to conclude that life is one of the least likely objects to form without the aid of a maker.

            A fourth means by which life excels as evidence is its capability to grow and develop. This growth and development of living organisms involves the formation of complex parts and structures. It therefore involves the formation of what has been defined above as complex objects. Consider a fertilized chicken egg. Under the right environmental conditions, a complex object is formed without any outside assistance. Considering the definition of complexity, the baby chick is more complex than the fertilized egg. The fertilized egg does not contain any eyes, being totally unformed. The fertilized egg only has a plan for the eyes that is contained in its genetic code. Eyes form during the incubation process. Note that no laws of physics (or thermodynamics) are broken during this process of growth and development. Likewise, consider the growth of a tree from a seed. A tree with its roots, trunk, branches, and leaves is able to perform many complex functions that the seed cannot perform. Thus, life is able to go from less complex to more complex without a visible maker. This leads many people to correctly seek the unseen maker of life.

            In conclusion, life's abundance and persistence lead to evidence that is available for examination. Life's complexity and development lead to evidence that points to a powerful maker of life.

            The conclusion of the argument given above is true following logically from a valid argument in which both premises are true. The deductive argument used is a categorical syllogism in standard form.

Major Premise (1): All complex objects result from a maker.

Minor Premise (2): Life is a complex object.

Conclusion: Therefore, life resulted from a maker.

A valid deductive argument claims that it is impossible for its premises to be true without its conclusion also being true. There seems to be wide agreement in the truth of premise 2 and it will therefore not be pursued further.

            Premise 1 appears to be the source of controversy. Individuals who believe statement 1 is false tend to believe that life is an exception to the rule. They would tend to put forth a statement such as, "All complex objects except life result from a maker." This statement arises not from observed fact, but from the philosophy of naturalism. Naturalism is the system of thought holding that all phenomena can be explained in terms of natural causes and laws without attributing moral, spiritual, or supernatural significance to them. This system of belief does not allow consideration of a Spiritual being (God) acting to make life. Those who hold to naturalism universally accept the 'fact of evolution' since no other viable alternative exists to explain the origin of life. The various 'theories of evolution' attempt to identify the process by which life formed, diversified, develops, and grows. Thus, the 'theories of evolution' deal with how the 'fact of evolution' was accomplished.

            The conclusion of the argument given above is that life resulted from a maker. This statement clearly is at odds with the fundamental beliefs of naturalism. This conflict is the basis of why a claim must be made that life is an exception to the rule of the major premise. Note that this exception is based on philosophy and not fact. The approach taken in this essay is to allow consideration of both the natural (Material) and the supernatural (Spirit). The idea that life formed without a maker is an assumption based on philosophy rather than evidence and an exception to the rule is not justified. Note that one cannot directly observe whether or not life resulted from a maker. The purpose of using a deductive argument in this essay was to gain understanding of something that could not be directly observed (the conclusion) based on things that can be observed and verified (the premises). What is needed to disprove statement 1 is one or more verifiable examples where complex objects form without the aid of a maker. Since no such examples have been identified to date, the conclusion stands that life resulted from a maker. This maker of life is commonly referred to as God.

¹ Reference: Britannica CD, Version 98© 1994-1997. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Animals, Biological Growth and Development, Blood, Evolution Theory, Carbohydrates, Cells, Digestion, Excretion, Fundamental Forces, Genetic Code, Genetics and Heredity, Hormones, Human Body, Human Evolution, Integumentary, Life, Lipids, Metabolism, Nerves, Plants, Proteins, Reproduction, Respiration, Sensory Reception, Sex and Sexuality, Supportive Tissues, Vitamins.

Leo P. Voegtli, mailto:[email protected], April 17, 1999

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