By Irina Magid

How did I Come to My Belief in G-d.

Introduction

When I contemplate about the Universe, I am amazed about the harmony and the coherence of Nature and come to the conclusion that no one thing could exist by itself. So, there is a creator who created the entire world with his laws. I believe that creator of the world is G-d.

In this article I tried to connect different concepts about the creation of the Universe with the help of scientific and religious positions. I did it in order to help myself (recently atheist) and maybe somebody else to understand that science doesn't contradict religion and Torah, but rather it is its helper in the search for truth.

I liked the words of the scientist-physicist G. Svirsky, "The blind belief in G-d is not Jewish access, but Christian access. Jews should know that G-d exists."

Three hundred years ago all the people believed in G-d. Retreat from religion was connected with development of science and technological progress. Now something is happening, another reverse, because of science and high-level technology (computer, for example). It became possible to prove the existence of G-d.

Many outstanding scientists came to believe in G-d:

Albert Einstein -- a founder of modern physics;
G. Bronover -- an Israeli professor, a specialist in the field of hydrodynamics;
Mordecai Chavkin -- the famous doctor of bacteriology, and many others.

I came to believe in G-d through science after reading the following books: physicist Paul Davies, 'Superforce', and mathematician Morris Kline ' Mathematics. Search for knowledge'.

The driving material in those non-religious books and then in some religious books led me to believe in G-d.

I was deeply inspired by the following conceptions.

1. The Beginning of the Universe

a) Big Bang

The most important discovery of the 20th century is that the world around us did not always exist in the same state. The Universe was empty and cold.

Contemporary astronomers figured out that the Universe appeared suddenly as a result of the Big Bang -- an enormous cataclysm when the temperature and pressure greatly exceeded their limits. At the moment of the Big Bang the Universe (matter and space) was born from nothing. It was an event without any understandable cause and assumed initial condition.

The Big Bang happened without any beginning conditions. Also the power of the Big Bang was absolutely accurate (accuracy 10-40) and consistent with the force of gravity. If the force of the Big Bang were pushed upward a bit, than the force of gravity, matter and energy would never have coagulated into galaxies, stars, planets, and the Universe would have shivered. If the force of the Big Bang were a bit less, than the force of gravity, a collapse of the Universe would have happened. Stars would have burned out fast. If the relative masses of protons and neutrons were changed on a hairbreadth, stars might never have been born since the hydrogen they require to exist also wouldn't have existed. And many "if's" are very important for understanding that the phenomenon of the Big Bang is a great cosmic mystery.

b) The Superforce Governs the Universe

The latest investigation of physicists attest to some main Super- force that is displayed in different manifestation through four fundamental interaction: gravitational, electromagnetic and two types (strong and weak) of nuclear interactions which in the aggregate govern the Universe.

With increasing scale the relative value of each of the four interactions is changed:

Gravitational interactions are prevailing in astronomic scale.
Electromagnetic interactions are prevailing in our usual life.
Nuclear interactions are prevailing in nuclear scales.

These interactions are different. However, it is compelling to understand that the four fundamental interactions -- of gravitation, electromagnetism, and strong and weak nuclear bounding - are four physical interactions of one Unique Law.

c) All in Nature Submits to a Unique Law

A Unique Law, or Superforce is the common law from that each law of the macro- and microcosms, each physical, chemical and biological law follows.

Let's take for example the physical law of the Space Order to which is submitted the form of crystal of snowflakes, raindrops, Sun system, living creatures and plants. The laws of electricity and magnetism have also Symmetry and Space Order. The change between day and night, Winter and Summer, hot flushes and refluxes are all evidence about another physical law of the Time Order.

All of nature follows the chemical law of the Periodicity of the Chemical Elements, which are in the famous Periodical System of Mendeleev.

Let's see a few examples of the biological laws:

-All living beings originate only from other living beings,
-No living mutter is from non-living matter.
-Any cell of living matter (plants, animals, man) has its own genetic code.
-Unicellular organisms never converted into multicellular organisms.

From considering examples of physical, chemical and biological laws it follows that not one of them could be explained by evolution or some other case. Rather it is a result of the Great plan and Creation.

2. The Special Condition for Life on Earth.

a) Living Matter as well as Non-living Matter Depends on the Numerical Values of the Fundamental Physical Constants.

The existence of the complicated system including living beings depends critically on the numerical values of the fundamental physical constants: speed of light, masses of the subatomic particles and elementary electronic charge. The numeral values of the constants determine all the basic singularities of the world: sizes of atoms, nuclei, planets or stars, time of life of stars and even a caliber of living beings.

The emergence of the most complicated forms in the Universe is life of different living beings, especially mankind. As we know, human beings require highly specialized conditions for their survival. If the numerical values of the fundamental physical constants changed even the slightest bit, living beings couldn't exist.

b) Universal Property of Water

According to the law of physics, it is very easy to understand that cool water must fall to the bottom and warm water must rise to the top. But it is very strange that ice goes up. This unusual property of water actually permits the existence of life on earth.

Water is a liquid which is the most dense, when it is slightly above its freezing point (- 4° C, to be exact). Because water is most dense in its liquid state, it goes to the bottom of the lake (ocean, river), but a layer of ice, which is less dense forms on the top.

If water, like most elements, was most dense in the solid state, then gradually almost, all of the lakes (oceans, rivers) would freeze over completely and life on earth couldn't exist.

Next step which led me to the belief in G-d is understanding of a meaning of human life and recognizing of Divine Torah.

3) Life on Earth has a Purpose.

The highest living being, man, not only submits to the common laws of nature with its fundamental physical constants, but also holds feelings of love, compassion, shame, responsibility, self-limitation. In man (or woman) is there consciousness of intelligence and of meaning and of a moral dimension and of an ambition for perfection (for surpassing what has already been achieved).

It is logical to think that the Universe with intelligent, meaningful life and the whole world were created for one certain goal and have a certain destiny.

4) Torah is Divine.

I believe that G -d Who created all world, nature, laws gave mankind, and especially Jews, the Laws of moral behavior which contain in His Torah.

Among many different examples of Divine Torah, I was impressed by two:

a) The parts of Torah where Kashrut is considered.
Who, except G-d, can know that there are on Earth of which 5,000 kinds of different animals only 10 are kosher animals which have two special characteristics: divided in two hoofs and chew the cud. These two characters have domestic animals: the ox, the sheep, the goat and 7 wild animals: the deer, the gazelle, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, the mountain sheep, the roebuck. Torah teaches us: only such kosher animals we may eat.

Other 4 animals have only one characteristic of Kashrut: the camel, the hare, the daman and the swine.
-First three of them do bring up the cud, but don't have true divided hoofs, and swine -- it has true hoofs, but does not bring up the cud.

We may not eat any animals with only one or without any characteristics of Kashrut.

It is wonderful that only in Torah it is written that if the fish has scales, then it has fins, and it is a kosher fish. But it is not true that each fish with fins has scales. If the fish has fins, but does not have scales, such fish is not a kosher fish and we may not eat it.

b) As a result of computer research investigation, we learn that in Torah were discovered secret codes which allowed us to learn events of our present, past and possible future life. It proves that Torah has a Divine Source.

Conclusion

1. The Universe (matter and space) didn't exist always as the materialists thought. It appeared suddenly, from nothing as a result of the Big Bang. Attempts of some physicists to explain the Big Bang and the unbelievable coincidences with help of the theory of probability were unsuccessful because of a very low degree of probability. Many physicists and scientists believe that the Big Bang and Universe were created by G-d.

2. The Universe is governed by the unique Superforce that is displayed through four fundamental interactions: gravitational, electromagnetic and strong and weak nuclear interactions. They are only the different sides of the unique Superforce. It is compelling to understand that these four fundamental interactions are four sides of one unique Divine force.

3. There were created special conditions for life on earth. If there weren't the special conditions for life on earth: the definite numerical values of the fundamental physical constants, an unusual property of water or other things, living beings couldn't exist. The highest living being, man, not only submits to the common laws of Nature with its fundamental physical constants, but also holds feelings which differ high living being from any living beings: love, compassion, shame, responsibility, self- limitation. The man submits to the moral laws of the society and aspires to perfect himself and to learn. So meaningful life on earth has a purpose.

It leads to the thought that G-d exists, and man created by Him has Divine soul, and Torah which contains Law of moral behavior of humanity (especially Jews), Laws of Kashrut and Secret codes are of Divine origin.

4. All in Nature submits to physical, chemical and biological laws. If there are Laws of Nature, there must be a Lawgiver. We see that the lawgiver is very, very clever, much more clever than man because His laws underlie Unity, Regularity, Simplicity, Symmetry, Harmony, Coherence and Reproduction of Nature!

The Laws of Nature indicate a Divine and systematic plan in creation of non-living and living matter and proves existence of G-d!

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Sources
1. Torah.
2. Paul Davies." Superforce. The Search for a Grand Unified Theory of Nature ". N.Y. 1985
3. Morris Kline." Mathematics and the Search for Knowledge ". N.Y. 1985

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