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Can Scientists Find God?
Warning: I am not a quantum physicist, nor do I play one on TV!!!!!!
I have always been a strong believer in the scientific search for the origins of the universe. While I fully understand that many scientists do not believe that their scientific quest has anything to do with God, I trust that any honest endeavors in this matter will eventually end up with God. As the creator of the universe, God established “the science” of this world and how it works — biology, chemistry, astronomy, zoology, and physics. Today, I want to look at some basic physics. While I am the farthest thing from being a physicist, I have come to understand some very basic physics concepts that may help unravel the mysteries of creation and, at the same time, help us better understand our Bibles.
Many times, students of the Bible get bogged down with theology as they read. Theology comes with its own restrictive paradigms that limit us in truly understanding God. I am going to try to make a small attempt to set us all free from theology and help us understand the word in terms of science, namely quantum physics.
Quantum physics is a fundamental theory that describes nature at the smallest scales of energy levels. Basically, it is a theory about things we can’t see. Quantum physicists believe that there is something that brought everything into existence and sustains everything in the universe, but it is unseen. They are constantly in search of that unseen instigator of all things.
Being the consummate quantum physicist, God tells us that we are to always consider the unseen world.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:18
By faith we understand that the worlds were formed by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are seen. – Hebrews 11:3
Clearly, the Bible supports that idea that there are things that we cannot see but do exist, nonetheless. And even more, these unseen things are the originating source for those things we do see.
Determined physicists are looking for these unseen things.
The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, is a research organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. From the CERN website: “Physicists and engineers at CERN use the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter — fundamental particles. Subatomic particles are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives us clues about how the particles interact and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature. We want to advance the boundaries of human knowledge by delving into the smallest building blocks of our universe.”
Physicists have long speculated about the existence of an unseen energy field that permeates the universe and gives mass to everything. In other words, this field “creates” things in the universe. For years, scientists at CERN searched for a sign of this field. On July 12, 2012, they found it: the Higgs boson, or Higgs force. The Higgs boson particle (named after physicist Peter Higgs) is important because it signals the existence of the Higgs field, an invisible energy field present throughout the universe that interacts with matter particles and gives them mass. After an interaction, the field leaves behind a telltale sign: the Higgs boson particle. In 2012, CERN scientists found evidence of this particle.
Do you know what the scientists’ nickname is for this Higgs boson particle? The God particle.
According to these scientists, if the Higgs field didn’t exist, particles would not have any mass. For those of us who believe in God, I will translate this into Bible-eze: Without this energy field (I’ll call this field God), creation would not exist.
In a previous article posted to Ricochet titled “Did God Really Say That?”, I wrote about the science of waves, frequencies, and vibrations and how God spoke into existence everything in the universe and that it is the continued vibrations of this cosmic speech that keep the universe from collapsing.
Did the CERN scientists confirm that God’s word (known to them as the Higgs field) created and sustains the universe? They may not admit it yet. But I’m patient. I’ll just wait for them to catch up with the premier quantum physicist.
Check out my blog, my podcast “Torah Talk Podcast,” and my books @ www.torahtalk21.com.
Published in Religion & Philosophy
Again, I’ve tried to be clear: everyone is welcome to talk and I’m the last guy who’s going to tell people not to. My point is simply that I think religious minded people, as you put it, harm their own cause when they try to invoke science in service to faith.
That’s just my opinion of course, but I’ve tried to explain why I think it’s true. And, if it is true, then I think religious minded people might want to factor that into their apologetics, so that they can be more effective.
Anyway, no hostility to faith on my part. And certainly no objection to free and open speech, ever.