The concept of God (or whatever name you’d prefer to call the Almighty) has been debated since we first learnt to argue. There have been arguments to affirm God’s existence, which I am in no way trying to do. And there have been arguments aimed at disproving the idea of a supreme being, which likewise falls outside the scope of this article. What we are dealing with here is not whether God exists or not, but whether there is any way to prove the existence of an almighty God.
Before we go on, we need to establish what is meant by the word God – at least in the context of this article- as the term means different things to different people. I am using the word God, in the Almighty and infinite sense of the word: a Supreme Being and creator of all existence. I would like to emphasise that this is not an attempt to prove God’s existence, so atheists please bear with me. Many believe that the birth of science meant the death of God. That in light of recent discoveries – such as the big bang and evolution – a belief in God is nothing but superstition. But, is it really?
Today we know that a massive explosion, commonly known as the big bang, created our universe. But what, might I ask created the big bang? And what created the singularity before the big bang? And even if we figure out what created the singularity then what created that? And so it can go on and on, infinitely. And that is the point.
Even if we trace creation back to a single point, which some scientists claim to have already done, then surely the question of what created creation or the creator still lingers.
Infinity as described in the Oxford Dictionary is being infinite, boundlessness. The best way to understand this concept is to take a mathematical example: no matter how high you can count, you can always add another number onto the end and therefore keep counting into eternity. In the same way, we might be able to prove where the universe came from, yet fail to prove where the phenomenon that created the universe came from.
The scope of science, unless it has changed while I wasn’t looking, only deals with subjects that can be tested and measured. The point is, that if an almighty God does exist then such a God, being infinite in nature (in other words immeasurable), is beyond the scope of science.
Again, I am not arguing for the existence of God, merely illustrating that an infinite God’s existence cannot be ruled out by scientific means. Unless, of course, the scientific community broadens its methods to include discoveries that fall beyond the scope of what can be tested and measured. Not that I think this is a good idea, as the scientific method at least offers a criteria.
All that I am doing is admitting my ignorance. I do not say that God does not exist all because I know – according to modern science – that the big bang and evolution do. Thus, the question of God’s existence remains open and may never be closed. In the mean time though, isn’t it practical for both sides to admit the obvious: that if God does exist there is no way to prove it, and even if God does not exist there is no way to prove that either.
The above article has already been publsihed on www.alteye.co.za under the name God of Philosophy
