Why Science Fails to Explain God?

[Hariir]

Hi Every one...

As I was once exploring on gaining some useful Islamic articles from the internet, I came acrass this interesting dialogue between a Professor of Philosophy & the only Muslim student among his students, and the consequence of my reading gave me the pleasure of sharing it with you. I know the coversation is somehow too long, but you won't get bored of it. Any way, I would exhort you to be patient, and enjoy your reading...

 

At an educational institution: Professing to be wise, they became fools...

 

"LET ME EXPLAIN THE problem science has with God."

 

The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

 

"You're a Muslim, aren't you, son?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"So you believe in God?"

 

"Absolutely."

 

"Is God good?"

 

"Sure! God's good."

 

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

 

"Yes."

 

The professor grins knowingly and considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?"

 

"Yes sir, I would."

 

"So you're good...!"

 

"I wouldn't say that."

 

Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could in fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't.

 

[No answer]

 

He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Muslim who died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. How is this God good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

 

[No answer]

 

The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones.

 

Let's start again, young fella."

 

"Is God good?"

 

Er... Yes."

 

"Is Satan good?"

 

"No."

 

Where does Satan come from?" The student falters.

 

From... God... That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, student audience.

 

"I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen."

 

He turns back to the Muslim. "Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"

 

"Yes."

 

Who created evil?

 

[No answer]

 

Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All the terrible things - do they exist in this world?"

 

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

 

"Who created them? "

 

[No answer]

 

The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!"

 

The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Muslim's face.

 

In a still small voice: "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"

 

[No answer]

 

The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails.

 

Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther.The class is mesmerised.

 

"Tell me," he continues, How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?

 

The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world. All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man

 

[No answer]

 

Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?

 

Pause.

 

"Don't you?"

 

The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers, Is God good?"

 

[No answer]

 

"Do you believe in God, son?"

 

The student's voice betrays him and cracks.

 

"Yes, professor. I do."

 

The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. You have never seen God, Have you?

 

"No, sir. I've never seen Him."

 

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your God?"

 

"No, sir. I have not."

 

"Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God or smelt your God...in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"

 

[No answer]

 

"Answer me, please."

 

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

 

"You're AFRAID... you haven't?"

 

"No, sir."

 

"Yet you still believe in him?"

 

"...yes..."

 

"That takes FAITH!" The professor smiles sagely at the underling. According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God now?"

 

[The student doesn't answer]

 

"Sit down, please."

 

The Muslim sits...Defeated.

 

Another Muslim raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"

 

The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Muslim in the vanguard! Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."

 

The Muslim looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. "Is there such thing as heat?"

 

Yes, the professor replies. "There's heat."

 

"Is there such a thing as cold?"

 

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

 

"No, sir, there isn't."

 

The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes very cold.

 

The second Muslim continues. You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise

 

we would be able to go colder than 458 - - You see, sir, cold is only a word

we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. "Heat we can

measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

 

Silence. A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.

 

"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"

 

"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...? "So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"

 

"Yes..."

 

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, Darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you...give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"

 

Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him.

 

This will indeed be a good semester.

 

"Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"

 

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."

 

"The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!"

 

"Sir, may I explain what I mean?"

 

The class is all ears.

 

"Explain... oh, explain..."

 

The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.

 

"You are working on the premise of duality," the Muslim explains.

 

That for example there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

 

"Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it."

 

The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbour who has been reading it.

 

"Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"

 

"Of course there is, now look..."

 

"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality.

 

Is there such thing as injustice? No."

 

Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?"

 

The Muslim pauses.

 

"Isn't evil the absence of good?"

 

The professor's face has turned an alarming colour. He is so angry he is temporarily speechless.

 

The Muslim continues. "If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil. What is that work, God is accomplishing?

 

Islam tells us it is to see if each one of us will, choose good over evil."

 

The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't vie this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, absolutely do

 

not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being

 

part of the world equation because God is not observable."

 

"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going," the Muslim replies.

 

"Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

 

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

 

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

 

The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.

 

"Professor. Since no-one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"

 

"I will overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.

 

"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"

 

"I believe in what is - that's science!"

 

"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face splits into a grin.

 

"Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."

 

"SCIENCE IS FLAWED..?" the professor splutters. The class is in uproar. The Muslim remains standing until the commotion has subsided.

 

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?"

 

The professor wisely keeps silent. The Muslim looks around the room.

 

"Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen air, Oxygen, molecules, atoms, the professor's brain?"

 

The class breaks out in laughter. The Muslim points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor. Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain... felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's

brain?" No one appears to have done so. The Muslim shakes his head sadly. It appears no-one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science, I DECLARE that the professor has no brain."

 

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NOW IT IS EVERYONE'S CHANCE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ISLAM, ABOUT GOD, ABOUT THE PURPOSE OF Existence, creation & life, ABOUT THE PROPHETS OF GOD, & ABOUT HIS HOLY BOOKS, ESPECIALLY THE HOLY QUR'AAN. THEN IT IS YOUR CHOICE TO BECOME A MUSLIM, OR NOT. ALLAAH SAYS IN THE HOLY: "THERE IS NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION "

 

There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; And he who rejects false deities and believes in Allaah (The God) has grasped a firm handhold which will never break. and Allaah is ALL-Hearing, All-Knowing(256) Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light; As for those who disbelieve, their guardians are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness...(257)"

 

AL-QUR'AAN (CHAPTER # 2, VERSES # 256-257) They are much nicer and more sound in Arabic) The Muslim sits... Because that is what a chair is for!!!

[Jamilah]

Thanks for that brother.....I found that very intersting.

I think i might print that and take it to my next science class.

[Thinkerman]

lol excellent thats all i can say

[Kruella]

Excellent read!

Thank you for sharing it with us.

 

Salam

[Khayr]

Salams,

'ALLAH IS THE SECRET OF SECRETS-SIRR AL ASRAR'

No mathematical or scientific rational arguement

can or should be made to Prove Allah's existance and those who try to do so are in error. ISLAM is Super-rational and not rational. This is why the Ulama looked down open the philosphers and their rational explaination of the deen. Every explanation of Islam and Allah are based upon someone's level of Understanding and comprehension. We each have a different level of understanding of Allah and the deen and its limited because we are not GOD. No INSAN (Human) is capable of completely understanding the Being of All Beings, subhanhauwatacallah.

[La Fidele]

Hariir, thanks so much for contributing that. I really enjoyed it.

 

No mathematical or scientific rational arguement can or should be made to Prove Allah's existance and those who try to do so are in error

Khayr, it's interesting that you mentioned that, because this topic made me remember a university lecture that I attended. The lecture's title was "The Logical Proof of the Existence of God". Anyways, his theory was really about causality (if A leads to B, which leads to C, which leads to D...then A must lead to D!), and it took three hours (!!!) for him to finally finish his line of if's. What struck me the most was that he was heavily influenced by a Muslim philosopher of long ago (all I can remember is his name started with an A, sorry).

At the end of the lecture though, there were two camps of listeners: those who were satisfied with his proof because they believed in God irregardless; and those atheists whose intention in attending the lecture was to poke holes. The professsor's only response was along the lines of: this is an irrefutable logical proof. Its only critics are those who refuse to acknowledge a Supreme Being.

Anyways, I'm not trying to further his theory here. Curiousity led me there, but all the proofs of Allah's will have already been provided for me in the Quran, alhamdulillah

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Salaan...

 

Xariir, dankis saxiiboow. Even though when I read that story three years ago, I happened to hear that logic was originally used by a Christian, but still whoever believes in God should rejoice.

 

Back to the topic of explaining the nature of Allah, this aayad from the Quraan always, always, always fascinated me:

 

"Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as {if there were} a niche and within it a lamp: the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east {i.e. neither it gets sun-rays only in the morning} nor of the west {i.e. nor it gets sun-rays only in the afternoon, but it is exposed to the sun all day long}, whose oil would almost glow forth {of itself}, though no fire touched it. Light upon Light! Allah guides to His Light whom He wills. And Allah sets forth parables for mankid, and Allah is All-Knower of everything."

{24:35, Suura Al-Nuur}

 

Yaa Allaah!! Subxaanallaah!!

 

Only Allah {s.w.c.} can describe Himself fully. And yes, the aayad concludes that "Allah sets forth parables for mankind..." Allah {s.w.c.} tries best, but our limited mind couldn't reach that Realm of Allah.

_______________

 

Macsalaama!!

[Khayr]

Salams,

With respect to the issue of Causality and philosophic as well as physics arguments i.e.

In the past cotton near a flame always results in the cotton burning....The next time cotton is placed near a flame it will burn or Premise1: All As observed before time t have been followed by B

Conclusion: The first A observed after time t will be followed by B

These arguments discard and ignore the will of Allah. They think that we humans have a definite knowledge of things because A has lead to D in the past. Man does not have definite and certain knowledge. 'Only God is the source of yaqqini (Certainty) knowledge.'

Imam Ghazzli argues that 'there is no necessary link causing nature to continue to be uniform. In fact the uniformity of nature can be suspended if God so wills.'

Causality is a huge issue in science because they try to disregard the will of Allah with their limited arguments. This is probably one of the kernels of Scientism and all the shirk that it brings with it.

By the way, I think that the muslim philospher that your professor used was Averros (Ibn Rashud.

I'm glad that Jazeera asked those questions and inshallah that we are using this forum to generate good Q & A's.

I can't find people in the local masjids willing to discuss these topics from a classical islamic perspective such as the one that I have pointed out.

[La Fidele]

Thanks for the great insight, Khayr. I especially liked Imam Ghazzli's quote. Anyways, I've never really been a huge fan of causality .

[Miriam1]

Salam

 

That was so GREAT man i was like WoW ! lol funny and informative totally proves the great point.

 

PEACE /

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

 

I thought that this was interesting back in the day!!!