APOLOGETICS SESSION 14
God Exists: The Teleological Argument

Discussion Question
  1. Which of the below quotes from this short video stands out to you most personally? Explain.​
Quotes from Video​
  1. The fact is, our universe permits physical, interactive life only because these, and many other numbers, have been independently and exquisitely balanced on a razor’s edge.
  2. Wherever physicists look, they see examples of fine-tuning.
    -Sir Martin Rees 
    (Astronomer Royal of Great Britain, Fellow of Trinity College and Emeritus, Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge)
  3. The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life.” 
    -Stephen Hawking 
    (Theoretical physicist and cosmologist, Director of Research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology within the University of Cambridge)
  4. If anyone claims not to be surprised by the special features the universe has, he is hiding his head in the sand. These special features are surprising and unlikely. 
    -David Deutsch 
    (Physicist at the University of Oxford, Visiting Professor in the Department of Atomic and Laser Physics at the Centre for Quantum Computation in the Clarendon Laboratory of the University of Oxford)
  5. What is the best explanation for this astounding phenomenon? Physical necessity? Chance? Or design?
  6. There is no reason or evidence that fine-tuning is necessary. A life-prohibiting universe is far more likely than a life-permitting universe.
  7. Why is the universe fine-tuned for life? Given the implausibility of physical necessity or chance, the best explanation for why the universe is fine-tuned for life, may very well be, it was designed that way.
  8. “A common sense interpretation of the facts suggests that a super-intellect has monkeyed with physics… and there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature. The numbers one calculates from the facts seem to me so overwhelming as to put this conclusion almost beyond question.” -Fred Hoyle (Astrophysicist and cosmologist, Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at Cambridge.)
  9. There is for me powerful evidence that there is something going on behind it all… it seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature’s numbers to make the universe. The impression of design is overwhelming. -Paul Davies (Physicist, Recipient of the Templeton Prize, the Kelvin Medal from the UK Institute of Physics, and the Michael Faraday Prize
  10. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. -King David (Psalm 19:1-2)
Closing Questions​
  1. What stood out to you most from this session/discussion?
  2. Closing thoughts/comments?