The Latest Scientific Discoveries Point to an Intentional Creator

HISTORY OF OUR PLANET
Our Earth has been dubbed by some as the “Goldilocks Planet” with a just-right sun and a just-right moon in a just-right galaxy. What most people do not realize is how radically Earth has changed since it first formed and what kinds of physical steps transformed the lifeless ball into our home today. Earth has the capacity to support more than 7 billon people and even more billions of other creatures. Many suggest that Earth’s life sustaining features are “amazing coincidences” that just fell into place. Hugh says evidence and logic compel him to challenge such a notion based on the following:

• Air Conditioning/Heating – The air on our planet must be precisely managed to prevent the suffering or death of its life forms. Earth’s preparation for advanced life entailed appropriate oxygenation of the atmosphere. God designed and timed our solar system's development to provide a remarkably stable source of heat and light for life on Earth.
• Heating and Ventilation – Keeping our earthly home in a temperate range appropriate for life over the span of nearly 4 billion years is no simple task. Throughout the history of the earth there are multiple mass extinctions and mass speciation events which make room and prepare conditions for more advanced life.
• Continental Realignment – The continents migrated into their current positions and alignment more than 23 million years ago which affected Earth’s climate and optimized Earth’s landmasses for the support of a large human population.
• Ice Age Cycle – This period enabled Earth to house a large population of human beings by creating new habitats for plants and animals during the warm interglacial periods and facilitated human migration.
• Cosmic Habitat – Earth’s cosmic habitat, history, and natural resources reflect the needs of its inhabitants. “Just-right introductions and removals of life at just-right times in just-right places continued to compensate for the ever-brightening Sun and the changing dynamics of the Earth-Moon system. “These events helped to build up a vast store of physical and biological resources for later life, specifically humanity,” shares Hugh.

We live on an amazing planet; a world like no other we know. “The world that we know and enjoy is the result of a very long history of astronomical, physical, geological, chemical, and biological events. Without that long, complex history we would not have our present-day world,” shares Hugh. As researchers continue to investigate the history of our planet, the more astonishing the story of our existence becomes. The earth was created for habitability for redemption of billions of humans within thousands of years.

WHY WE ARE HERE
Hugh says, “The Bible tells us that the more we investigate the record of nature, the more evidence we will find for God’s existence, for his handiwork in preparing the natural realm for our benefit, and for his purposeful involvement in our lives.” God planned our His works of redemption before he started His works of creation. Therefore, all of creation makes sense in the context of a real world beyond the one we now occupy. According to Hugh, “The purpose of our existence on Earth is to know our good God and to make Him known. In addition to the organization of cosmic, planetary, and life history of our existence, the direction and human history also fits this redemptive plan and purpose.”

“If bacterial life or some other less environmentally sensitive life-form exists beyond Earth, it may simply reflect the Creator’s enjoyment in creating,” shares Hugh. The Bible speaks of angels and spiritual beings God created to serve His purposes. Some of them joined Lucifer’s rebellion, but most remained loyal to their Maker. “God has given them access to our earthly realm and a capacity to interact with humans, to some degree. Given their presence and his, I can say we humans are not alone,” reveals Hugh.

Hugh wants to “equip Christians to engage, rather than withdraw from or attack, educated non-Christians. One of the approaches I’ve developed, with the help of my RTB colleagues, is a biblical creation model that is testable, falsifiable, and predictive.” He integrates all 66 books of the Bible with all the science disciplines as a way to discover and apply deeper truths. 1 Peter 3:15–16 sets his ministry goal, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience."

FINDING GOD
Hugh found Christ in college. His study of the Big Bang Theory led him to believe in the existence of a creator, but he didn’t know which of the “holy texts” was historically and scientifically accurate.  After reading the Bible, he was persuaded of the truth of its words. He was convinced the discoveries of science supported the truth of the Bible. He eventually founded Reasons to Believe in 1986 to bring the scientific evidence for Christianity to light.  Hugh leads a team of scholars who keep tabs on the frontiers of scientific research with the goal of demonstrating that sound reason and scientific discoveries support rather than erode confidence in the God of the Bible.