The purpose of this exercise was to encourage you to understand and perhaps challenge your current paradigm. There is no more important question than "Why am I here?".
Most people will put more effort into the purchase of an appliance or a cellphone than they will the biggest decision of their life. Do not default into this and never let anyone make the decision for you. Skip a couple of episodes of whatever is on TV and do your own research. It's never been easier to access information than right now. We have no excuse for not being informed.
Mark Twain said,"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect."
A First Nations friend of mine referred to it as the "Buffalo Jump". When all the buffalo are being herded in one direction, toward the cliff, any thinking buffalo might want to consider the merits of running the other way.
All branches of science are fascinating, but you need to pay particular attention to advances in the sciences pertaining to origins. This is where the information for your most important decision will be found.
It might seem a little overwhelming at first, but apply your common sense as impartially as you can. Pretend your mind has not already been made up for you and make a conscious attempt to objectively view the evidence without prejudice. Understand the difference between empirical fact and consensus theory. When faced with a theory, examine competing theories to determine which has the better explanatory power.
Scientists informing us that we can't possibly comprehend the evidence for ourselves is a bit like the high priests of religion telling us that we can't access God without their intervention.
Use that brain that God (or 'nothing by undirected evolutionary processes'), gave you to consider the alternatives. In theme with chicken vs egg, do a quick bit of research on bird feather evolution vs creation, then just ask yourself which is more likely. (When examined on a microscopic level, bird feathers are fantastically complex structures. To say that they evolved from scales requires a serious leap of faith, especially given the lack of evidence regarding any intermediates.) Look up irreducible complexity and logically make the call for yourself. Also, consider such common sense issues as the unlikely introduction of sexual reproduction from an evolutionary standpoint.
Ponder the logical absurdity of dismissing the complexity of the information contained in DNA as accidental, while at the same time scouring the heavens for signals with SETI. What is the purpose of SETI? Looking for intelligence... because we instinctively and observationally know that information comes from a mind.
If life itself has the 'appearance of design' and the very fabric of the universe appears 'finely tuned', why do we concoct elegant theories to attempt to explain away what seems obvious?
Could it be that people do not want to accept the concept of a God? Why? Perhaps the existence of God might make them accountable in some way?
Otherwise, why arbitrarily exclude the elephant in the room? The stock answer (that postulating a designer stops scientific inquiry), is nonsense. Most of the science in the past (and even, gasp, some in the present), has been done to figure out how God did it. As Einstein put it,
"I want to know God's thoughts - the rest are mere details."
To acknowledge the possibility of God doesn't somehow make science less valid. Science should be free to follow the evidence, wherever it leads.
Ultimately, the decision of what theory to put your faith in is yours alone.
You have absolutely nothing to lose by listening to what people like Michael Denton, Michael Behe or Douglas Axe have to say. Then ask yourself the difficult 15 questions. An undirected, impersonal universe is (by definition), not going to care that you gave any serious consideration to the concept of a creator.
A personal creator, however, would care very much. If He bestowed free will upon you, He would have to abide by your rejection and (with sadness), respect your wishes.
If this is true, it is important that you fully understand what you may be wishing for.
Link: michael dentonLink: michael beheLink: douglas axe15 questions you need to askDone my research, thanksso what if he takes offence?
This is about challenging your preconceptions and your paradigm. This decision has serious personal consequences, so it should be an informed choice. Have you examined the alternatives?
Aliens? Try History Channel's 'Ancient Aliens'. Some of the content definitely pushes the boundary of credulity, but there are questions raised there that, if you are intellectually honest with yourself, your paradigm will struggle with. At the very least, panspermia and alien intervention in our DNA checks some of the boxes where macro-evolutionary theory falls short. Surprisingly, (if you are willing to dispassionately examine the facts), the basic premise is a much smaller leap of faith than pure evolutionary theory. I still feel that it begs the origin question. Who created the aliens? Where did the information for their DNA arise?
God? As you can tell, this is my pick for the shortest leap of faith. Sounds counter-intuitive, but if you are willing to temporarily suspend your paradigm and impartially examine the facts, I think you'll be surprised where they lead you.
There are many clear thinking, rational scientists who also believe in God. Many of them came to this conclusion later in life, in spite of, not because of, their upbringing. Did they suddenly 'check their brains at the door', or did they open up to following science where it led them? Sometimes, it requires a great deal of risk to do this.
If you're not aware of the risks such scientists take, watch 'Expelled' by Ben Stein. Science should be about truth, not consensus.
If you're evidentially minded, try Josh McDowell's 'Evidence that Demands a Verdict'. Mr. McDowell started his research to prove Christianity wrong, evidentially, once and for all.
If you're forensically minded, check out 'Cold-Case Christianity' by J.Werner Wallace. Mr. Wallace is a cold-case homicide detective in California. He has a great website dedicated to applying the forensic principles of cold-case investigation to the Gospels.
'Mere Christianity' by C.S. Lewis offers a very logically based, step by step thesis of the Christian worldview.
Of course, these are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg...