Islamic Stories: For Muslims and non-Muslims.

Why Science Fails to Explain God Pt1

"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."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Koran says I'm not always so good."

The professor grins knowingly. "Ahh! THE KORAN!"

He 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... but 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.

"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]

"God created all evil, didn't He, son?"

[No answer]

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

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

"Tell me," he continues, "How is it that this God is good if He created all
evil throughout 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? Don't you?"

The professor leans into the student's
face again whispers, "Is God good?"
[No answer]

"Do you believe in God, son?"

The student's voice 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. Have
you? "

"Yes, of course sir, I do have five senses".

"Have you ever seen your God?"

"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? 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. 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 student sits, defeated. Another 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 quiet.

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."