Does The Universe Need a Cause?

Many atheists believe that the universe is uncaused and does not need a creator to explain its existence. They give their wholehearted approval to the words of Carl Sagan who said, "The cosmos is all there is, all there ever was, and all there ever will be." Despite the mounting evidence that the universe actually began to exist at a particular point in time, many atheists cling to the idea of an eternal universe because an eternal universe does not need a cause, or we might say a beginner, or creator. In their fantastic book, When Skeptics Ask, Dr. Norman Geisler and R. M. Brooks tell a little parable to demonstrate how absurd it is to believe that the universe does not have a cause:

Two men were walking through the forest and happened across a glass sphere lying on the carpet of green moss. There were hardly any sounds other than the pair's own footsteps and certainly no signs of other people. But both of them saw that the very obvious inference from the evidence of the spere was that someone had put it there. Now, one of these men was a skeptical scientist, trained in the modern view of origins, and the other a layman. The layman said, "What if the sphere were larger, maybe ten fee around--would you still say that someone put it there?" Naturally, the scientist agreed that a larger spere would not affect his judgment. "Well, what if the spere were huge--a mile in diameter?" probed the layman. His friend responded that not only wold someone have put it there, but there should also be an investigation to find out what caused that someone to do it. The layman then ventured one more question: "What if the spere were as big as the whole universe? Would it still need a cause?" "Of course not," snapped the skeptic. "The universe is just there."

Is it credible to believe that the universe is just there and does not need a cause? If little spheres need causes and bigger spheres need causes, doesn't the biggest sphere need a cause too? You might remember this story next time you talk to an atheist.

For more help on evidence for the existence of God, you might consider visiting our online store. We have the book mentioned above, When Skeptics Ask as well as some exciting new DVDs, including Lee Strobel's new DVD, The Case for a Creator.