6/18/10, Opinion Editorial, Finger Lakes Times

Consciousness Is The Proof

By: Sardar Anees Ahmad

Can anything exist without God existing? Since eternity, it seems, man has debated this question. The argument below, largely adapted from Mirza Tahir Ahmad’s works, argues that nothing can exist if God does not.

Consider that, regardless of one’s beliefs, ‘eternity’ is a reality. One may disagree about eternity’s nature, but never its existence – even if one believes that ‘nothingness’ eternally existed. In this debate, therefore, either the universe or God is eternal. If, as atheists argue, the universe is eternal, then ‘consciousness’ is not eternal because consciousness evolved from something (or nothing) that was unconscious. If, however, consciousness is required for the universe’s existence, then consciousness is eternal and precedes everything. No question about what produced consciousness arises because the Conscious Force is itself eternal. As an example, consider looking at two rooms – one organized, the other disorganized. One would conclude a conscious organizer visited the first room, but not the second.

Now, if something is eternal it possesses the means for self-sustenance. But no material existence – conscious or unconscious – possesses this quality. This presents a dilemma for atheists. The principle of entropy states that the universe has a finite level of energy, and small portions of that energy are constantly being lost. If, as atheists argue, the universe is eternal, then energy would have fizzled out infinitely long ago, leaving no chance for matter to coalesce and develop. The combining of random matter into an end product requires energy, which, if it must not fizzle out, requires a Conscious Force. Thus, if the atheist’s view of the universe is correct the reader should not be reading these words.

But do we see a Conscious Force affecting the universe? Take the creation of DNA and RNA, which are amongst the most basic elements of life and are instrumental in creating proteins. From ‘nothingness’ to DNA and RNA’s creation, a massive evolutionary step is required that requires a Conscious Force to guide its development. Frank Allen, Manitoba University biophysics professor, notes that for a single unconscious protein molecule to form on its own requires 10²⁴⁸ years. Compare this with our universe which has only existed for ~14 billion years. Therefore, natural selection, or any similar mechanism, cannot alone account for the creation of even the basic elements of life. The Qur’an (7:196) states, “Have they feet wherewith they walk, or have they hands wherewith they hold, or have they eyes wherewith they see, or have they ears wherewith they hear? Say, ‘Call upon the partners you associate with God, then contrive ye all against Me, and give Me no time”.

Note, while similarities exist, this argument is not Thomas Aquinas’ “Cause of Causes” argument. Aquinas famously argued that since every action requires a cause, an Ultimate Cause must exist. The argument, as Richard Dawkins argues, relies on the idea of “regress”. For example, for water to exist, hydrogen and oxygen must exist. For hydrogen and oxygen to exist, atoms need to exist, and so on. Dawkins notes that Aquinas unjustifiably assumed that God is immune from that same regress. In contrast to Aquinas’ argument, the focus here is consciousness, not creation. Aquinas also references “argument by design” – i.e. a wristwatch cannot exist without a conscious watchmaker. However, Aquinas applies the principle to objects, not eternity. If applied to objects alone, natural selection rebuts Aquinas’ assumption.

Ultimately, the very thing that makes humans who we are – our consciousness – lends support to the need for God’s existence.

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