As we enter the Christmas season, when a belief in God is often seen as the superstitions of the Neanderthals among us, I’d like to make a few factual points that the modern world is slowly becoming more aware of.

Christianity depends to a very large extent on what happened a few centuries ago. Some modern folks see themselves as realists. They pooh-pooh the whole business as straining the believability of the modern world. As modern scientists, however, gain more understanding of our environment, and more facts about the entire universe, more of them are coming, to doubt the possibility of a Godless creation.

There are two basic divisions in existence: Things which have life, and things which do not. All living things are precisely organized within themselves. They require nourishment, reproduce themselves, and are motivated to change and to make changes. Any changes in non-living things are the result of forces outside of themselves. Non-living things have no motivation, and are not capable of executing anything. A stone goes where you throw it. An acorn does too, but if given a chance, it is motivated to grow into a giant oak tree. If life entered a physical thing, it was not the result of action by, or within, that physical thing. Mud, matter and slime are not capable of motive or purpose. There had to be an external, intelligent force capable of motive.

Happenstance is never the cause of precise organization. Happenstance by nature is helter skelter. Nothing that requires precise organization ever happens by accident. Only intelligent, understanding purpose can organize, or have a plan. A modern automobile or airplane is a good example. Can you envision either developing accidentally? Happenstance is a euphemism for saying, “We don’t understand just how that happens.” A stone exists, but it is oblivious to everything. It has no needs, or wishes, and is aware of nothing. All life is interdependent on other life. Cows must have grass, lions must have cows, and fleas need dogs. All life is dependent upon other forms of life to sustain itself. Life … lives on life.

The human mind is like a beautiful, delicate glass vase that holds a bouquet of exquisite flowers; but if handled carelessly, it can easily be shattered into a hundred disarranged pieces. I’ll repeat; Human mentality is like a beautiful, delicate, glass vase that will shelter a gorgeous bouquet, but can easily be shattered by careless use. I don’t believe the human mind could be the result of happenstance, any more than I could believe that a beautiful glass vase could be produced by chance from the sun shining a bit too hot on a sand dune in the desert. Albert Einstein, the father of modern science said, “God doesn’t play dice.”

Mankind is the only creature whose intellect is capable of understanding beyond the need to forage for his existence. Man is not irretrievably bound to his instincts. He has the ability to study a situation beyond the ability of any beast, and to make intelligent, long-range plans for the betterment of his security and environment. Sadly, he is also capable of developing a warped, distorted mentality that leads him beyond cruel bestiality, to the annihilation of himself and others.

We have the choice of a world governed by intelligence and purpose, or a life without meaning, morality or purpose. We can, and will, receive either that we honestly decide to accept.

Even atheists understand the existence of control over everything by fixed law. They just accept such laws as “Just the way things are.” Random is a euphemism for “We don’t understand.” Only understanding can have purpose and control. The sun rising in the east every morning is a purposeful event, offering humanity another chance to get it right.

Science depends on allegiance to provable facts. They prove things using these unvarying laws, but never question where the laws came from. Only intelligence can propose, institute and enforce unvarying laws. Many modern scientists are beginning to feel the necessity of a supreme, omnipotent power. It’s too coordinated and organized to be otherwise. Merry Christmas to all, and may God bless America!

Richard Westlund is a Collins resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com