DAY 179
CHALLENGE
“The fine-tuning argument is flawed: (1) The fact that our universe’s constants appear finely tuned to allow for the existence of life could be due to chance if there are a vast number of universes, each of which has slightly different constants; (2) perhaps there is some law we haven’t yet discovered why the universe must have the constants it does; and (3) even if the universe is designed, that doesn’t mean the designer is God.”
DEFENSE
None of these objections overturn the fine-tuning argument.
First, if it were true that there were a sufficiently vast number of universes, each of which had different constants, then it might be likely that one with our constants would exist. However, we have no evidence that even one other universe exists, much less the vast multitude that would be needed.
Second, the idea there is a hidden law requiring that the constants must be set as they are is pure speculation. Based on the evidence we have at present, the constants appear to be independent. Further, even if we were to discover such a law, it would only raise the question of why that law exists.
Third, although some have speculated our universe could be the product of a technologically advanced civilization from a prior universe, and that they designed its constants, we have no evidence this is the case. We don’t even have proof it is possible for a technologically advanced civilization to create a new, designer universe.
Further, this technologically advanced civilization would itself need to be made of life-forms or (if robotic) to be the product of previous life-forms. Thus the universe they came from would need to have its constants similarly fine-tuned, and the problem would only be kicked back a step.
Each of the above proposals also potentially runs afoul of Occam’s Razor, which urges us to seek the simplest solution that fits the evidence. For example, postulating vast numbers of other universes to explain away the fact that ours looks designed may be seen as an egregious violation of the principle.
At a minimum, none of these explanations fit the data better than the proposition that God designed our universe, and thus it is rational to believe in God based on modern cosmology.