Nature has been designed to perfection. Every little detail in our planet has a purpose and has been thoroughly worked out. The distance from the sun, the gravitational constant, the composition of the gases on our atmosphere, the list is never ending. Had anything been slightly different, life as we know it would not be able to exist. To some this wonderment increases their faith in the Creator, to others its just a series of lucky coincidences.
I was trying to think of how different our world would be if one was to change one minute insignificant detail. There are probably hundreds of examples but here’s the one I came up with. Imagine a world where the boiling point of water was different, higher than 100 degrees lets say. How would that change things? or would it all ? Think about it for a moment.
Here’s how I think our world would be effected. The first thing which comes to mind is the effect of this change on the water cycle. The first part of this cycle is water evaporating from the oceans and rising up to create clouds. However, a higher boiling point would mean that the energy we currently receive from the sun would not be sufficient to cause the water to evaporate and hence the cycle would be disrupted. Clouds woulds fail to form and that automatically leads to a multitude of problems. First, it would cease to rain. No rain will lead to droughts. Droughts mean no crops for the consumption for humans or animals. Animals will begin to first die out and humans would eventually follow suit. Life has we know it will come to end.
Thinking about this throws me off completely. A detail as small as the boiling point of a substance that we take for granted is essential for the survival of humans. Water indeed is a great blessing. I haven’t worked out the exact change required in the boiling temperature or the amount of energy we receive from the sun. Perhaps I have made a logical error and the effect might not be as dramatic. Needless to say, one cannot deny the profound effect this small change would have on our existence. Can you think of any other examples where an apparently insignificant change could lead to a dramatic effect?
“Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of Night and Day,― there are indeed Signs for those with understanding” (Quran 3:190)
BloomingPeaches - Sit. Think. Imagine 
October 10, 2009 at 2:42 am
Hmm.. interesting point.
Why do you believe God has not given us black and white proof that he exists??
Everything seems debatable.
Thus, why has God left himself up for debate?? There is no purpose (that I see) other than to punish those who do not believe.
What’s your opinion??
October 17, 2009 at 3:35 am
Hi,
Thanks for the comment 🙂 sorry for the long wait. i had to put some research into your question. hope you actually read the whole thing lol …and sorry for it being ridiculously long; hope it helps.
It’s a good question you ask….why doesn’t God just give us a clear proof of His existence? I used to ask myself the same question a while back….
The fact that you ask this question implies that you either have an idea of what a ‘clear’ proof for God would be like or you are so lost you don’t even know what to look for. Ask your yourself this. What would constitute a “clear” proof for God?….. The truth is that God’s existence is self evident in His creation, but its arrogance that blinds us and we fail to see what lies right in front of us.
Your question is not a new one. Throughout the Quran we find stories of skeptics asking the same question to Prophets. For example, “Why do you not bring angels to us if you are of the truthful ones?” (surah 15, verse 7), “Why is not a Sign sent down to him from his Lord…. ”(surah 6, verse 37) ,“O Moses! We shall never believe in you until we see God manifestly….”(surah 2, verse 55).
God continues giving clear proofs to these people, but one after the other they arrogantly dismiss it for one reason or another; much like what people do today. God explains to us,
“Those who behave arrogantly on the earth in defiance of right ― them will I turn away from My signs even if they see all the signs, they will not believe in them; and if they see the way of right conduct, they will not adopt it as the way; but if they see the way of error, that is the way they will adopt; For they have rejected Our signs, and failed to take warning from them” (surah 7, verse 146)
“And even if We had sent down unto them angels, and the dead had spoken unto them, and We had gathered together all things before their very eyes, they would not have believed, unless God willed, but most of them behave ignorantly” (surah 6, verse 111)
“Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein, they would only say: ‘Our eyes have been intoxicated: nay, we have been bewitched by sorcery’.” (surah 15, verse 15 )
As you see, people who choose not to believe will never believe no matter what proof is given to them. I could continue quoting the Quran since there are numerous stories of people asking the same question as you have, but I’d rather you read them on your own.
God has given us numerous proofs. He created the heavens and the earth, the sophisticated creatures that dwell in it, from the rivers to the mountains and all that is in between. He’s blessed us with the numerous bounties we all take for granted. Yet people look at all this and would rather believe that it happened by itself?! That is the arrogance God mentions in the verses I have mentioned above. To disbelieve in God requires a larger leap of faith than it does to believe in one. The fact that people, like yourself, naturally try searching for a higher being is alone an indication of God’s existence.
And then there are the agnostics who claim that ‘everything is debatable’ and that ‘there’s no way of knowing’. Why make the claim that there’s no way of knowing without even trying to look for God? I have yet to meet an agnostic who’s read the Quran cover to cover. People make that claim because they look for an empirical proof for God; either an infallible argument or some scientific proof that can be repeated by anyone. Obviously they don’t find one and what they discover is that everything is debatable. And rightly so.
The truth is that there isn’t an empirical proof for God. It doesn’t even make sense to find an empirical proof. Empirical proofs are for things in the material world, things to which natural laws apply, things that are within our realm of understanding. But God is beyond that! How do you expect to find God when you look in the wrong places?
The proof for God is not an empirical one but an experiential one. Only those who sincerely seek God are the ones who find Him. Imam Ghazali, one of the great scholars of Islam, wisely states that faith cannot be realized through speculative theology and abstract proofs. It requires one to humble their heart and open their minds and sincerely ask God to guide them. Only then will you find God.
I am pretty sure that after this long reply I haven’t answered your question or removed the doubt that is in your heart. The only thing I want you to realize is that if you waste your time debating and arguing abstract proofs, you’ll get no where. You’ll find God where He claims to be. He claims to be in the Quran, so I encourage you to read it. But read it with a sincere open heart and pray for guidance, for if you read it with the eyes of a skeptic you’ll derive no benefit from it.
November 1, 2009 at 9:02 am
Thank you for your reply! You have presented many logical arguments which have cleared up certain parts of my mind. It seems like one of the best ways to learn is by reading the Quran. Perhaps I will continue with that endeavor.