Science and the Kalaam Argument: Some Words of Caution

The Kalaam Cosmological argument is one of the more popular arguments for God’s existence.

In essence, it states (1) that anything that has a beginning must have a cause, (2) that the universe has a beginning, and so (3) the universe must have a cause, which is God.

There have been various attempts to show philosophically that the universe has a beginning, but these arguments don’t work.

However, there also have been efforts to support the second premise of the argument by appealing to contemporary science and Big Bang cosmology.

This is more promising, but there are some cautions that need to be made in this area also.

Christian apologists should not rely on Big Bang cosmology in an overly confident way, and they need to be aware of the current state of cosmology and the effects it has on the way the Kalaam argument needs to be presented.

It’s important that they be aware of this (a) so that they present the argument correctly and do not distort what current science indicates and (b) so that they don’t cockily present the argument and find themselves called on the carpet by a knowledgeable skeptic.

Here are three articles that apologists wanting to use the scientific version of the Kalaam argument should be aware of.

 

No Singularity?

It’s common to hear claims that at the moment of the Big Bang there was a singularity in which space and time came into existence.

This used to be common thinking among cosmologists, but it is not taken for granted today.

Here Ethan Siegel, who is a mainstream astrophysicist (i.e., not a fringe nut) explains:

The TL;DR for apologetic purposes is that we ought to be careful making claims that the Big Bang shows the existence of a singularity in which space and time sprang into existence.
Siegel’s point is that this was the conventional understanding among astrophysicists 40 years ago, but that the view has since been undermined by the failure to observe certain features that the universe should have if it were true.
Instead, contemporary astronomical evidence points to the whole universe once existing in a hot, dense state that then began expanding (i.e., the Big Bang) but it does not show that space and time sprang into existence at this point.
Siegel admits that there could have been a singularity at some point prior to the Big Bang where space and time sprang into existence, but astrophysics doesn’t presently show that.

 

Cosmological Response to the Kalaam

In this second article, Siegel offers a critical evaluation of the Kalaam argument from the perspective of modern astrophysics.

Apologists should be aware of this type of critique.

Article 2: Does Modern Cosmology Prove the Existence of God?

 

The Crisis in Cosmology

Finally, apologists need to be aware of what’s called the “crisis in cosmology.”

In recent years, measurements have been taken that call into question important elements of current cosmological thought.

This has led cosmologists themselves to begin discussing a “crisis” in their field.

There also are assumptions in Big Bang cosmology that need to be examined.

While some form of the Big Bang is still the dominant model in cosmology, apologists need to be aware of the crisis in cosmology and be careful in how confidently the present current cosmological ideas in their arguments.

Here is a treatment of that.

Article 3: Escaping Cosmology’s Failing Paradigm

 

Apologetic Integrity

Apologetic integrity demands that apologists accurately present the data on which their arguments are based.

Therefore, when presenting cosmological ideas in their arguments, apologists must be aware of the current state of cosmological science, and it must be accurately reflected in how the present evidence for the Christian faith to others.

They must not misrepresent the science when making scientific arguments.

These articles will help Christian apologists be aware of important issues that have a bearing on the Kalaam argument.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."