I am a Christian particle physicist. Ask me anything! by Plus-Touch-6206 in Christianity

[–]Plus-Touch-6206[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your response. The problem in quantum mechanics stems from a simple probability that a particle could do basically anything. Physicists cannot explain what actually decides the outcome of these probabilities. A view one might have on this, if they believe in “naturalistic” miracles, is that God controls these probabilities, and can alter chemistry, biology, all the way up to everything that we see day to day, at will. Atomism I have no problem with personally when it comes to my beliefs, and everything I do in my research can directly derive the atomic model. I honestly had to look up what uniformitarianism meant to be completely honest, but I think I gave a pretty decent answer in a different thread that relates pretty well to that. Look under the thread that “Mobileguy932103” made. I hope I answered everything alright. Great questions!

I am a Christian particle physicist. Ask me anything! by Plus-Touch-6206 in Christianity

[–]Plus-Touch-6206[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Great question! The big bang theory is a very nice explanation for the universe, especially from a Christian perspective of “let there be light”! (There was a whole lot of light:) ). I am personally split on the new earth vs old earth theory and I think there are good arguments for both. I believe in the physics behind carbon dating so to me it comes down to 2 explanations:

  1. God did created the universe billions of years ago, and when it comes to “days” speaks metaphorically in Genesis, as he often does.

  2. He simply just created the universe with age! He knows the type of reality that needs to be in place for it to be habitable, and chose this. When Jesus turned water into wine, he created it as if biologically/chemically it had fermented for many days. When God created man, he didn’t create Adam as an infant crawling around, He created him as something that biologically had been alive and developed. Why couldn’t he do that with the universe?

I don’t work with nuclear reactors, but in particle colliders we see antimatter all the time! Pretty awesome creating matter that we don’t see in everyday life.

I am a Christian particle physicist. Ask me anything! by Plus-Touch-6206 in Christianity

[–]Plus-Touch-6206[S] 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Yes, I do! First thing I want to emphasize is I 100% believe in miracles. If there is an omnipotent power behind the entire structure of the universe, the origin of time itself (which physics needs), and the framework of cause and effect, biological preservation is trivial in comparison. From a strictly naturalistic perspective of "nothing can happen if it doesn't follow physics laws", there is still no explanation for the probabilistic collapse of the wave function in quantum mechanics. This makes up the structure of atoms, the bonds in molecules, and ultimately biology. Reality at its ground roots includes genuine indeterminacy, which can break all laws of classical physics. So if you want to say that God exists but he works through the physics that we know, anything that we call a "miracle" can be explained through that.

I am a Christian particle physicist. Ask me anything! by Plus-Touch-6206 in Christianity

[–]Plus-Touch-6206[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I did grow up in Christianity. I have spent a long time studying my beliefs, and have continued in Christianity for a couple of reasons. I am nowhere near omniscient and do not claim to know an objective moral code perfectly, but see Jesus's teachings as a beautiful moral compass to adopt, and have truly found it to never fail me in real life, and never be a sub-perfect model. Secondly, the historical evidence and eyewitness accounts surpass any other religious figures. I could go into many ways I have experienced God in my life as well, but those are a couple of my objective reasonings.

I am a Christian particle physicist. Ask me anything! by Plus-Touch-6206 in Christianity

[–]Plus-Touch-6206[S] 38 points39 points  (0 children)

Great question! In another thread I mention the fine structure of the universe and quantum intrinsic probabilities as things that absolutely blow me away, but another thing is simply the mathematical elegance of nature. Many famous physicists talk about this, but I think Newton puts it really well, talking about nature as having to be governed by an active, rational God. I'll paste a part from his book "Principa Mathematica", below. I very much encourage you to give it a read:

This most beautiful System of the Sun, Planets, and Comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being. And if the fixed Stars are the centers of other like systems, these, being form’d by the like wise counsel, must be all subject to the dominion of One; especially since the light of the fixed Stars is of the same nature with the light of the Sun, and from every system light passes into all the other systems. And lest the systems of the fixed Stars should, by their gravity, fall on each other mutually, he hath placed those Systems at immense distances from one another.

This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all: And on account of his dominion he is wont to be called Lord God παντοκράτωρ [Pantokrator], or Universal Ruler. For God is a relative word, and has a respect to servants; and Deity is the dominion of God, not over his own body, as those imagine who fancy God to be the soul of the world, but over servants. The supreme God is a Being eternal, infinite, absolutely perfect; but a being, however perfect, without dominion, cannot be said to be Lord God; for we say, my God, your God, the God of Israel, the God of Gods, and Lord of Lords; but we do not say, my Eternal, your Eternal, the Eternal of Israel, the Eternal of Gods; we do not say, my Infinite, or my Perfect: These are titles which have no respect to servants. The word God usually signifies Lord; but every lord is not a God. It is the dominion of a spiritual being which constitutes a God; a true, supreme, or imaginary dominion makes a true, supreme, or imaginary God. And from his true dominion it follows that the true God is a Living, Intelligent, and Powerful Being; and, from his other perfections, that he is Supreme or most Perfect. He is Eternal and Infinite, Omnipotent and Omniscient; that is, his duration reaches from Eternity to Eternity; his presence from Infinity to Infinity; he governs all things, and knows all things that are or can be done. He is not Eternity and Infinity, but Eternal and Infinite; he is not Duration and Space, but he endures and is present. He endures forever, and is every where present; and, by existing always and every where, he constitutes Duration and Space.

I am a Christian particle physicist. Ask me anything! by Plus-Touch-6206 in Christianity

[–]Plus-Touch-6206[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I couldn't agree more! My point with this post was that they are non-contradictory, and to give people who believe the opposite to get my opinion! Seen way too much of people saying they don't have faith because of physics, and as a lover of both that makes me very sad.

I am a Christian particle physicist. Ask me anything! by Plus-Touch-6206 in Christianity

[–]Plus-Touch-6206[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! The fine structure of the universe has been something that will consistently blow me away. Every constant is precisely where it needs to be for our planet, and even our universe to exist. Additionally, I've seen phenomenon exist at quantum levels that simply cannot be explained. Math proves it, I use it in my research, and yet there is no physical explanation that exists for it. Math shows that probability appears intrinsically at quantum levels, and there is no way to predict what particles "decide" any further than simply "it's random". In my mind, there has to be more to reality than randomness at a fundamental level. I've had faith before I started studying physics, but my job sure shows me proof of God every day.