With complete certainty, Goel intoned, ''Despite everything, Jonathan, God is truly in control of everything. Even when things seem hopeless and all is dark, when your way is beset by troubles and your enemies are all around you, the Lord is there waiting to aid you."
Full of despair, Jonathan said, "Part of me knows this, but on the other hand, part of me says what if everything I have been taught is nothing but a carefully scripted deception designed to keep me enslaved to the whims of a being less than what He says He is?" Goel was utterly amazed and responded abruptly.
"Despite whatever you are wrestling with, my friend, you know deep down inside that is not true! At the core of eveiy human being there is knowledge of the veracity of the certainty that God is who He says He is, even if His reality is denied or substituted for some other belief! You are one of the most intelligent humans ever born in this world, and you know that the complex simplicity of creation indicates that everything that exists in this cosmos could not exist if not for the hand of Divine Immanence behind it. It is a mathematical impossibility for the universe to have sprung into existence from chaotic nothingness complete with all the laws of physics already in place to ensure that everything works in an efficient manner."
Goel surprised Jonathan by showing the young man a rare side to his own personality.
"In terms with which you are intimately familiar with, Jonathan, the mathematics of probability refutes the universe coming into reality purely coincidentaily. The calculations of British mathematician Roger Penrose show that the probability of universe conducive to life occurring by chance is on the order of 1010123 to 1."
"What number is that?" Goel questioned.
Jonathan's mind kicked into high gear as he did the calculations in his mind, and he said, "In math, the value 10123 means 1 followed by 123 zeros. That's more than the total number of atoms 10 s believed to exist in the whole universe."
Enthusiastically, Goel said, "The phrase 'extremely unlikely' is inadequate to describe this possibility. In practical terms, a mathematical probability of 1 in 10?0 means "zero probability." Penrose's number is more than a trillion upon trillions of times less than that. More importantly, Penrose's number tells us that the 'accidental" or "coincidental" creation of the universe is an impossibility. The numbers defining the design and plan of the universe's equilibrium play a crucial role and exceed comprehension. They prove that the cosmos is by no means the product of a coincidence, or how precise God intended for it to be. In fact, in order to recognize that the universe is not a product of coincidences, one does not really need any of these calculations at all. Simply by looking around himself, a person can easily perceive the fact of creation in even the tiniest details of what he sees."
As if magnetized by the magnificent view, the ancient warrior walked towards the balcony. Jonathan, totally intrigued, joined his protector. Goel never ceased to amaze.
"How could a universe like this, perfect in its systems, the sun, the earth, people, houses, cars, trees, flowers, insects, and all the other things in it ever have come into existence as the result of atoms falling together by chance after an explosion? Every detail we peer at shows the evidence of God's existence and supreme power. Only people who reflect can grasp these signs."
Thoughtfully, Jonathan quietly said, "In the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and day, and the ships which sail the seas to people's benefit, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky— by which He brings the earth to life when it was dead and scatters about in it creatures of every kind— and the varying direction of the winds, and the clouds subservient between heaven and earth, there are signs for people who use their intellect."
Jonathan released a slight chuckle as he continued, "I read that in the Surat al-Baqara, Verse of the Cow, in the Qur'an."
Shaking his head, Goel said, with the intention to elucidate further, "Even those who do not hold to the truths inherent to the Holy Scriptures are touched by the rectitude of whom and what God is. Those who are in no way your equal in intellectualness have known this simple truth: God is real! Science has come up with categorical evidence that the universe was created by God. The anthropic principle reveals every detail of a universe that has been designed for mankind to live in and in which there is no place for chance. The interesting pait is that the ones who discovered all this are the very same people who defend the philosophy of materialism. Scientists such as Paul Davies, Arno Penzias, Fred Hoyle, and Roger Penrose are not pious men, and they certainly had no intention of proving God's existence as they pursued their work. One can imagine that they reached then* conclusions about the design of the universe by a superior power most unwillingly."
"The American astronomer George Greenstein confesses in his book, The Symbiotic Universe, he and his colleagues stumbled upon scientific proof of the existence of a Supreme Being. Having surveyed all the evidence, an insistent thought arose. There is indeed some supernatural agency involved in the design of the universe. Greenstein pondered near believingly that it was God who stepped in and so providentially crafted the cosmos for our benefit. An atheist, Greenstein disregards the plain truth; nevertheless he cannot keep from wondering. Other less prejudiced scientists, on the other hand, readily admit that the universe must have been specially ordered for mankind to live in."
Jonathan, a very learned and somewhat spiritual man in his own right, felt the dots linking science and theology were compelling. Goers scope of knowledge widened steadily.
"The American astrophysicist Hugh Ross ends his article Design and the Anthropic Principle with these words: 'An intelligent, transcendent Creator must have brought the universe into existence. An intelligent, transcendent Creator must have designed the universe. An intelligent, transcendent Creator must have designed planet Earth. An intelligent, transcendent Creator must have designed life.' Thus, science proves the reality of creation. Certainly, there is God and He has created everything around us, the seen and the unseen. He is the sole Creator of the extraordinary, outstanding equilibrium and design of the heavens and Earth.
"It has come such a pass that today, materialism has the flavor of a superstitious, unscientific system of belief. The American geneticist Robert Griffiths jokingly remarked 'If we need an atheist for a debate, I go to the philosophy department. The physics department isn't much use.'
"Every physical law and every physical constant in this universe has been specifically designed to enable human beings to exist and live. In his book The Cosmic Blueprint, Davies states this truth in the last paragraph: 'The impression of Design is overwhelming.' Doubtlessly, the design of the universe is evidence of God's power to establish. The precise balances and all the human beings and other creatures are the evidence of God's supreme power and act of creation."
In all the discussions with Goel he had over the years, never before had Goel shown this depth of scientific knowledge. In a word, Jonathan was deeply impressed with Goel's profundity. This added a new dimension to his longtime protector, one which he would always remember.
Bowing to his mentor, Jonathan graciously said, "I had no idea you were so well versed in the philosophy of physics, Goel. I heard your words with more than my ears. You spoke to my mind and spirit."