Causes and Physical Laws: Why God Can't Be Used as a Cause of the Universe (Book Notes: Arguing for Atheism)
Theists often insist that the universe needs an explanation and science can't provide one; therefore, their god is necessary and must be believed in. Such theists miss something, however: causal explanations are functions of natural laws which are themselves products of the universe. Therefore, they can't be used to explain the universe. Perhaps there is no 'cause' of the universe.
In Arguing for Atheism: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, Robin Le Poidevin writes:
A world in which there can be causal explanation is not a chaotic world; it is a world tightly constrained by the laws of nature. Causal generalisations are simply reflections of these laws: that is, they are true because of the existence of fundamental laws. Causal explanation, then, takes place against a background of laws.
But when we come to the explanation of the universe as a whole, part of what we are required to explain is the existence of the laws themselves. We cannot therefore help ourselves to any laws in order to explain the existence of the universe. Consequently, the explanation of the universe cannot take place against a background of laws. But, since causal explanation requires such a background, there can be no causal explanation of the universe. [emphasis added]
The importance of this insight would be hard to underestimate: causality, as a concept, is based entirely upon the context of our universe. It would therefore be wrong to apply the concept to the origin of the universe. What this would mean, then, is that the universe cannot sensibly have a “cause” as we use and understand the term. If that’s the case, then these argument for the existence of gods are simply nonsensical.
In The Atheists Debater's Handbook, B.C. Johnson makes a similar point:
The theist innocently demands a cause for orderliness, forgetting, of course, that “cause” presupposes “orderliness.” Without the laws of causality, no causes would be operative. The laws of causality must therefore exist before any cause can operate. Therefore the laws of causality cannot be the result of any cause. These are laws which cannot be caused even by God.
Thus, not only is “god” not an viable explanation for the existence of the universe, but it’s not even logically possible for “god” to “cause” the existence of orderliness and causality. If there is any sort of connection between “god” and “the universe,” it’s not a causal relationship. Perhaps theists will have to come up with some new sort of mystery that “explains” the universe.