Richard Swinburne

Is There a God?

Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996

"Note that I am not postulating a 'God of the gaps', a god merely to explain the things that science has not yet explained. I am postulating a God to explain why science explains; I do not deny that science explains, but I postulate God to explain why science explains. The very success of science in showing us how deeply ordered the natural world is provides strong grounds for believing that there is an even deeper cause for that order." p68

In Andrew Zak Williams, "I'm a Believer," New Statesman, April 20, 2011, https://www.newstatesman.com/religion/2011/04/god-believe-faith-world-belief.[Link] Williams wrote to dozens of scientists and other public figures requesting explanations for their faith. Swinburne was one fo the correspondents who responded.

"To suppose that there is a God explains why there is a physical universe at all; why there are the scientific laws there are; why animals and then human beings have evolved; why human beings have the opportunity to mould their character and those of their fellow humans for good or ill and to change the environment in which we live; why we have the well-authenticated account of Christ's life, death and resurrection; why throughout the centuries millions of people (other than ourselves) have had the apparent experience of being in touch with and guided by God; and so much else. In fact, the hypothesis of the existence of God makes sense of the whole of our experience and it does so better than any other explanation that can be put forward and that is the grounds for believing it to be true."

Evidence from nature Is the universe designed?
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