Infinity vs. Reality

There is an old idea. This was around when I was a kid.

“If you give enough monkeys enough typewriters and enough time…… they will type the encyclopedia Brittanica.” This is the exact logic that is used to justify darwinian evolution. If you give a pile of simple dead atoms enough time, they will assemble themselves into Angelina Jolie. Enough time essentially means an infinite amount of time.

You can tell how old this statement is because typewriters and encyclopedias pretty much no longer exist. The idea, however, is that given an infinite time frame, the extremely unlikely ……even the impossible…….can happen.

This is a flawed idea; but, we use it every day to justify darwinian evolution. The idea is flawed because we apply the theoretical concept of infinity to the concrete, finite physical world.

It is true that, given an infinite number of attempts…… that is, an infinite amount of time, you could assemble the 400 billion chemical bonds of the human genome by random accident. It is also true that with an infinite amount of time we could build a just, fair, peaceful society.

The problem is that infinity is a theoretical concept. It does not exist in our physical world. Things that are theoretically possible in infinity are not possible in our finite world.

So…….darwinian evolution is possible given an infinite time frame. But, an infinite time frame is a theoretical concept that does not exist is our finite physical world.

This failure of logic would be an entertaining mental exercise if the stakes were not so high.

We use flawed logic to “prove” darwinism.

We use darwinism to eliminate the need for God.

We fire God because we no longer need him.

We get to do whatever we want.

All is well………..until we meet God.

Someday I will meet God………. and it will be fabulous……worth dying for.

My hope is to make that meeting with God a joyous event for as many people as possible.

My great fear is that I may have friends and acquaintances for whom it could be uncomfortable.

My great fear is that I will have failed them.