A group of friends are hiking along a forest path when they come across a fallen tree. They start to speculate the cause of the incident, however none of the friends witnessed the actual event so no one knows with absolute certainty how it happened. One suggests a careless lumberjack while someone else believes the guilty to be a hard working beaver. Others argue it could have been a lightning strike or a viscous wind storm that toppled this tree. The possibilities extend to a hungry army of termites, natural old tree death, a powerful avalanche, a supernatural deity, damaging fungal growth, a strong bear, forest fire, car crash, Sasquatch, an explosive tripped landmine or discarded grenade, and many other imaginative possibilities.
Many of the friends value skeptical science so they begin to investigate the scene and collect reasonable evidence. A closer inspection of the trunk suggest no hint of fire damage confidently eliminating lightning, fire, or explosives. The tree also appears to show little rot or insect damage making the termites, fungal growth, and natural death less likely. No nearby roads make a car crash impossible and a lack of verifiable evidence makes Sasquatch a laughable implausibility. Someone suggests the surrounding thick forest would have likely protected this tree from a windstorm or avalanche. Another friend points out the tree is too thick for even the strongest bear to topple. One considers the fact that the nearest body of water is miles away adding suspicion to the possibility of a beaver. A few samples of the truck are carefully returned to a chemistry lab where a mass spectrometer consistently reveals small traces of metal leading to the conclusion that a lumberjack with an ax or saw is the most likely possibility with reasonable certainty. However, Joe absolutely knows it was a supernatural deity, which God it was, why he did it, what God wants us to do in life to avoid punishment, and dedicates his life to worshiping this invisible tree toppling God.
In a similar situation, humans have come across a great mystery of which no one directly witnessed. We keenly wonder why we are and where we came from. How did the Earth come to exist and also seem to work so perfectly. What happens after we die? Did we exist in some form before birth? No person in this world has ever known with reasonable certainty the absolute truth to these questions, but many have speculated possible scenarios. Some claim supernatural intellectual creation. Others believe an incredible manifestation of the natural laws of observable and testable physical principles. Speculations extend to computer simulations and alternate dream like realities.
For thousands of years millions of humans have dedicated their lives to investigating all the possibilities and have uncovered significant amounts of verifiable evidence. Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Engineering, and various other fields of science have proven incredible things about our Universe. Scientists have observed the natural creation of other planets and accurately measured the age of our Earth. The science of biological evolution of all life on Earth has been scrupulously scrutinized and insured with falsifiable security. Contradicting supernatural theologies complicate these possibilities and lacking evidence suggests it’s less likely.
As I’ve studied all the possible solutions concerning the questions of our existence in the Cosmos I consider the natural laws of physics the most plausible theory considering it has the best and most supporting evidence. I don’t know with 100% certainty of the truth, but neither does anyone else. Be intellectual unlike Joe and don’t irrationally commit your life to an implausible idea. Think for yourself and make your own decisions. Just because something is possible doesn’t mean it’s plausible.
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