Earth: Estimated Odds of Selected Variables

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Some people believe our planet Earth occurred by chance.  I believe the very first words in the Bible where it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” without taking any probability factor into account.   My belief comes from faith in God.

However, John Clayton was a scientist and former atheist who set out to disprove the Bible using scientific facts.   I’m sure it was a great surprise to him when he came to believe in God and the Bible while trying to disprove the Bible.

Although I haven’t read Clayton’s book, The Source, it’s interesting to see how mathematical probabilities are used to show the improbability of Earth possessing all of the conditions needed to support life by random chance.  These are the variables used.

11 variables*:

  • Being in the right type of galaxy:   1 in 100
  • Being in the right position in the galaxy:  1 in 150
  • Having the right kind of star:  1 in 1,000
  • Being the correct distance from the star:  1 in 10
  • Having the right planetary mass:  1 in 10
  • Having the right planetary spin:  1 in 10
  • Having the right planetary tilt:  1 in 10
  • Having comet sweeping planets:  1 in 40
  • Not being close to a black hole:  1 in 250
  • Having one large moon:  1 in 10
  • Having a magnetic field that can shield:  1 in 10

Mathematical probability of Earth occurring by chance:

1  in  150,000,000,000,000,000

This doesn’t prove that there is a God who created the Earth. This always has been and always will be a matter of faith. But there is plenty of evidence in the world that reveals God.

  • Psalm 19

    New Century Version (NCV)  from BibleGateway.com

    1 The heavens declare the glory of God,
           and the skies announce what his hands have made.
     2 Day after day they tell the story;
           night after night they tell it again.
     3 They have no speech or words;
           they have no voice to be heard.
     4 But their message goes out through all the world;
           their words go everywhere on earth.

 

* Beth Moore, Believing God (Nashville, TN: LifeWay Press, 2004), 39

* John Clayton & Nils Jansma, The Source (W. Monroe, LA: Howard Publishing, 2001), 28

 

One thought on “Earth: Estimated Odds of Selected Variables”

  1. This is so interesting! I feel sorry for those people who don’t believe in God. I would hate to have to live without Him and his guidance.

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