The Argument from Design, a Change of Heart, and Hell

I have to admit, the more I think about it the more the Argument from Design seems to be true. I have never thought that argument to be very convincing. Most non-believers would say the argument is nonsense because the universe is just an accident. Well, maybe so — but an accident that is governed by natural laws. Were these laws just an accident? Our study of the universe seems to indicate that the universe takes random input, processes it, and produces a thing of immense beauty which can be appreciated on every scale. Kind of like those computer programs that take random pictures and organize them to create a mosaic. But, while the universe may seem to operate by natural laws, its creation seems to defy those natural laws.

A few weeks ago, Christianity Today featured an article about Antony Flew, a very prominent atheist who has recently changed his mind. What caused this change of heart? According to the article, “he cites his affinity with Einstein who believed in ‘an Intelligence that produced the integrative complexity of creation.’” Integrative complexity of creation? Sounds like the Argument from Design to me.

But many atheists and agnostics dismiss Flew’s change of heart, saying he’s just an old man facing death and is essentially taking Pascal’s Wager. But Flew makes it very clear that he doesn’t believe in an afterlife. He tells Christianity Today, “I don't want a future life. I have never wanted a future life.”

He also makes it very clear that he is not a Christian, and “detests any notion that a loving God would send any of his creatures to eternal flames.” This is a problem many non-believers have with theism. Flew does say that he plans on reading C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce in an attempt to understand the Christian idea of judgement. I hope he pays special attention to the line,

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.”

If you believe in the eternal soul, then you must believe that something happens to the soul when the physical body is no longer able to hold it. Is it right for a soul who has spent a lifetime denying God to be forced into the presence of God where angels sing, “Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 7:8)? As one theologian put it, God is not a divine rapist. He is a loving God, in fact He is Love, but God is not going to force His love upon us.

So, it is not God’s wrath that sends the non-believer to hell, but it is His justice, and His respect for our choices. Those who choose to live without God will live in eternity without God, just as they wanted. While believers submit themselves to the will of God, non-believers exist outside of God’s presence and are free to live as they see fit, a miserable experience according to Lewis.

–J.E. Heath
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