This article was originally authored by Dr. Hugh Ross and is republished here with permission from Reasons to Believe, a ministry dedicated to integrating science and faith. All rights reserved by the original publisher. To explore more resources, visit their website Reasons to Believe.
Science and the existence of God
In multiple books and articles, I’ve endeavored to demonstrate that science is possible and comprehensible only in light of God’s existence.[1] However, I hope my writings have made clear that not just any God will do, as many people today would seem to suggest. I’ve come to believe, with confidence, only one does. Discovering the God who fits all the facts revealed via scientific investigation—a body of facts that continually grows—dramatically altered the trajectory of my life. Here is a brief account of how I came to this conclusion.
Problems with polytheism
Polytheism posits the existence of multiple deities, each distinct from the others. In one sense, animism may be considered the earliest form of polytheism. This diverse array of ancient cultural beliefs (still held by some people today) attributes soul, spirit, and sentience to animals, plants, rocks, and other elements of the natural realm. Each entity is thought to possess at least some unique characteristic, power, and responsibility, but none explains the existence of the whole realm of nature, nor does any possess an identifiable capacity for agency.
Later belief systems, from Hinduism and paganism to the Greek and Roman pantheon, posited distinct ways in which various gods interact with humans and the rest of nature. Each of these gods is said to exhibit a distinct mind, purpose, and agenda. Polytheism therefore predicts that science may reveal evidence of design in nature; however, any apparent designs would lack evidence of a unified or coordinated effort.
Today’s scientific record, however, reveals something different. Even design trade-offs appear optimized to achieve multiple purposes simultaneously. Rather than reflecting the agency of multiple independent minds with distinct purposes, scientists see evidence of a single Being with an integrated set of purposes.
Problems with strict monotheism
Strict monotheism—religions and belief systems with one and only one God manifested in a single Person, such as Judaism and Islam—seems to account for harmony and consistency in nature. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are often listed together as monotheistic, but they define God in distinct ways.
Many Jewish scholars distinguish their version by calling it “ethical monotheism.” These scholars emphasize the moral and ethical aspects of belief in a single God whose law applies to all of humanity. Some Jews, like many Muslims, believe God demands adherence to specific practices, including diet and dress. However, Judaism does not require conversion of non-Jews as a condition of mercy, whereas Islam considers non-Muslims subject to condemnation by Allah.
The most glaring problem with both forms of strict monotheism is the lack of any satisfying answer to the origin of love. If God is a solitary Being, then before creating anything or anyone, this God has no concept of love. In this view, God would have to create in order to experience love—an idea that contradicts the claim that God has no needs. Appeals to transcendence still fail to explain the origin of love as humans experience it.
Problems with atheism
In the words of astronomer Carl Sagan, “The cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.”[2] Atheists claim that all designs scientists detect in nature are merely apparent, representing accidents of nature with no intended purpose. They assert that no intelligence lies behind nature’s realm, including the origin and design of space-time, matter, and energy.
Yet atheism fails to explain why things are as they are—or why anything exists at all. Naturalistic explanations for the origin of the universe, life, and humanity are becoming more problematic, not less, with scientific progress. Atheism also fails to account for the fine-tuning in the universe that allows life to exist, from its mass and geometry to its physical laws and time dimensions.[3]
How the Trinity aligns with science
The doctrine of a triune God, unique to Christianity, avoids the issues of animism, polytheism, strict monotheism, and atheism. A God who exists as one Being in three coequal, coeternal Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) perfectly matches what science reveals: coherence, harmony, and coordination throughout nature. The Trinity explains the origin of love—before creation, God was already experiencing perfect love within Himself.
The triune nature of God explains the elegance, beauty, and order seen in creation, as well as the moral and relational dimensions of life. It also provides a consistent explanation for why design is integrated from the cosmic scale down to the subatomic level.
Why a triunity?
Christian theologians have long pondered why God is triune instead of dual or quadruple. Psychology provides a clue: love between only two persons cannot be tested or perfected. Introducing a third person reveals the full nature of love. This relational dynamic, multiplied rather than divided, reflects the completeness of divine love within the Trinity.
Some sects elevate other figures, creating confusion about divine equality. The triune model, however, preserves balance and clarity. The apostle John described God as light, encompassing life, love, and truth—each expressed uniquely by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Trinity demonstrates divine inspiration
The Trinity transcends human comprehension, as explained in Beyond the Cosmos.[4] Unlike other religions that depict gods in humanly imaginable ways, the Bible reveals a God beyond time and space. The laws of physics and the universe’s dimensions themselves point to a Creator whose nature exceeds human understanding.[5]
The triune God revealed in both Old and New Testaments stands apart from all other deities in human religion. The concept of a triune Creator, Redeemer, and Empowerer exists nowhere else. Passages in the book of Isaiah highlight God’s singular yet triune nature—something both Jews and Muslims often overlook. (See: Does the Book of Isaiah Teach the Trinity?)
God’s triune nature makes possible both our redemption and eternal relationship with Him.
Endnotes
- Hugh Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos, 4th ed. (Covina, CA: RTB Press, 2018); Hugh Ross, Designed to the Core (Covina, CA: RTB Press, 2022); Hugh Ross, Improbable Planet (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2016); Hugh Ross, Why the Universe Is the Way It Is (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2008).
- Carl Sagan, Cosmos (New York: Ballantine Books, 1985).
- Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos; Ross, Designed to the Core; Ross, Improbable Planet; Ross, Why the Universe Is the Way It Is.
- Hugh Ross, Beyond the Cosmos, 3rd ed. (Covina, CA: RTB Press, 2017), 81–99.
- Ross, The Creator and the Cosmos, 100–129.
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Dr. Hugh Ross
Hugh Ross is the founder and senior scholar of Reasons to Believe, an organization dedicated to communicating the compatibility of science and the Christian faith. While in college, Hugh committed his life to Jesus Christ after his study of cosmology convinced him of the existence of a Creator, specifically the God of the Bible. Hugh holds a degree in physics from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in astronomy from the University of Toronto. After five years on the Caltech faculty, he transitioned to full-time ministry and still serves on the pastoral team at Christ Church Sierra Madre. His writings include journal and magazine articles, hundreds of blogs, and numerous books-Why the Universe Is the Way It Is, Improbable Planet, Designed to the Core, and Rescuing Inerrancy, among others. He has spoken on hundreds of university campuses as well as at conferences and churches around the world and participates in the weekly Stars, Cells, and God podcast.
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