Customer Reviews

Why the Universe Is the Way It Is

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In a slight departure from their usual books on a testable creation model, Hugh Ross (Reasons To Believe) takes on the big "why" questions about the universe and why God created in the way He did. This book represents a continuation of Dr. Ross' previous book, "Creation As Science" with more emphasis on how biblical theology fits with what we know about the characteristics of the universe and life on earth.

An integration of biblical theology and science is sorely needed, since most skeptics assume that God created the universe just as a nice place in which human beings could live. Such misunderstandings often lead to objections to the way the universe was designed, when a proper understanding of theology explains the "why" of the characteristics that make up the universe.

Included in the why questions are Why is the universe 1) so large, 2) so old, 3) so dark, 4) so entropic, etc. Probably the most asked question is why didn't God create a perfect universe now. The Bible provides at least 11 main reasons why the universe was created the way it was before God creates the perfect new creation.

Hugh Ross' latest book is an excellent integration of biblical theology with the latest scientific evidence that supports the Christian worldview and the Bible as God's revelation to humanity. It also provides answers to common skeptical questions and complaints. The book is not overly technical (but does contain endnotes for those who want additional detail), so it is recommended for all those interested in science and the Christian faith.

This is the kind of book you read and then put in your library for later reference. It answers many of the fundamental questions that Christians need to answer when talking about their faith as it relates to our universe. Each chapter is broken out by topic like, "Why is the universe so dark?" which makes it easier to later reference the information.

This is a "must-have" for any Christian apologist.

Dr. Ross hits another home run with this book. If you like astronomy/cosmology, etc. then you will enjoy this book. It is packed with interesting facts about the latest discoveries of our universe and how they point to a Creator. The material is perfect for any Christian that wants to learn more about how God's righteousness is declared in the Heavens. It will change the way you look at the universe, and it will add a whole new dimension to the way you see God's handiwork.

The title says most of what I have to say;the book is a good introduction into the fine tuning argument as it relates to debates about life's origins. Not all the arguments for fine tuning are in here which is why I say it is a good introduction for those who want to then learn more or read an opposing argument. Victor Stenger is coming out with a book in 2011 about "the fallacy of fine tuning" which should be a good counter argument. In all, I thought the book was clear and concise in its presentation and is written in a way that most people should be able to read the book without finding it too science heavy.

Hugh Ross knows his stuff. This book is very detailed and fascinating. He shows a lot of pictures and does many math calculations which back up his ideas. My husband and I think it's great and we discuss a lot of what we read. It is a little complex, but then so is the universe.

I'm not finished with this book yet. I'm only about halfway through it, but I wanted to offer some first impressions of it. Now, I'm not new to Astronomy but I noticed that this book kind of bogged me down with all this information that is hard to comprehend. He does a great job of trying to make it available for the layperson to understand, and he cites all of his claims (which is awesome, because I see lots of claims in other books go uncited). Another thing I notice that happens to me while I'm reading this is that I'll kind of get lost in what I just read and I'll have to re-read it. It's not that the stuff is not interesting, but I just have a hard time following (which kind of goes along with the first thing that bugged me). I will admit that I never knew anything about the fine-tuning of the universe until now. I am blown away by the kinds of evidence that we have about how if the universe was any different than it was, it would be very unlikely that complex lifeforms would be able to form.

I highly recommend this book if you're remotely interested in Astronomy, or if you're looking for more evidence for the existence of God. I thought it was slightly over the top that Dr. Ross included a full chapter about how we are in the darkest part of the universe, but it made sense when I considered that God made sure we could see all of His glory in the universe and that He didn't block our vision off. Still seemed excessive to include. Either way, awesome book!

Anyone that has raised children has heard the "why" question many times? Why is the sky blue? Why is water wet? Why do I have to go to bed now? In fact, answers sometimes are immediately followed up with another "why". Human beings are just naturally curious about the world around them. Asking questions about meaning is a characteristic of human intelligence.

When it comes to the universe, we often ask many why questions:

- Why does it has the properties that it has?
- Why it is so vast?
- Why did it come into existence?
- Why is it so old?
- Why does it appear that we are alone?
- Why is the something instead of something?
- Why am I here?
In the book, Why The Universe Is The Way It Is, by Hugh Ross, some of these questions are addressed. Dr. Ross is the founder of Reasons to Believe (RTB), an organization that holds the Bible to be true while not rejecting the valid scientific observations of the natural universe. While the book covers many scientific topics, its main focus is framing these topics within a Christian worldview, specifically RTB's testable creation model.

The chapters are arranged by "Why" questions, discussing why a Creator might have created a universe with these characteristics. A couple of the more interesting questions concern whether or not we live in a perfect universe or if the Garden in Eden was a perfect paradise. Is this universe design for human pleasure, or is there a higher meaning and purpose? Is this universe all there is and is this cosmos doomed to eventually decay and die? What is the ultimate destiny of the universe and humanity? All these questions, and more, are addressed.

I don't recommend this book for those who are not open to thinking about "Why" questions. However, for those that want to discover meaning in life and beyond, I recommend this book.

I think this book is very fun to read to anyone who is interested in the universe and how such a vast universe fits in with life on earth. I also found it very helpful to my faith in God. I really recommend this book, its fun and easy to understand.

To some degree, I've pondered many of the questions about the universe that Dr. Ross has addressed in this book. I've even read books that are similar in nature (pun intended) to this one, such as "Privileged Planet". However, this book starts off with some of the fundamentals and arrives at a crescendo at the end that really highlights our hope for the future. I was particularly impressed by the contrast between this current creation and the "new creation" that is yet to come. For an atheist - even if were possible to prolong physical death here on Earth - there is no hope for the future, for this present creation is winding down and will eventually be unable to support life of any kind.

If that was the end of the story, then the story of humanity would indeed be no different than the rest of the animal kingdom: survival, propagation of the species and nothing more. Thankfully, we have a reason to expect something better. We are uniquely placed in this universe at a time when it's best for advanced life AND best for viewing the universe in its entirety. We have new reasons every day for glorifying God for what He has created. But we have even MORE reason to glorify God for providing a way for humanity's redemption.

An atheist will most likely reject this book. A theist will most likely herald it as one of the most important books written for the current generation. An agnostic will have plenty to think about! I highly recommend it!

This may be Dr. Ross' most accessible book for people seeking to understand life's big questions and how science comes into play. This is also an important book in that it stands against the current onslaught of atheist attacks, answering their "toughest" questions. Science shows atheism is neither rational nor intellectually tenable.