The third proof is the Teleological Argument or the Argument from Design, which focuses on the fact that the universe is ordered and fit for habitation.
Anything that is designed implies a Designer behind the design. The world shows abundant evidences of design; and so it has to have an intelligent Maker. A watch with all its complex mechanisms demands recognition of its design and of course, the maker. No rational person would ever think that it just happened to assemble itself by some fortunate accident. So it is with the world we live in. The delicate snowflake, the soaring flight of an eagle, the lovely sunset, and the magnificent canyons of the earth actually exposes an excellent and wonderful Designer, God.
Let's just assume that modern science is accurate in stating that the universe started with a big bang, an explosion that scatter primordial matter in all directions at a massive rate. Well, the big bang could have been other than it was. For example, it could have involved a bigger or a smaller explosion or it could have contained more or less matter.
If the rate at which pieces of matter scatter was greater than it was, gravity would not have had the chance to draw enough matter together to form planets, stars and gases; and there would be absolutely nothing for which life could emerge on. Had the expansion rate been too slow, gravity would have drawn everything back together in one enormous impact before life could have emerged. The rate of expansion following the big bang was just right to permit life to develop; otherwise we would not be here now.
If this was the case, was the big bang a stroke of luck or was it planned by the Creator? It is extremely doubtful that a random big bang would be such as to permit life to grow; and therefore extremely doubtful, according to the argument from design, that the big bang from which our universe was formed occurred randomly.
Since the vast majority of these possible universes would not have supported the existence of life, we are rather blessed to live in a universe that does. Not unexpectedly, the teleological argument has been rejected by some. To an atheist, there is simply no satisfactory explanation for our extremely good fortune; he must ascribe everything to chance. Evolutionists, particularly, argued that adaptation may be both accidental and designed. Just because the universe supports life, it does not automatically suggest that the universe was specially intended to provide subsistence for life. It could all be a fantastic celestial accident. Or could it?
But with the view that God exists, we can give an explanation as to the reason why the universe is the way it is; well, it is because God fashioned the universe with us in mind. This argument, if successful, strongly argues for the existence of a Creator that takes an interest in humanity.
Let's carefully examine the universe we live in, every evidence makes it less likely that the universe was formed by accident and more likely that it was designed by a Creator. When all evidence is taken into consideration, the argument from design would conclude that there can be no question as to whether the universe just happens to be so or whether it was intentionally formed that way; because the universe unmistakably demonstrates intelligent design.
"The practical problem for those who object to the teleological argument is how to account for all the accidents in the universe and all the adaptations. To take just one fact, it is obvious that the eye was designed for sight and was no mere or even fortuitous accident. How is the eye to be explained if there is no Designer? Too many denials invite a justified incredulity" (David Clark, Professor of Systematic Theology, Philadelphia School of Christian Workers). The universe simply displays too much design, too much wisdom. Only God could have possessed such unfathomable wisdom, and He does. "To God only wise be glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever. Amen" (Romans 11:27). The 17th century theologian Stephen Charnock wrote: "Men acquire wisdom by the loss of their fairest years; but God's wisdom is the perfection of the divine nature, not the birth of study, or the growth of experience, but as necessary, as eternal, as His essence. He goes not out of Himself to search wisdom: He needs no more the brains of creatures in the contrivances of His purposes, than He doeth their arm in the execution of them. He needs no counsel; He receives no counsel from any (see Romans 11:34 and Isaiah 40:14). He is the only Fountain of wisdom to others."
