Plantinga Chapter 2

Chapter 2 of "Engaging God's World" deals largely with creation: how it happened, why God made us, whether we can mesh science with religion, and when. To me, all of creation is still the biggest evidence in my mind toward the existence of God. I cannot imagine such astounding complexity, such perfect conditions for life coming about all on its own. How could a fish possibly think of the need to grow legs, and then how could it will them to grow, unless someone was guiding the process? How could the amazing detail within every single atom and quark still escape the greatest scientists in the world? I do believe in evolution, but I also believe that evolution on the scale that brought humans into existence would have been impossible without God. I believe that God guided every step, every process that brought humanity into existence.

As for why God created us, I think Plantinga is dead on. He says that our creation was "neither a necessity or an accident..." but simply that "creation is an act that was fitting for God". While I do think he makes some assumptions here about God's nature, Plantinga is probably right. We are made in God's image, and as part of that we share some of the characteristics of God. Part of that is the desire to create. Humans make statues and monuments for the sake of having them, we write books for the sake of writing them, and we have children for the sake of procreation (though admittedly this is often not the case). If we are a reflection of God, however distorted, He must have a desire to create as well.

Plantinga also beautifully uses creation as visible proof that our God loves us. After all, what kind of a being would not love their creations? After all, why would anyone create such a complex and beautiful world and then cease to care about it? It is logical that if God made us, he loves us, and I find that thought very comforting.