ABSTRACT
According to the Hebrew Bible, God created Heaven and Earth. This belief became a central feature of the synagogue service where Jews pray: ‘I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His Name, is the Author and Guide of everything that has been created, and that He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.’ References are made to Al-Ghazali, Bahya Ibn Pakuda and Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan.
Criticisms are given of reliance on scriptures and the keenness by some to relate creation descriptions to science in general and the Big Bang Theory in particular. The Argument for Design and the Fine Tuning Argument are defended – and then challenged, with reference to David Hume’s approach. The relevance of conversions to religious belief, such as that of Antony Flew, is raised. ‘Explanations must come to end’ becomes the philosopher’s mantra.
