God or Randomness? Wrong Question! (Aquinas 101)

Can science explain the order we find in the world, without God? Is the universe and all the things in it the result of an absolutely random and absolutely unguided process? Are we ourselves the result of such a process? Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P., a Dominican friar from the Province of St. Joseph, weighs in on randomness, chance, and divine providence.

Randomness, Chance, and Divine Providence (Aquinas 101) - Fr. Dominic Legge, O.P.


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Aquinas 101 is a project of the Thomistic Institute that seeks to promote Catholic truth through short, engaging video lessons. You can browse earlier videos at your own pace or enroll in one of our Aquinas 101 email courses on St. Thomas Aquinas and his masterwork, the Summa Theologiae. In these courses, you'll learn from expert scientists, philosophers, and theologians—including Dominican friars from the Province of St. Joseph.

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This video was made possible through the support of grant #61944 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

[anthonyw]

Another aspect of God and Creation that I was grossly wrong. These videos are truly illuminating.

[JakeTheArmyGuy]

Every time I learn something new about how the universe works, I praise God's brilliance. The Master Storyteller!

[DistributistHound]

This reminds me of a recent debate between Jimmy Aikin and Dr. Craig in regards to the kalam Cosmological argument, in this debate both argue about God been able to imagine and creating and infinite number of things in which Jimmy leaves the possibility of the universe not having a beginning as not to fully trust the current scientific knowledge we currently have and avoiding to put limits to God omnipotence to which Dr. Craig disagrees stating the impossibility of an infinite regression. Something similar to Saint Buenaventura and St. Thomas Aquinas about this argument centuries back... imagine if St. Thomas had the knowledge of astronomy or quantum mechanics we have today.

[pauljordan]

Nothing causes itself and Subsistent Existence sustains us and everything.

If you don't have an ego, and identify with your voice, taking perspective of others with I AM YOU, AT THE SAME TIME, YOU ARE ME, you realise it is speech that makes us human and can recognise this basic truth.

St Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.

[johnwake]

God bless you, brothers! Your work is invaluable. I know how difficult it is to speak concisely and clearly about such complex issues.

[MW]

A true randomness in tossing something out is the item either float, drop, disappear or change shape etc. Random to the point u can’t even predict any outcome😂. But praise the Lord this world is not that random, it is just orderly disorganized… that’s what I like to think it is… there are natural orders that we can’t defy and there are outcomes that we are able to control.

[andersonmeneses]

Thank you very much, Thomistic Institute. Your videos are deterministically necessary in order to get us out of chaos and randomness... :-) Regards.

[jato]

Thank you for attempting to tackle this topic. This video appeared on my random feed. It was helpful since I am attempting to find my way back to Christianity. Being scientifically oriented in my thinking, I struggle with the "supernatural" aspect of religion. Thanks again.

[paddyearly]

Just came across this channel and I love this first video I’ve looked at🙏
God is all there is thanks be to God🙏

[stephenmerritt]

There is no such thing as random. There is only complexity.

[gybx]

I'm too old to become a Catholic, but I really like the fact that you're discussing these questions.
Protestants won't even consider these issues, let alone discuss them.

[matheuspinho]

"chance" implies regularity, so we alredy began with order

[Kaspar]

Huge video, very distinct and extraordinarily intelligent.

Thank you for uploading

[edwardelliott]

Excellent. I happen to be in a 12 step program where we stress a “Higher Power”. Obviously there is great room for all kinds of weird and wacky self generated gods and Powers so my job is to suggest the one true God of the Bible. The only power who can justly claim the title of “God”. Because he IS God.

[joecoolmccall]

Why have I never heard this explained like this by anyone before?

I want to read more about this...

[larrybedouin]

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Don't think to make God the author of sin and death.

[watsonblack]

These videos are always great! keep it up.

[larrybedouin]

Why do we have a seven day week from the beginning hiterto?

The answers to this question can be found in Gods written word.

[AdmiralofU]

The Carmelites core charism is finding God everywhere, right?

[timdecker]

Man I can't explain God in any kind of less than vague ideas. I mean, the word God, and whatever it really means is complicated enough not to mention all of time and creation. And to try to undo God with logic seems almost completly impossible.