I have already written about the first chapter of Genesis. What is fascinating about these verses is the idea that God has to look to see it is good. If God is supposed to be perfect in everything God does, why does God have to look?
If we think of God as a designer, that is someone who has previously worked out how things are going to be and is following some sort of cosmic blueprint, then we would expect God to produce something that matches the plans. A Calvinist view of the universe is that God produced everything just so, has ordained how things are supposed to work and knows every last detail down to who is to be saved and who is to be damned. It is a pity we have sin in the world; sin rather suggests that God's ability to build to a design is somewhat lacking.
The problem is when we use the word design we put ourselves into a straitjacket. Everything becomes pre-determined, there is no room for experiment or play. We design mechanical devices because if they are not well-designed they won't work (or won't sell). God is under no such obligation.
The universe is not designed to strict specifications like a machine. Instead, consider trial and error, until you find something you can work with? Now shove it about a bit and see what happens. Some artists work to a design but others wait to find out how their medium responds and work with that. Some artists learn about their medium by playing with it; as they understand its properties, they are able to do more with it. Gradually their work becomes more complex or more nuanced.
This does not mean the artist has no overall aim but what they produce is the result of a conversation between artist and medium.
In every age its cosmology represents its starting assumptions, it may be modified as we learn more, even transformed, but start with different assumptions and you will end up in a different place. If matter has no consciousness and God does not exist, you will have a dead universe. Is the universe dead, is there any way of evaluating this and other views? Perhaps there is.
I prefer the idea of a conversation between God and Nature. For now suffice it say there is no overall plan for the universe just a keen interest in what happens next!
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