God’s special providence refers to his provision to particular individuals at specific times. This could be as straightforward as someone saying precisely the right words to help you through tough times or as extraordinary as the miraculous healing of a terminally ill patient. Numerous individuals have attested to experiencing God’s special providence through miracles, though not all purported miracles necessarily violate physical laws. Many may be a series of coincidences in which God has orchestrated events or circumstances most appropriately. We will delve deeper into miracles in the upcoming post.
As discussed in a previous post, even the most inflexible physical system is not entirely rigid. Even the slightest alteration to the system can result in significant repercussions. Uncertainty is an inherent part of the system. I have previously argued that a God who established the initial conditions and allowed the universe to operate autonomously does not deserve our reverence. As a Christian, I firmly believe in a personal God who does not simply set things in motion and then step back. He is not a passive landlord. Only a God who engages with His creation and demonstrates concern for it deserves our worship.
Complex systems not only display sensitivity to their initial conditions, but they are also vulnerable to noise. Quantum events can occur without any discernible cause. It raises questions regarding whether the randomness behind these events is genuinely arbitrary or is attributable to God’s mind. Could quantum events be the “back door” that God employs to engage with the physical world? Is God using quantum events to initiate the “butterfly effect” and bring about the outcome He desires? While I cannot be certain, the idea that God uses quantum events to interact with the world offers a plausible scientific explanation.
During World War II, the German enigma code was considered unbreakable, yet Alan Turing, the same individual who developed the Turing test, was able to decipher it. This newfound intelligence enabled the Allied forces to deduce the deployment of German troops and devise a winning strategy. Nonetheless, the Allies chose not to rely on this knowledge excessively, as too many consecutive victories would have aroused suspicion among the Germans, potentially causing them to change the code and nullify the usefulness of the information. Instead, they employed the data selectively, presenting their successes as random events within the statistical norm. Similarly, I do not believe that God predetermines all quantum events. Instead, He selectively exerts His control. While God allows us free will, He still possesses a plan for directing the course of history. God’s interaction with the world is not reducible to a set of mathematical equations, nor is it verifiable through experimentation in a laboratory. Instead, we must have faith that He is in command. On the one hand, He reveals Himself through nature, but on the other hand, He remains hidden so that doubt remains possible. God grants us free will so we can choose to love Him freely. Doubt plays a crucial role in free will because if we knew the correct answer, there would be no need for choice. Furthermore, if God predetermined all quantum events, we would return to the Newtonian clockwork universe, where everything is predestined.
As previously stated, my objective is not to furnish scientific evidence but to offer a perspective on how science and theology can engage in a fruitful conversation. The bottom-up approach using quantum fluctuation as the back door to interact with the physical world is a good starting point for this dialogue. God is not limiting Himself to only interact with the world by one method. God can also use the top-down approach to inject information to affect our mental state and use us as agents of His will.