Priest's new film says physics help prove existence of God

Aug 11, 2012 / 16:02 pm

A new film by philosopher, priest and producer Father Robert Spitzer aims to integrate faith and reason by making the claim that God's existence can be proved through scientific evidence.

"We thought the whole story wasn't being told in the media about the evidence for God from physics," the Jesuit priest told CNA.

"We're utterly convinced that the evidence from physics shows the existence of God and certainly does not take away from it."

The 49-minute documentary, titled "Cosmic Origins," features eight physicists who discuss the big bang theory, theories of modern physics, and eventually discuss the need for a creator.

Along with Fr. Spitzer, a former Gonzaga University President and founder of the Magis Center for Faith and Reason, the film features Michael Heller of the Vatican Observatory, Nobel Laureate Arno Penzias, and a slew of professors from Harvard and Cambridge.

In choosing the physicists for the film, Fr. Spitzer made sure that  every scientist was "absolutely top in their field, world class, they had to be a Nobel prize winner, a Templeton prize winner, or come from Harvard or Cambridge or from the top ranks of NASA."

The scientists "come pretty much out of the closet," and affirm that it is impossible for the universe to be random and without purpose, he said.

In the film, after discussing the Big Bang theory and affirming it scientifically, the physicists say there still must be a beginning or cause of the universe, even with theories of modern physics.

"When the universe was nothing, it could not have moved itself from nothing, something else had to do it, and that something else was a transcendent creator," Fr. Spitzer said.

He claims that this creator would have to exist outside space and time because before the Big Bang, nothing existed, including space and time.

The film is available in two versions, the original documentary, and a Catholic version with additional features that help foster a deeper Catholic and philosophical understanding, the producer and Jesuit priest pointed out.

When asked if Catholics really need proof of God's existence, Fr. Spitzer discussed three different ways people process information.

"You have the analytical, the people who are high feelers, and the people who are high decision makers," he said. "The high feelers do not really need this."

He gave the example of people who are feelings-focused being able to see beauty in nature and know God exists without proof. Fr. Spitzer is not one of those people, he said, and along with other scientists,
philosophers and lawyers, he needs more explanation.

"It doesn't mean you necessarily need proof, what it means is that you need evidence so that you can have some kind of independent extrinsic verification of God because, of course, you're intuition is not going to push you over the line. This is about 35 percent of our population."

His film aims to reach this group who do not consider the possibility of God's existence without scientific explanation.

"Cosmic Origins" is currently available on the Magis Center website and the Ignatius press website, and will be available on Amazon in mid-August. A parish screening program is also available for purchase on the "Cosmic Origins" website, www.cosmicoriginsfilm.com.