Article appeared Friday, December 15th, 2017 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (504) yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

Is it logical to have only one Creator and everything else acknowledged as His creation? Can
we analyze this question to arrive at a conclusion? Let us start with the word creator. Looking
up various dictionaries, creator is the one who originates or creates something. The word
originates has the connotation of one who creates from nothing. The dictionaries define
Creator with a capitalized C as God with a capital G the all powerful being who originated
the universe. Can Holy Scriptures confirm this concept? Looking through the Al-Quran, we find
the following Verse.
To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth; when He decrees a matter
He says to it: "Be"; and it is. [2.117]

So, if God created everything that exists, can there be space for another god? God asks in the
Al-Quran,
Say: "Of your partners can any originate creation and repeat it?" Say:"It is God Who
originates creation and repeats it: then why are you deluded away (from the truth)?"
[10.34]

Who are being called partners? Just as we ourselves are created, any created object is
potentially a partner as a member of the creation set. The question being asked, is there anyone
or anything other than God that can originate or create from nothing? Which part of creation
could any other god lay claim to? What about power? Which power would another god share?
Would they have equal power, etc.? Would they fight for supremacy?

Logic supports the existence of only one Creator. There are other arguments in favor {1, 2, 3} of
this logic. What about science? Do scientific findings point to the existence of God? The CNN
reports {4} the following on recent findings related to the Big Bang theory,
The prevalent theory of cosmic origins prior to the Big Bang theory was the Steady
State, which argued that the universe has always existed, without a beginning that
necessitated a cause. However, this new evidence strongly suggests that there was a
beginning to our universe. If the universe did indeed have a beginning, by the simple
logic of cause and effect, there had to be an agent separate and apart from the effect
that caused it. That sounds a lot like Genesis 1:1 to me: In the beginning God created
the heavens and the Earth. So this latest discovery is good news for us believers, as it
adds scientific support to the idea that the universe was caused or created by
something or someone outside it and not dependent on it. {4}

How does the fact that science has found that the universe has a beginning prove the existence
of God? Since an object cannot create itself from nothing, an external creation agent is needed.
The external agent must be God, as creating the universe from nothing is quite a monumental
task by any standards. Regardless of all the supporting proofs of logic, philosophy, science and
personal/public miracles {5}, there are people {6} who will continuously try to disprove the
existence of God. Counter arguments stand out as tests for those who believe. Is it important
not to fall into the trap of arguments of those who do not believe? On the contrary, Abraham,
Father of the Monotheistic religions showed that a human beings job is not just to profess belief;
it is to testify to the existence and truth of the Qualities of the God.
He said, "Nay your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, He Who created
them (from nothing): and I am a witness to this (truth). [21.56]
Once Abraham himself was convinced of the existence of God and purpose of the creation of
human beings, all his subsequent activities were to establish the truth and purpose of creation.
Other prophets, following in the footsteps of Abraham had similar confrontations with those who
tried to divert believers, as reported by the Holy Scriptures. Here we pick up on the story of
Samiri, as given in the Al-Quran, who crafted a calf out of gold ornaments possessed by the
Children of Israel and got the believers to worship it, as a god, in the absence of Moses.
Aaron had already said to them, "O my people! You are being tested in this: for verily
your Lord (God) is Most Gracious: so follow me and obey my command." [20.90]

Aaron, Moses brother had pointed out that what Samiri was doing was a test for their belief.
However, except a few, the Children of Israel continued to worship the calf.

20.91 They had said: "We will not abandon this cult, we will devote ourselves to
it until Moses returns to us.
They continued their rituals of worshipping an imaginary god other than God. These people did
not apply their logical thought processes and question the nature and power of the golden calf.
When Moses returned, he was saddened and furious.

20.92 (Moses) asked, " O Aaron! What kept you back (from stopping them) when
you saw them going wrong (and)

20.93 From following me? Did you then disobey my order?

The Children of Israel stopped at the foot of the mountain. They did not follow Moses up the
mountain where he as given the Commandments.

20.94 (Aaron) replied: "O son of my mother! Seize (me not) by my beard nor by
(the hair of) my head! Truly I feared lest you should say, `you have caused a
division among the Children of Israel and you did not respect my word!'"
Now Moses turned to Samiri.

20.95 (Moses) said, "What then, is your case, O Samiri?"

Not having a logical reply, Samiri just made up something, as do disbelievers when they are
caught red handed.

20.96 He replied, "I saw what they saw not: so I took a handful (of dust) from the
footprint of the Apostle and threw it (into the calf): thus did my soul suggest to me."

20.97 (Moses) said: "Get you gone! But your (punishment) in this life will be that
you will say `Touch me not'; and moreover (for a future penalty) you have a
promise that will not fail: now look at your god (reflect on its qualities) of whom
you have become a devoted worshipper: we will certainly (melt) it in a blazing fire
and scatter it abroad in the sea!"

20.98 But the god of you all is the One God: there is no god but He: all things He
comprehends in His knowledge.
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{Notes}:
{1} https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/monotheism/
{2} https://creation.com/one-god
{3} https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-7-most-intriguing-philosophical-arguments-for-the-e-
1507393670
{4} http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/03/20/does-the-big-bang-breakthrough-offer-proof-of-god/
{5} http://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/7-modern-miracles-that-science-cant-explain.aspx?p=2
{6} https://infidels.org/library/modern/theodore_schick/bigbang.html