Life, evolution, and an overwhelming sense of awe

In his book The Proof of God [1], Harold Begbie devotes a chapter to evolution. These are some quotes from that chapter: 

So we find, first of all, that our protoplasm could not have existed in the nebula nor of the earth in its earliest ages; and now we find that the evolution of this protoplasm must have been caused by life, must have proceeded from life, must have been directed by life. Men can make something slightly like protoplasm in their laboratories; but protoplasm does not make itself; it had to be made before there was a man able to make something even remotely resembling it.

 

..if life could not have existed on this earth for many æons after its birth, but must have forced its way into this earth at a moment when the earth was ready to be fertilized – is it not possible that our term Evolution may only be a scientific synonym for that spiritual Life-Giver to whom the religious in all ages have given the auguster name of God? 

It is important to remember that these statements were written over a hundred years ago, and our views, and the accomplishments of science, have shown considerable development since. Having said that, there are many things that remain unknown, among which are the following major questions: firstly, how do we define life; secondly, when did life appear on Earth; thirdly, is evolution a synonym for God? 

Defining life

We are familiar with experts talking about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe – some even extending it to intelligent life. But what do they mean by “life”? No-one defines what they are referring to and possibilities are single-celled organisms, multicellular organisms, self-replicating organic molecules, or even some kind of organic “soup”. One can also read about organic chemicals being detected in the universe that are only produced by living organisms on Earth, as if that is evidence of life elsewhere. Surely, there are many ways in which organic molecules can be generated? The most extraordinary reporting comes with the finding of water on other celestial bodies, as though living organisms should exist where there is water. It’s a step that requires a lot of imagination.

The origins of life on Earth

We have no idea how the first living organisms originated. The first cell was probably formed when a concentration of chemicals became surrounded by a membrane, but how could this have happened? As we are confident that the process happened in water, it is logical to suppose that the first cell was formed at an interface of air and water and the most likely interface is the surface of a bubble, perhaps from a hydrothermal vent, or from a shore close to volcanic activity.

Matter accumulates at the air-water interface and that is especially so of hydrophobic compounds [2]. We see this when looking at surf on the sea shore (see above), as waves produce an abundance of bubbles and they take time to burst because of their coatings, unlike those produced from tap water, for example. When bubbles burst, air returns to the atmosphere and the coatings to the water column where they can form into very small particles. Somehow, a primal cell was formed from the coatings of a bubble, or bubbles, and it is difficult to comprehend how it happened, or whether it happened on a single occasion. If we assume that chance allowed it to happen, and that bubbles were important in allowing the aggregation of material necessary for the first cell (and how many bubbles have been formed in billions of years – think about it!), it may well be happening today, with the creation of new cells in areas where certain chemicals are present. However, evidence from studies in genetics suggests that the first cell was formed in a short geological time period a very long time ago and the complex aggregation of organic matter was able to divide to produce two functioning cells and, from there, to many cells. When two of these living cells remained attached to each other, the first multicellular organism was formed.

Interestingly, the idea that life may have originated from sea foams ties in with Greek mythology, although not in the way we view this possibility today. Venus Anadyomene was born from foam resulting from the castration of Uranus, whose genitals were thrown into the sea. The birth of Venus Anadyomene is described by Hesiod [3]: 

“And so soon as he had cut off the members* with flint and cast them from the land into the surging sea, they were swept away over the main a long time: and a white foam spread around them from the immortal flesh, and in it there grew a maiden.” 

 

[* the male genitals of Uranus, severed by his son Cronus]

As Feuerbach wrote [4]: 

“The Greeks looked at Nature with the theoretic sense, they heard heavenly music in the harmonious course of the stars, they saw Nature rise from the foam of the all-producing ocean as Venus Anadyomene.” 

In contemporary times, we have gone beyond the need for mythology to provide explanations (or have we?), but we have no idea when the first cell became alive. Perhaps the first cell lay at the boundary between living and non-living matter, just like viruses? The origin of life is mysterious, and so is the origin of the universe, which, unlike life, may always have been in existence in some form. We can only speculate how the universe came to exist in its current form, using mathematics, the theories of astrophysics and quantum mechanics, and much speculation.

Is the term evolution a synonym for God?

Begbie was right in suggesting that we cannot comprehend the origin of life and the process of evolution that followed, and he, like many others, believes that the only explanation must be God. Part of our difficulty, perhaps all of it, is one of comprehension of the vastness of time and space. It is easy to refer to a billion years, or a light year, but we have no “feel” for such time periods or distances (see below for an image that shows part of space 340 light years across). Just as a theist is stunned by the power of God in creating life and the universe, an atheist has exactly the same sense of awe, but without any external creator. Certainly, there is no proof of the existence of a deity, as Begbie suggests, and neither is their proof that an external force is required.

Three questions arise: why, in the vast extent of the universe, was the Earth “chosen” to have life (there being no evidence of life elsewhere); why are we so keen to find living organisms elsewhere; and, if one believes in evolution, why did God take so long to create humans and, once created, to then express Himself through Moses and, later still, through his son Jesus Christ?

[1] Harold Begbie (1914) The Proof of God. New York, Fleming H Revell and Company.

[2] Roger S Wotton and Terence M Preston (2005) Surface Films: Areas of Water Bodies That Are Often Overlooked. BioScience 55: 137- 147.

[3] Hesiod (ca. 700 BCE) in the multi-authored Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica, translated by Evelyn-White. Published in 1914. London, Heinemann.

[4] Ludwig Feuerbach (1854) The Essence of Christianity, translated by George Eliot. This version published in 2025. Dunstable, Robinia Classics.