What are the chances of a chance universe?

I guess we might say that one of mankind's most notable inventions has been the concept of chance. Let's take a brief look at chance.

Quotes and comments;

A. 'The idea of chance is simply the recognition of the failure of man to reduce things to logical relations.' - Cornelius Van Til [1.]

- Philosophers (and others) who use the term chance are admitting that the Rationalist project has failed. The reliance on chance is widespread; e.g. the 'factor' that caused the singularity to explode and become the universe is attributed to some chance event; the cause of the first 'life' on earth is attributed to some chance occurrence; it's by some unknown chance event that sex and sexual reproduction came into being; etc. We see in this evidence for the claim that the attempt to give an explanation of the universe in terms of logical relations has failed.

Evolutionists (the sons of atheism and materialism) are of course very touchy about such critiques. They deny that chance is a constitute element in their theory, and that it's only provisional. They claim that the Rationality project is not dead, but alive and well. In saying this they make it clear that they don't understand what Rationalism was all about. Rationalism is the claim that all things can be understood logically. It's not (at heart) a scientific project. i.e. it doesn't depend upon empirical discoveries. For example; the rationalist knows that the God of Christianity doesn't exist through the application of logic, not through exhaustive empirical research.

That materialists rely on chance to explain the most basic realities of our universe and human experience means that the Rationalist project has failed. It has been replaced in the hearts and minds of materialists by a kind of triumphalist scientism. This is the claim (boast) that science (not logic) will one day show all doubting agnostics and over confident creationists the reality behind what is now attributed to chance. i.e. will show that there is no such thing as chance, and that there is a demonstrable (and material) cause for all things. Chance will one day (so the chorus goes) be thrown out of the universe - even as earlier God was thrown out.

I consider this an impossible project. As I see it, chance isn't be used as a cover for the unknown, but a cover for mystery. Biblical Christianity teaches that some basic truths (e.g. ultimate origins) can only be known by special revelation.

Summary;
Biblical Christianity denies the idea of chance. It claims that the universe and everything in it has an ultimate cause in the God who created it. It further claims that all things that happen have their ultimate cause in the Providence and governance of God. It is thus a major error in philosophical thought to deny Providence or to affirm chance. It is also an error to affirm that the universe operates in terms of mechanical necessity. [2.]

Notes;
1. Systematic Theology - Cornelius Van Til/p.161
2. See the Westminster Confession of Faith [section 5; On Providence]
- I recommend a book called 'The Westminster Confession of Faith' (for study classes) by G. I. Williamson; P+R Publishing.
- While our new atheists (about as new as gravity) talk a lot about Christianity, they seem to know precious little about it. If Sam Harris were to read one page of the WC he'd improve his knowledge base a hundred percent.
3. In Genesis we read of how the Serpent tempted Eve; it asked her if God had 'really said' something... and if she thought this would 'really' happen. What he/it was doing was trying to persuade her that she lived in a chance universe; that there were areas in it that were outside of God's control. The serpent was trying to instill doubt about what God had said by inferring some 'thing' called chance had an independent existence... by inferring that the universe was (at least in some limited way) independent and outside of God's control. This being the case, maybe it was Satan who invented the idea of chance; but to say this would rob man of one of his proudest accomplishments. We wouldn't want to do that would we?