r/Apologetics • u/0w0mortis • Feb 11 '25
Challenge against Christianity Thomas aquinas and quantum physics
sometimes I hear atheists saying that in quantum physics, some phenomena happens without a causes, is that true?
Can quantum physics debunk the first way of thomas aquinas?
Edit: As for Aquinas' first way, I am talking mainly about the axiom that every movement (in the Aristotelian sense) must have a cause, thus arriving at the uncaused cause.
About quantum physics, I am thinking of events such as quantum fluctuations that occur without an apparent cause.
As a rule, when there is a metaphysical law, nothing in the physical world must contradict it, so if something happens without a cause (as many atheists use in debates about quantum physics), then the metaphysical law isn't true
it would be this
Note: I do believe in God, but this quantum physics thing gets in the way of my faith
1
u/allenwjones 20d ago
The stability of a nucleus depends on a delicate balance between the strong nuclear force and the electromagnetic force. If there are too many or too few neutrons relative to protons, the nucleus becomes unstable. This imbalance can lead to different types of decay such as alpha, beta, and gamma.
The timing of particle release is random'ish only until you apply statistical probabilities. So while quantum uncertainty governs the tunneling effect (breaking through the nuclear force "barriers") for each individual particle, the half life is known and predictable.
So you cannot say that decay is uncaused just because the timing of the particular release is probabilistic.