In his rebuttal letter “Words on the hardened heart” (July 26), David T. Theriault sought to enlighten me with verses from Paul’s epistle to the Romans (1:20-21) concerning the folly of those who deny God’s existence in the face of all created reality. I want to begin by citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  It’s a statement that expresses an age-old idea related to the verses mentioned above and espoused by Theriault along with all Christians: “God created all things for man.”

It’s long been a commonplace: That idea originated in a prescientific understanding of the universe which posited that an immovable Earth was at the center of it, around which sun and planets revolved; and it occupied the center because “man,” being the pinnacle of creation, inhabited it.

But holders of that view had no inkling whatsoever of such realities as light years and galaxies, or the fact that 99.9% of the universe is inhospitable to life, “a lethal, radiation-filled vacuum,” in fact (Youtube, “Richard Carrier: Inhospitable Universe”).

In my letter of July 24 (“Galaxies galore“), I stated that the universe is indeed made up of that many galaxies, incredible as it seems. That’s a point Theriault chose not to address.

Regardless, I for my part refuse to believe that this whole, mind-bendingly vast and deadly universe was created by some God for us two-legged specks.

William LaRochelle, Lewiston