The Big Bang (Origins)

by dhw, Monday, May 03, 2010, 14:11 (5316 days ago) @ David Turell

David believes in an "eternal first cause, not in time, as we perceive it. The UI always exists, and creates universes at will."-At the same time, David, you argue that multiverses "are part of a dying theory about membranes and stringiness. We can know nothing about them if they exist, or existed, as we are totally contained in our universe."-I remain confused by your belief that God creates universes (plural), and your description of the multiverse theory as dying. I don't think you can have it both ways. Why not confine your own theory to God creating our universe, and leave it at that? The only reason I can think of for not doing so is the fact that this would leave God idle before the Big Bang, but you are not prepared to accept that there might have been a "before". -As for belief in a "timeless and eternal" UI, it's tempting to use your multiverse argument: that we can't know if a UI exists or existed, let alone know anything about it, as we are totally contained in our universe of space, time and matter. From there, it's equally tempting to argue that our universe of space, time and matter is all there is. That is the basis of the atheistic approach, and although our hero William would not have agreed theologically, he might have found it a bit more difficult nowadays to disagree philosophically. But of course ... as no doubt he would have pointed out ... there are gaps in the argument, which we've discussed over and over again: the complex mechanisms of the universe and life, and human experiences that appear to defy the restrictions of time, space and matter. That is why I resist the philosophical temptation.-You've concluded this section of your post with a summary that I would like to expand on slightly: "...we can only know that we live in a single universe, going on our lonely way until our universe ends in heat death, stretched out to God knows where (pun intended)." Whether it will end in heat death, a big freeze, a big crunch, a big bounce or a big rip (depending, presumably, on God's master plan), I wouldn't like to forecast, but the phrase that strikes a resounding chord in me is: "going on our lonely way". Whether God exists or not, I see no evidence of any concern for his creatures in the world he may or may not have created. This raises another of those crucial questions: if indeed he is not concerned about us, why should we be concerned about him?