Trivia: Do Atheist belive in the Big Bang Theory?

Question

Or can they allow other theories? If so, what theories would could be accepted by an Atheist? And still be an Atheist of course.

Atheist please leave this to the Non-Atheists(double negative intended).

This question is in referance to.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060828235859AArJgof&r=w

Adyghe,
Read the link. It is a game a few of us are trying out. I kind of like it.

Answer 1

Atheism is simply the belief that there is nothing beyond this life, nothing spiritual. It is often confused with Agnosticism in which the individual supports the idea of some spiritual existence, something beyond this life, but doesn't limit this idea with the strict, coherent definitions of many popular religions.

The Big Bang is a scientific theory and has nothing to do with spirituality (though, in contemplating the theory, one may be led to many philosophical/spiritual questions). Therefore, there is nothing that precludes an Atheist from believing the theory of the Big Bang. An Atheist can believe any kind of secular theory and still be an Atheist.

Answer 2

If you don't want Atheists to answer, how can you get an answer to

"what theories could be accepted by an Atheist?"

How could a non-Atheist possible know this?

Well, never mind. I'm an Agnostic, not an Atheist.

I can't tell you what an Atheist would believe, because only an Atheist could tell you that. Odd that you don't want one to tell you. What kind of information are you really looking for?

I CAN tell you what ONE (NOT ALL) Agnostic would believe. This one would believe in a form of steady-state increase of mass and energy in this "universe" via the depletion of the same quanities in another. Multiple universes co-existing in multidimensional membranes (or BRANES) are components of the various flavors of quantum string theory.

Some quantum string theories are consistent with a "Big Bang", some are not, and some "don't care".

All of this is assuming that there must be an alternative to the Big Bang, or that the Big Bang and/or its alternates have anything to do with a belief or disbelief in God.

Given the choice, I prefer the type of quantum string theory which predicts "Big Bang" explosions as part of the interaction between universes in separate BRANES. But like the Big Bang itself, it's all pure speculation.

There are many types of Big Bang theory, BTW. One of them is the "Oscillating" theory - that is, that the universe (this one, at any rate) periodically undergoes Big Bang explosions, expansion to a certain point, followed by contraction back to a singularity of some sort, followed by another Big Bang, etc, in a cycle that repeats endlessly.

Perhaps this type of Big Bang is something that would appeal to an Atheist, because it doesn't necessarily involve a deity of any kind. But that doesn't mean a deity isn't involved for certain.

Besides, why all this fluff about constantly having to separate religious beliefs from science? The two ideologies get along just fine for folks who are open-minded.

In fact, open-minded folks have no problems reconciling religion, atheism, agnosticism, or any other philosophical beliefs with science.

Why should we? Just because close minded people tell us we have to?

Answer 3

It is the prevalent theory, but there are actually variations on it (which drives theists nuts, because to them it must be 100% or nothing, no room for discussion)

Just read this from Wikipedia:

A number of Christian and traditional Jewish sources have accepted the Big Bang as a possible description of the origin of the universe, interpreting it to allow for a philosophical first cause. Pope Pius XII was an enthusiastic proponent of the Big Bang even before the theory was scientifically well established and consequently the Roman Catholic Church has been a prominent advocate for the idea that creation ex nihilo can be interpreted as consistent with the Big Bang. This view is shared by many religious Jews in all branches of rabbinic Judaism.

Some modern Islamic scholars believe that the Qur'an parallels the Big Bang in its account of creation, described as follows: "Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together as one unit of creation, before We clove them asunder?" (Ch:21,Ver:30). The claim has also been made that the Qur'an describes an expanding universe: "The heaven, We have built it with power. And verily, We are expanding it." (Ch:51,Ver:47). Parallels with the Big Crunch and an oscillating universe have also been suggested: "On the day when We will roll up the heavens like the rolling up of the scroll for writings, as We originated the first creation, (so) We shall reproduce it; a promise (binding on Us); surely We will bring it about." (Ch:21,Ver:104).
Certain theistic branches of Hinduism, such as in Vaishnavism, conceive of a creation event with similarities to the Big Bang.

The Hindu mythos, narrated for example in the third book of the Bhagavata Purana (primarily, chapters 10 and 26), describes a primordial state which bursts forth as the Great Vishnu glances over it, transforming into the active state of the sum-total of matter ("prakriti"). Other forms of Hinduism assert a universe without beginning or end.

Buddhism has a concept of a universe that has no creation event, but instead goes through infinitely repeated cycles of expansion, stability, contraction, and quiescence. The Big Bang, however, is not seen to be in conflict with this since there are ways to conceive an eternal universe within the paradigm. A number of popular Zen philosophers were intrigued, in particular, by the concept of the oscillating universe.

Answer 4

What you see is not as real as God. What you see should prove to you there is a God. If you try and tell me we just became without a creator then you need to go rethink some things. Ask any athiest how the whole universe came about to exist and I mean every galaxy, planet and star, also the ones still being created. Ask how the earth has one set speed it is to turn and one set speed to rotate around the sun. Also the sun is just at the right distance for life to be sustained here on earth which includes billions of diverse lifeforms (That according to athiests just popped out of nowhere or crawled out of the Ocean). Is it all just coincedence? Also ask them to get an empty mason jar and set it in their house and go back to the jar 20 or 30 years later or more if needed and see whats in it..........you know what would be in it? Still nothing. You have to have a Creator and it scares athiests.
Also for the big bang theory supporters........where did the material that went bang come from and the energy to make it go BANG? I'll tell you, God created it and he may have made a "BIG BANG" out of it to put it where he wanted it I won't dispute that because the Universe is still expanding. All in all the athiests have too many questians to answer themselves that the Bible already explains. I'd rather believe there is a God and die and if there isn't I will then lose nothing but if there is a God and Creator and I've argued to people he isn't then I lose alot. Think it over friend. Are you really sure about denying God? The evidence is against you. The Bible, the only Holy written word of God explains all things past, present and future. There is no excuse for not having the knowledge, it's there.

Answer 5

The Big Bang theory has come into question recently as the moment of 'conception' has yet to be figured out. They can get microseconds close to it, but...
String theory has born some promising research, but Big Bang is so firmly entrenched in the science community that it would take irrefutable evidence to knock it off. And thats hard to come by. Another problem with 'BB' is unification, macro & micro. It should work like a fractal, reusing patterns no matter how deep one looks, but thats not the case.

Answer 6

Unlike most things written about in the Bible, there is direct evidence for the Existence of a primordial Big Bang in the form of a Microwave radiation which is coming at us from everywhere equally. Two guys from Bell labs stumbled onto it:

Radio Astronomy (1978)
Arno A. Penzias and Robert W. Wilson shared the Nobel Prize in Physics. Penzias and Wilson were cited for their discovery of faint background radiation remaining from the "big bang" explosion that gave birth to the universe billions of years ago.

Answer 7

An atheist is one who does not believe in a god or gods, but it doesn't mean that all of them must believe the big bang theory. It's not like atheism is some kind of religion where evryone is FORCED to believe a theory of how the universe started, unlike some religions *koff* christianity *koff*

Answer 8

I don't think many believe in the big bang theory.. i heard of another plausible argument that their is a cyclical course where gaseous matter are attracted together by gravity and then they end up forming a "sun" like object which later explodes and forms other planets ... and this keeps repeating on and on.

Answer 9

Big bang theory is good. Any other theory must include the facts. I am open to the possibilities. But as i said, as long as it covers the facts in a scientific manner.

Answer 10

The Big Bang Theory has nothing to do with belief in God.