Free will, fate, or Ultimate Theory of the Universe?

Question

I prefer an Ultimate Theory - arguments?

Some would argue there is no Ultimate Theory of the universe on the grounds that if there were complete set of laws, that it would infringe on God’s freedom to change His mind and to intervene in the world. It’s a bit like the old paradox: Can God make a stone so heavy that He can’t lift it? But the idea that God might want to change His example of the fallacy, pointed out by St. Augustine, of imagining God as a being existing in time. Time is a property only of the universe that God created. Presumably, He knew what He intended when He set it up. With the advent of quantum mechanics, we have come to realize that events cannot be predicted with complete accuracy but that there is always a degree of uncertainty. If one liked, one could ascribe this randomness to the intervention of God. But it would be a very strange kind of intervention. There is no evidence that it is directed toward any purpose, if it were - it wouldn't be random.

Answer 1

If you follow religous theory than you would know that God has already made his plan for the universe and we are just acting it out. I would settle between free will and fate. We make choices but the results of those choices are pretty much fate.

Answer 2

If you personify God - either timeless or not - and try contemplating an "ultimate theory" you will only discover a deadend. Think of God as a hyperdimension in which we are all embedded. The way out of the maze of uncertainty - like Theseus - is psychological: full consciousness, self knowledge and the death of the learned ego. The uncertainty principle allows physical reality to synchronizes with you. Haven't you ever experienced a "reality shift?" Spinoza is right. Even though the human mind cannot comprehend the complete line of cause and effect of the universe, slowly but surely we are chipping away at its edges. When physics and psychology understand they are on the same track, then we'll have a breakthrough. So far only the mytics have grasped it, but without the scientific language to describe it.

Answer 3

From the Wikipedia article below: "The current scientific consensus of most cosmologists is that the ultimate fate of the universe depends on its overall shape, how much dark energy it contains, and on the equation of state which determines how the dark energy density responds to the expansion of the universe. Recent measurements by Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe have confirmed that the universe is flat. Absent of dark energy, a flat universe expands forever but at a continually decelerating rate, with expansion asymptotically approaching zero. With dark energy, the expansion rate of the universe initially slows down, due to the effect of gravity, but eventually increases. The fate of the universe is determined by the density of the universe. The preponderance of evidence to date, based on measurements of the rate of expansion and the mass density, favors a universe that will continue to expand indefinitely, resulting in the "big freeze" scenario. The Big Freeze is a scenario under which continued expansion results in a universe that asymptotically approaches absolute zero temperature. This scenario is currently the most commonly accepted theory within the scientific community. A related scenario is heat death. The heat death of the universe is a suggested ultimate fate of the universe, in which the universe has diminished to a state of no thermodynamic free energy and therefore can no longer sustain processes that consume energy (including computation and life). Heat death does not imply any particular absolute temperature; it only requires that temperature differences or other process may no longer be exploited to perform work. In the language of physics, this is when the universe reaches thermodynamic equilibrium (maximum entropy)."

Answer 4

Religious people note the progress of science and its success at various things, and so they try to "science-ize" religion or to find escape clauses, all the time.

Neither of these tacks is really satisfactory to religion. Religion does not really accord with science, and religion does not like taking gods out of the universe, out of time.

Like an old joke about two goldfish: one says to the other, "What do you mean, there is no God? Who do you think changes the water every day?"

This is basically the concept of divinity that positing a god "outside time" and outside the universe creates: a kind of aquarium keeper.

But religion insists that gods are in time, in the universe, talk to people, listen to them, reward them and punish them, and otherwise direct everything.

Science does not investigate God or gods. These concepts are not susceptible to scientific tests. Science only investigates and describes how things work. Questions such as Why are we here, What is the purpose of life, What is the purpose of existence, Is there a God, and so on, are all not the business of science.

Science can neither prove or disprove the existence of any god, and does not consider any such efforts a proper scientific endeavor. But its findings contradict many of the beliefs of religion, so religious people think science is out to get them. Meantime, science is minding its own proper business. It is a hopeless situation: science cannot and should not tailor its findings to suit religion, and religion will not adjust its views regarding the nature of divinity to accomodate the findings science.

Answer 5

What if there is a complete set of laws, that people do not, or refuse to get because they are looking too hard for complex explanations and interpretations? we were given tools to find the way to balance between the extremes that are in all of us and around us., God created extremes. for instance;good and bad. good would not exists without bad right? because what would good mean if there was no bad?, extremes can be seen everywhere in everything. God won't hand you the answer, that would be extreme and pointless to creation.
think about the ten commandments as essential tools and guidelines to find balance., why would God change his mind? think of yourself as a universe. what do you want to predict?
maybe we are not suppose to predict accurately? why would you do that? we are, with all due respect to knowledge, small, very tiny small. ever noticed that the more we know, the more humble we get? food for thought (without atomic terminology), two fathers., one does everything in his power to push his son to advance, learn, achieve more and more so he can become a lawyer, and make tons of money, so he can say - my son is a lawyer (feeding his own ego), the other father gives his son love, information, guidance, security, accepting him for what he is and wishing that his son, no matter what he becomes or where he is, is happy. what kind of father do you feel God is?? what kind of father would you rather have? be for your son? Speed, nor power will get you there., simplicity will. that's the paradox. :)

Answer 6

I agree with you for the most part. The uncertainty arises from complexity, but when events are take separately they are quite simple. However, a great many small events inter and intra-acting leads to apparent chaos. Much like a mob stampeding from an undefined source of alarm. People running in every which direction, each thinking they are running From the source of the danger. It gives rise to Browning motion within the mob. Yet, the purpose and direction of travel is very simple.

Answer 7

Why do people put God under Human standards? What is impossible to man is surely possible to God. Perhaps God is like a scientist who looks over his experiment. Perhaps he intervenes only when things become necessary or when something does not go according to plan. (Man's rebellion comes to mind.)

Answer 8

More fantasy.

Of course, everyone knows that:

The Pink Pixie that designed the universe disagrees with you. The Pink Pixie can do whatever it wants, kill people, starve people, inflict damage and suffering. The Pink Pixie can also threaten you with Pixiehell if you are bad and don't follow Pink Pixie's rules.

Answer 9

The answer to the ultimate question is: '42'

Answer 10

Life is but a dream...and dreams are only dreams.