Question about science for Christians and Atheists...?

Question

I am an atheist, but I'm willing to entertain the idea of god and heaven if I can find proof of it. In my opinion the bible isn't proof because it was written and translated by the hands of man. I'm not looking to be converted so please don't preach, my path to enlightenment is one I must travel alone.
I have been reading Stephen Hawking books about the universe and if the universe began with a "big bang" that means that there was a moment of creation (a day when there was no yesterday). The universe started as an atom and exploded and now it is expanding at an ever increasing rate. What is beyond the edges of the universe? If it's expanding then it must be expanding into an empty area? What is this area beyond the universe and does it have an end? Could the universe be forced by bounderies to stop expanding? Where does heaven fit into the picture? could heaven be in this empty space somewhere? If so, what do you think will happen when the universe reaches it? Thank you!

PS the big bang occured because "atom" was "zero volume" and of intense gravity. in other words it was "nothing" hhhmmmm...there is no scientific backing to say that it was "created"...next

Mona - can i see to the edges of the universe? No but I believe that it exists.

Klute - haha very good point, I guess I should elaborate...the bible was written by the hands of man with no scientific backing or proof that the stories are true. Stephen has a couple hundred years of scientific observation and facts to back up his theories which can be proved over and over again. Where is proof of ... well anything in the bible, other than someone said so....?

Like a rolling stone - please don't try to answer a question if you don't know the basic facts contained in the questions.
We know the universe is expanding because a very smart scientist was able to find a way using light spectrums to determine what a star was made of and by measuring the brightness and the waves on the spectrum he was able to determine that these stars were moving away from us. why don't you pick up a book other than the bible before you try to deny facts! see my response to Klute about the written by the hand of man thing....

you gave a very fine answer but with one flaw in my opinion. if god can make anything happen then why does everything that happens in the universe follow a very simple set of rules...everything, why doesn't he make his presence obviously known, like proof? you use the words "according to his nature" is this not another way of saying the nature of the universe? if so then the nature of the universe is subject to these rules, thus, so is god.
and if humans are flawed then how do you know that the bible is not flawed if it was written by man. and yes I have heard that its because it was "inspired by god" but i can write a book and say it was inspired by god but that doesn't nesaccarily make it so. even if the original bible was "inspired" who is to say that the people that translated it were not subject to translation by perspective or at least errors. have you ever played the game telephone? the same idea, after its passed along so many people the end the result is different

that above response was for sylincedogood or however the heck you spell his name

oh an sylencedogood, YOU DONT FEAR FOR THE PLANET?!?! i know jesus said turn the other cheek but the reason the planet is in the condition that it is in is because of people like you. enlighten youself to the fact that we humans are destroying this planet and we are the only ones capable of saving it. not god. make an effort, recycle, take the bus to work, help save endagered species, do your part, for you live here too, you take from mother earth and she provides it for you, gives something back man, i cant believe how selfish you sound. how can you call yourself a christian yet have no fear or concern for the condition of a plant that "god" gave for you be born, live, and give you everything you will ever need and takes you back into her womb when you die, this planet sustains you!!!! if there is a god he sure as hell is not going to give us anything as wonderful as planet earth and you don't fear for it, hypocrite!!!!

Answer 1

These are the questions that the greatest minds of our time and many of the rest of us are contemplating too. The honest answer is we don't have the answers yet. It may be very interesting to speculate or toss around hypotheses but these are not answers that are supported by any evidence we have yet. I am unwilling to make up an answer with no evidence and call it a reasonable conclusion. I am willing to ponder with wonder and admit we don't know and probably won't in this lifetime or perhaps ever. The answer could be in agreement with your musings but thus far the universe has been observed to be working on naturalistic foundations. There is no reason to suspect yet that there is a "heaven" anywhere based on science anymore than there is that there are planets made of cotton candy.

Answer 2

Well, first off you tell us not to use the Bible as a basis, but you quote a book that you are using to help form your basis and opinion. You can use a book/text, we can't? How fair is that? How much sense does that make? Yes, the Bible was written by men. If God came down here (especially if it were a long time ago) and wrote it, would you believe it? All of it? Would you then ask for proof that God did indeed write it? The book you quote was written by men was it not? You evidently trust that written by men book, but because the Bible was also written by men, you don't trust it. Shouldn't it work both ways? Some of the Bible was written by God INSPIRED men - some was written by eyewitnesses of Jesus. To believe that everything you have, and will, ever see all started because for some unknown reason atoms exploded is a little farfetched isn't it. Where did the original atom come from and why, what caused it, to explode? Since we can't see the end of the universe, how do we know it's expanding? I doubt that the human mind can figure these questions out. We can't put man on Saturn yet and it isn't that far away when considering how far away the other galaxies are. I'm not so sure that it matters all that much. We're here. There is such a thing as right and wrong. There are all sort of laws that govern us, space, life, time, and more. Our planet is unique and I think it's unique for a reason. I don't think our planet turned out the way it did just by chance. I think someone, something, made/created it that way. You might want to remember that God is not limited by time and space. Your questions seem to put a limit on time and space.

Answer 3

Here is a non-religious viewpoint (they seems to be lacking).
The current theory is that the universe has no edges..if edges is the right word. The theory, I think, says something about the universe being...curved...it's hard to grasp...the universe is not shaped like a ball, there are other dimensions, which kind of twist the shape of space...so there are no edges. As for where heaven fits into the picture...well..I don't see why it has to.
A previous poster stated that even an atom has to come from somewhere...true, but so does god, so where did god come from? If god can bypass that law, why can't an atom, thereby bypassing the need for god? Anyhow, the universe isn't supposed to reach some edge, because there are no edges, of the universe itself. There can be no empty space outside the universe..there can't be anything, otherwise it would be part of the universe..nothing, not even vacuum. I was hoping this answer would be a little more helpful, but it's late. I hope I was of some help.

Answer 4

From what I learned in Astronomy class... The universe has no edge and no center. But to say the least, if there were an edge, beyond the edge of the universe would be empty space. There is definetly (without a doubt!) no end to space.

I don't believe "Heaven" exists, but if it does, I imagine it would exist outside the realm of our universe. However, I remember watching this show where they said it's in Orion's Belt! I thought that was hysterical!! I wish I recorded it.

Since the universe is expanding at an accelerated rate, it is thought that eventually, the universe will shred apart, and nothing, not even atoms! will survive. If Heaven is beyond the edge of the universe (assuming the universe has an edge), then it could be beyond the point where the universe will end up when it shreds and becomes nothing... I still say that if Heaven exists, it is beyond this realm.

Answer 5

You are on a very long journey and going the wrong way if you truly wish to "entertain the idea" of God. You journey outward instead of inward. You seek evidence from the physical instead of the spiritual. You wish an effect to point to the cause rather than allow the cause to produce another effect.

Edit:
In the beginning God created and that creation had no form. The only way this can be, to our way of thinking, is if that creation were a thought. He knew from the beginning how all things would be for they came from His mind. Then God said, "Let there be light." The light is the effect and the voice of God is the cause. Whether with a bang or coalescence all things we can perceive came into being. However long that took was the beginning of day one. Then the cause created another effect. He used order instead of chaos. He used light instead of darkness.
Have you never heard a Christian say that he has become a new creation? Outwardly he may look the same. You have the intelligence to understand, but do you have the heart?
How much space does a thought consume?

Answer 6

The second law of thermodynamics concerning energy deterioration is accurately described in the Bible. Read Psalms 102:26, Romans 8:18-23 and Hebrews 1:10-12. I personally believe that God created the "Big Bang" out of nothingness via His Word-Jesus. You cannot combine the physical and spiritual realms. Heaven is above and beyond our universe. This universe will ultimately be rolled up and destroyed and a new Heaven and Earth will be created. Revelations chapter 21. Also, everything we have studied so far including the moon, comets, other planets, galaxies, etc... via the Hubble Telescope all show that EVERYTHING is made up of elements in the periodic table. Thus, one source. The universe is estimated now to be 150 billion light years across.

Answer 7

Well to your first part yes the bible was written by man, but it was inspired by God. Meaning the Holy Spirit overshadowed them will writing. God, Holy Spirit, and Jesus are all one. So that is why we hold it as proof, there are some religions, like the book of mormons which was written by a man and had nothing to do with God.

Some christians believe in the big bang and evolution but say God had a part of it. I on the other hand don't, until someone can show me than yea. Did God use atoms to explode and create the universe? I don't know but why would he need to do that when He could just snap His fingers and do it. I just don't try and follow that idea cause that is running into the idea with atheist, and all that Darwinism. Which makes me sound like a hypocrite, and I don't think you can believe on both at the same time. Not to mention how God made us out of dirt not creating something than later evolving.

Answer 8

I believe that the big bang is being replaced by quantum theory about an influx of matter/energy from two branes brushing together. (which in this case makes me think of that picture of God reaching out his index finger to touch the index finger of Adam, what if you repaint it to have God poking his finger thru a brane?)

How about this?
A) God is the limit on Creation (created all)
B) God is the limit on Space (same thing)
C) God is the limit on Time (the beginning and the end)

So without that we have Unlimited Space, Unlimited Time, and Unlimited Creation. Within that, everything which our meager minds can possibly conceive of will eventually, someplace, exist.

95% of the planet "conceives" of a God along the lines of what was just laid out.

Answer 9

The Templeton Prize is only prestigious to Christians. In the rest of the science community, it causes eyerolls because John Templeton's stated mission is to promote scientists who can reassure him a god exists. Templeton has the money to do this. Why did Templeton not award Ellery Schempp for his 1968 thesis in physics which outlined the possibility of the MRI? Because Schempp is the high school kid whose protest led to overturning prayer in schools and is a member of the UU Church. You won't see Christians like Francisco Ayala or Kenneth Miller winning this prize.

Answer 10

"My path to enlightenment is one I must travel alone" Of course, my friend. Everyone must grapple with life's questions alone.

But that doesn't mean we cannot discuss, argue, share ideas. That doesn't mean you can't listen to other people's opinions. That doesn't mean you can't learn by considering what other people say - whether you call it preaching or something else.

But you are looking for "proof" about God. Here is one website you might want to explore:

http://www.proofthatgodexists.org/

Will it convince you? Maybe. But probably not because God demands faith. And faith by definition goes beyond what is seen with the eyes.

And your questions about heaven? Stop looking through some telescope. Heaven is a spiritual state, not a physical place beyond the galaxies. God is a spirit and He dwells in a spiritual plane that cannot be detected by human eyes.

Stephen Hawking? Poor self-deluded guy.

god bless