Atheists and our origins?

Question

Ok, I really hate the fact I am posting this question as I know you guys get quesitons like this all the time; so no drinking on me! However, I have to know. I know the big bang theory is the most widely believed to be fact as far as how we started, but what is your belief/scientific basis for how the big bang came to happen? I am not anti-evolution, but I cant see all of this starting without some sort of design. Thanks in advance.

Fabulous answers everyone. Christy, just to clarify, I threw in the I am not anti-evolution because I am a known Christian on here and for the sake of argument (plus it is true, Im not anti-evolution) I decided it would be best to show some clarification that I am not attacking the science they embrace, this was a serious question and I was looking for more technical answers, if that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying though

Answer 1

There are several possible explanations for the beginning of our universe.

The first is that we are possibly living in a multiverse, and ours is just a bubble in a foam of universes. This implies energy has always existed in some form, no need for a beginning.

There is also the observation that true nothingness is unstable. And that something is inevitable. And since the negative energy of gravity balances the positive energy of matter, no miracle is necessary.

There is also M-theory, but honestly, I don't understand it, hope someone else can explain it to you.

Answer 2

We know with certainty that the universe is expanding. This strongly suggests (if not proves) that the universe originated from a single point.

To think that such an enormously compressed singularity could be unstable isn't a leap of faith to me at all!

If you then ask me where did all the matter come from, I have to admit I don't know. Maybe all this matter has the equivalent amount of "anti-matter" (somewhere else?), as some believe.

However, the thought that some infinitely wise, time-less and complex creature that one could call God would exist next to this singularity and plan the whole thing, including things like the immaculate conception of Mary and the Hiroshima bomb seems utterly unbelievable to me and much more far-fetched than the Big Bang theory.

Answer 3

You know as an Atheists I have never tried to explain the existence of the universe. I leave that up to science. But now that you ask I have learned a little about the Big Bang Theory. It seams that every thing did not come from nothing. Every thing in existence now was always in existence only it was just in a different form. Compressed into a tight ball of energy no larger than well science speculate on the size of it some say the size of a golf ball then others say a marble it could have been the size of a base ball or even a basket ball and all this energy was pulling it tighter and tighter into a small lump. then suddenly the pressure was too great suddenly billions of years ago it exploded into what is now the still expanding universe. I believe that is about the gist of it. You would need to study a little science to discover all the evidence that this occurred but they do have tons of evidence for the Big Bang Theory. I love to just marvel at the Hubble Telescope pictures myself they are marvelous it makes you wonder what hath God rout.

Answer 4

Thank you for being respectful. The "first cause" problem is one we all face. If you believe in God then you can't simply say "God exists outside of time" because that doesn't explain anything. I'm an atheist so I consider our origins to not be "supernatural". Scientists know that the universe is about 13.7 billion years old, and that it has been expanding from a single point. The exact science behind it is beyond my own comprehension.

It's very difficult to imagine a time when there was nothing at all, and that "something" then came from that "nothing". It's tempting to invoke a supernatural force hoping to explain away the problem - I, however, do not. As I said before, to simply say "God did it" wont suffice because it isn't an explanation. It's just a "deus ex machina" that sidesteps the problem. If God exists outside of time, then we can't test for His existence or understand the science behind His origins.

In short, scientists reasonably understand our origins but there is a lot they do not know. I personally cannot grasp this science because it is hard - it is beyond my own capabilities and I haven't made an effort to understand it anyway.

Answer 5

I just wanted to point out that the Theory of Evolution and the Theory of the Big Bang are two separate and unrelated theories.

The Evolution Theory is a theory regarding how living organisms originated and evolved over time and The Big Bang Theory is a theory regarding how the universe came into existence.

I just wanted to point out the difference because you stated that you do not understand the Big Bang Theory and then that you are not anti-evolution and the two are unrelated.

Answer 6

I saw the explanation on a TV documentary. You know the string theory. Well scientist thought that there were 3 dimensions and then 4, then 5, and then they settled on 11 ( I think). Anyway these dimensions are not straight lines, they sorta ripple. Well two dimensions side by side with each other may collided, hence the big bang. A group of scientist figured that out on a train, while going to see a play.
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Oh yeah at the end one scientist has this eerie look in his eye while he contemplated how he can create an universe in his lab. And how said universe could grow and not compete with our universe. Yeah it was like Mad Scientist Crazy.

Answer 7

We do not yet have a good theory for what came before the Big Bang. There is speculation and interesting mathematical models but nothing that anybody would yet call a plasible theory.

Sorry, but that's just the way science works. Things take time to figure out. And belief isn't part of the process.

Answer 8

I don't really see why so many are concerned about big bangs. If our scientists haven't doped it out yet , give them time , a great amount of imformation is being learned every day , Maybe they might never have to answer , but I sure it didn't happen by some bloke waving his magic wand .
Doesn't it seem strange that the Holies want every tiny bit of science proven , while all that they can come up with is the magic wand idea ?

Answer 9

I have no freaking idea. I mean, I can barely wrap my mind around the concept of the "Big Bang." I can't explain it at all. But that has nothing to do with my opinion that "God made it" just isn't an answer. I'm an atheist because I think the "God" idea is a vestige of a primitive stage of human knowledge and understanding, retained because of its claim to address "ultimate questions" that it actually doesn't address at all. Science, meanwhile, doesn't pretend to be able to answer the "ultimate questions." When science doesn't know, it has to own up, because science relies on proof. And I guess I respect an honest "I don't know" more than an unqualified "This is how it is."

Answer 10

This really isn't an "atheist" question, per se. This is a question you would have been better off posting in the science section. Nevertheless, we have been dealing with the question of the singularity since we have developed the theory of the Big Bang. The true answer is that we do not know yet.

And there is nothing wrong with saying "we do not know."