For an atheist... Has the universe always existed? If not?

Question

when was the beginning of time... And will the "heavens" always exist???

Just curious.. I promise... just want to know your thoughts

Thanks everyone.

I'm not trying to be disrespectful... it's a question that I always wonder. Something we all seem to have in common is that there has always been some sort of forever....

I believe that God has always existed and always will... That's part of the reason why I believe in the Creator.. I just wanted to know what your viewpoints were.

I like that STRAIGHT... doesn't something have to be created out of something... That's another reason why I believe in an infinite creator.

heavens... I may not be correct, but I mean this universe... and the universe beyond that and so on.... : )

This is very interesting. I'm enjoying reading everyone's answers... I mean it... This is awesome....

Seriously... I know that I'm not a scientist and reading your answers I understand your meanings. I know this question has been asked before, but I think it's a good question for EVERYONE.

I think may be we can all come to common ground on the fact that there had to be some sort of start whether it be a molecule (which who created it... serious whole hearted honest question) or from God... It's hard for us all to grasp...

Answer 1

I believe that it has. I subscribe to the theories of the infinite expansion and contraction (or collapse)of the universe. It's like bubble gum, expands... expands.... collapse... starts again.

I am operating under the "heavens" as being another word for the universe versus a theological heaven.

Edit: Thanks for asking so respectfully. I also think many theists and atheists agree in something being infinite... whether it be the universe or a god.

Answer 2

Yes. According to the laws of Thermodynamics energy can neither be created nor destroyed, so there must have always been energy equivalent to the total mass and energy of the current universe.

Considering that the known universe seems to be expanding (known from our observations of light shift,) the current universe reformed from a central location. It's likely that the universe expands, reaches a certain point then begins collapsing upon itself. It reaches a point of mass and energy which reacts in a violent explosion, the bits of which form into nebula, galaxies, stars, and solar systems.

It's impossible for us to know what existed prior to the "Big Bang" (which, since the universe is still expanding, is probably still 'banging'.) So everything didn't come from nothing, it's just impossible for us to tell what it did come from. So far. But for all we know, this is what's likely been going on for an eternity before us, this question has been asked infinite times, and will all likely happen again infinitely more. =)

...and I'm not an atheist... I'm an animist.

Answer 3

What we know is that the galaxies in general are moving away from each other at a steady rate. Two theories seem to be current one that the universe is pulsating in which case it has probably always existed or it started from one point (a singularity) and burst out from there. Or the big bang as it is known. There is other evidence which suggests that the big bang could be correct but nobody really knows. I can remember the timing for the big bang but in any case the human mind cannot actually conceive the vast amount of time involved but if you want to know put big bang into google and you will get some sites that will tell you

Answer 4

You ask a complex question so I hope your prepared to receive a complex answer. To ask if the Universe has always existed is to commit the fallacy of composition. Before I get into that if someone were to answer Yes - Then they would have to answer what does the Universe exist in? The Universe is the set of all things - everything that exists. So to ask does the Universe exist or has it always existed does not make much sense. The Universe is everything that is so does it exist in itself? Now lets get back to the aforementioned question. I think we will all agree that of the things we know time and space are parts of the Universe. We cannot say that time and space is the entire Universe because then we would have to account for matter and energy. Time is apart of the Universe it does not supercede the Universe. To ask has the Universe always existed is to commit the fallacy of composition. Your taking a part and applying it to the whole.

Has - Temporal word
Always - Tempord word

You see so to ask has the Universe always existed is to already admit that a part of the Universe exist -Time-
Therefore you just shot yourself in the conceptual foot. It like saying a part of the Universe exist but has the Universe always existed.

The Universe is not an object its the set of all things. Everything that exists - exist in the Universe. But we cannot say that the Universe itself exists in anything. Because it is everything.

Complicated I know but did you expect a question about the totality of all things to be easy. As for the beginning of time, Im sure this is a nonsenscial question as well. Its like saying time began at a certain time????? Wrap your head around that one. Its useful to note that time is not absolute - its relative. Einsteins theory proves that there is no Universal clock clicking throughtout the Universe - time is relative to ones reference frame.

Answer 5

It has not. Things began 13.6 billion years ago (give or take a few million) with the big bang, a rapid expansion from a singularity which marked the beginning of both space and time. (The term 'explosion' is often used, but is somewhat inapt because that implies an expansion into an existing space, rather than of space itself.) I had my doubts about this theory when I first heard it, but not only does it conform to the evidence, it also explains the presence of lithium in the universe, which could not have been created in any other way. As for heaven, that's a fiction.

Answer 6

Not known.

There is little scientific understanding of times before the Big Bang, or regions beyond our event horizon.

The Universe may very well be infinite, in all directions and in the past and future.

The current classical theory indicates that all past timelines end in the singularity of the Big Bang. In other words, everything within our Universe began at that time. This may be modified by better understanding of quantum gravity. That singularity was 13.7 billion years ago.

At present, it seems likely that "our" piece of the Universe will empty out to an extremely low density, over the next trillion years.

Since we don't know how the Universe began, we certainly can't say that it can't happen again.

Answer 7

I think that M-theory might be onto something, that theres existence beyond our universe in the form of other universes. I don't know if theres a creator of ours, but if there is, I doubt he/she/it even knows we are here.
Look at the vastness of our universe, we're pretty hard to find.

If you think of the universes beyond ours and so on, then it goes too far down the chain to even imagine. It could be billions of billions of years till we reach an origin, or the chain may even be circular for all we know.

Becket, the new theories can help explain gravity and the energy of particles. It's still in its infancy, but like quantum mechanics, once developed could lead to incredible leaps of knowledge. Even if wrong the journey in research and discovery always leads to unexpected and new things, its never wasted. With the particle accerelerater at Cern being built, I think they're looking at ways of testing some of the predictions.

Answer 8

That is one viable idea. I've also read an idea that the Big Bang was part of a cycle. Universes expand to a point the energy within allows then they collapse upon themselves and cycle back to a Big Bang level and repeat the process.
We may never know the exact details of the origins of the universe but suffice it to say that what we do know is much more likely and believable than the creation story of the bible.

Answer 9

The Big Bang is the beginning of time, as many people believe. However, some scientists now theorize that the universe existed previously and underwent a Big Splat when it collided with other dimensional universes. And some still theorize that the universe underwent many Big Bangs in the past. In reality, all of this is theoretical because no one knows for certain.

Answer 10

The ontological argument for the existence of God has (long ago) been shown to rest on a logical error.

For a Christian, has God always existed? If not, when was the beginning of time?

Are these not equivalent statements? If it is logical that someone or some thing MUST have greated the universe -- then doesn't the same logic apply to "prove" that someone or something must have created the creator? If God could have always been, why not matter & energy?

Answer 11

Time is an aspect of the universe. I believe time derives from differences within the universe, so I believe that the universe is ultimately timeless.

If nothing changed how could you say time passes. Therefore time is derived from change and not something which is fundamental.

I don't believe anything is created at all. Instead I believe nature is based on timeless mathematics.

Personally I believe reality is ultimately mathematics (necessary logical truth) . It only looks like space and time because we see so little of it. Nothing is ever really created. The key here is a powerful selection effect (our existence ) which selects the portion of reality we find ourselves in. Only in very interesting portions of this vast infinite reality could we evolve.

Our understanding of reality is layered. You see the world in terms of large physical objects. But you are aware that those are illusions made up of atoms, and atoms in turn are made of smaller particles. Many believe that these so called "fundamental" particles are not fundamental but are built on a layer of mathematical objects called strings. My belief is that all reality is built upon mathematics and mathematics is what is truly fundamental.

The reason why we see top layers instead of lower layers is due to our inability to see all of the the details in the lower layers.

The reasons for my belief are way too involved to cover here so I will just post a link to something simple enough that you might understand it. I fear my actual reasons are likely to be well beyond your comprehension unless you have a very advanced gaduate physics background.


http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/0704/0704.0646v1.pdf


As mathematics ( necessary logical truth ) is fundamental and necessary it is not created. Existence simply equals necessary truth. Mathematics "just is" because it is necessary and tautologically simple ( Zero complexity ). But Mathematics does not create reality. Mathematics is reality.

The problem with the god hypothesis is your god needs to be more complex and hence more unlikely than the reality you are attempting to explain. Saying your god just is, still leaves a much bigger question than you had to begin with.