How do people justify believing that the universe came from nothing?

Question

It seems impossible to me that something could come from nothing. Nevertheless, this is what some people believe - they think a god exists who made the universe from absolutely nothing... but physics suggests that absolute nothingness is a state that cannot possibly exist, and therefore, since the universe does unarguably exist, it cannot have come from nothing. This makes sense to me because it disposes of a seemingly insuperable problem.

So, how do religious folks justify believing this 'something from nothing' notion? How is that possible? It's clearly not satisfactory to hand-wave this away with "God works in mysterious ways" or something. If someone believes that a god created the universe from nothing, they ought to have some idea how he managed to pull it off. Any ideas?

"You know physics is better than guessing because physics gives us computers and cell phones. Guessing gives you televangelists. You choose."

Brilliant! :-)

Molly, I don't think anything in big bang theory says "something from nothing".

socrates: You have that the wrong way round (which was the whole point of my question - it seems to be the religious folks who are arguing for 'something from nothing', not atheists, but they never explain how that is possible.

whirling: Very good :-)

Last Voice of Reason: I agree it's still deeply mysterious, but if a state of complete nothingness cannot actually exist, then that's one less possibility to worry about (and of course if there never was something created from nothing then there can't be a creator).

Answer 1

Infinity gives some people a headache... lol

Answer 2

We humans are a long way from being able to solve the mystery of how the cosmos came into existence. We have had some brilliant theories and inspired thoughts about it, but what caused everything to come into being is beyond us. It does seem impossible for anything to come from nothing (even God), but then why does anything exist at all? Humans certainly have potential, but this one may take a long, long time to understand!

Answer 3

I believe that God exists and what is more, one of his qualities is omnipotence (that's his all powerfullness). It's really by pointing to this nature or quality, that I try to justify why I think God has the ability to be able to make a universe.

I wouldn't argue for this nature from 'God works in mysterious ways'. Since the first few verses of the Bible seems to show God's willingness to describe some of how and why he made the world. You don't have to be a creationist to believe it is true. A lot of Christians also believe God used evolution in the process of creation. There are many Christian views about how he did things.

I would also want to say that as a believer in this kind of thing. What is technically called 'Creation ex Nihilo', I don't believe that something came from nothing - that would be the atheist point of view. I believe that something came from something which is timeless and all powerful. This means that nobody made God, for he is outside of time.

Answer 4

Indeed. How do ppl try and fail to justify believing Moses' lie: "In the beginnng"; Rather than know eternal and immortal God such as His Grace has no beginning of days nor end of life. For what's evident from the evidence is that no man is justified by the law in the sight God, Who is notably excepted.

What a global dilemna that even makes global warming look good in comparison.

So then perhaps, as the Bible states, it's "allegory" and "mystery" written "aforetime" for our "learning", to go and "learn" what meaneth "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice"; Perhaps even the ultimate matrix to navigate through, as if "through the valley of the shadow of death", and enduring unto the end which has no death sting because it notably has no mention of any law: sin and death.

Problem is, getting there alive unto God, through the maze of Revelation, a worse case scenario involving seven (other) spirits more wicked, four Daniel night mares, beasts, war in heaven, and a dragon.

Solution is, give more earnest heed to what's said about escape, for the only other option is no escape. Escape invovles all or none, since there is no respect of persons with God. So divisions won't invovle escape, only unity will.

MeanWhile, there's also the problem of global warming, limits time for getting on with unity by letting go of divisions, which is as getting on with grace by letting go of laws.

His Grace --> Mercy ---> Peace with you all. Amen.

Answer 5

This may help you. It's an excerpt from the link below

The human mind cannot reconcile itself to infinite regress in its search for the origin of the world, nor can it reconcile itself to endless change without a goal. Evolution is unintelligible if it has no initial cause, and it is deprived of all direction and meaning if it all does not lead to a terminus. The very questions “Whence?” and “Whither?” presuppose the beginning and end of this evolving creation. The beginning of evolution is the beginning of time and the end of evolution is the end of time. Evolution has both beginning

During the evolutionary period the universe is in itself nothing but imagination. There is in fact only one indivisible and eternal Reality and It is beyond time. From the point of view of this timeless Reality the whole time-process is purely imaginary, and billions of years which have passed and billions of years which are to pass do not have even the value of a second. It is as if they had not existed at all.

So the manifold and evolving universe cannot be said to be a real outcome of this one Reality. If it were an outcome of this one Reality, Reality would be either a relative term or a composite being, which it is not. The one Reality is absolute.

The one Reality includes in itself all existence. It is Everything, but it has Nothing as its shadow. The idea of all-inclusive existence implies that it leaves nothing outside its being. When you analyse the idea of being, you arrive by implication at the idea of that which does not exist. This idea of non-existence or “Nothing” helps you to define clearly our notion of being. The complementary aspect of Being is thus Non-Being or Nothing. But “Nothing” cannot be looked upon as having its own separate and independent existence. It is nothing in itself. Nor can it, in itself, be a cause of anything. The manifold and evolving universe cannot be the outcome of “Nothing” taken by itself, and you have seen that it also cannot be the outcome of the one Reality. How then does the manifold and evolving universe arise?

The manifold evolving universe arises from the mixing of the one Reality and “Nothing.” It springs out of “Nothing” when this “Nothing” is taken against the background of the one Reality. But this should not be taken to mean that the universe is partly the outcome of the one Reality, or that it has an element of Reality. It is an outcome of “Nothing” and is nothing. It only seems to have existence. Its apparent existence is due to the one Reality which is, as it were, behind “Nothing.” When “Nothing” is added to the one Reality, the result is the manifold and evolving universe.

The one Reality which is infinite and absolute does not thereby suffer any modification. It is absolute and is as such entirely unaffected by any addition or subtraction. The one Reality remains what it was, complete and absolute in itself and unconcerned and unconnected with the panorama of creation that springs out of “Nothing.” “Nothing” might be compared to the value of “zero” in mathematics. In itself it has no positive value, but when it is added to another number it gives rise to the many. In the same way the manifold and evolving universe springs out of “Nothing”


You can follow this link to read more: http://discoursesbymeherbaba.org/v1-43.php

Answer 6

No. The lifestyles of God isn't resembling the lifestyles of universe. Universe is project to alter in accordance to well known technological know-how and that they calculate its lifestyles approximately. something that usually existed could stay the comparable in any respect situations. This concept isn't accessible with universe because of the fact it retains on increasing and a few portion of it get finished and each little thing in it is going to come to an end as quickly as. on the different hand, God is self existent and not project to alter. in case you're removing day holiday of your ideas, you are able to draw close what I say. God purely exists and time isn't perfect to him. we are project to time and we've a constrained time in basic terms in the international. yet God exists from no time to no time. he's the optimal of each and every little thing and his ability can't be comprehended by potential of any human beings. the main solid info of God's lifestyles is the planet we are residing in. purely take a seem on earth and study it platforms; you would be surprised. The hands of a great author are very of course glaring in regardless of we see in the international.

Answer 7

Stuff comes from nothing all the time, like me friend Paul, like last year he was nothing and now he's someone.

Anyway God made the world not the universe, I think the Greek or Roman dude's gods made like the other planets and called them after themselves. So anyway God made our world, but didn't call it God, he called it earth,and he made it in 7 days, although I think he spent a lot of time not figuring some stuff out, like lightening, but did ok with gravity. God used lots of stuff like earth, wind and fire and created it..although I think Noah made the animals.

Answer 8

He is God!.Imagine if you would, a master planner, sitting some where out there, deciding to establish a huge carbon foot print. Then with a wave of His hand, for simplicity's sake,molding the stars and planets. Then, He may have picked out the farthest system away from where He intended the establish the human factor. For who, in his right mind would want to be close to us. For safety's sake. And that may be how it was done. But that's just me.

Answer 9

Not a very good question, but... Basically, If God is God, he can make whatever he wants. God isn't a human... he doesn't have limits on what he can do.
Plus, the big bang theory? Something from nothing. The correct question would be to question that.

Answer 10

You have to stretech your mind to imagine that even the first material had to come from some origin. We believe God created that also. How he did it may be beyond our understanding, but the Bible says he spoke it into being. Frankly, it's irrelevant to our situation.

Answer 11

Hand me an Aspirin!
If there is nothing then nothing is existing so that makes total sense...there is no existence without something that's for sure.
Anyway, why can't super-computers work this one out for us yet?