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Is existence possible without God?

iLL_LeaT

Member
Is existence possible without God?

Let me clarify what I mean by “existence.” I don't mean the existence of humans. I mean the system that we live in, AKA the universe.

Lets say, for a second, that the Big Bang is 100% correct. How did the atom get into space and time? And how did space and time come into existence so that the atom would have somewhere to be?

Has space and time and that atom always just been???????


I'm not so sure of any of these questions. What do you think?



Here are my thoughts (As of right this second). If the universe has always just been, then there may not be a God. However, It does not make since for this atom to be static for an infinite amount of time then just randomly explode.

If the universe came into existence at some point in time (if there was a beginning), then there must be a God. I mean nothing can only make nothing.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
The answer is that we don't know.

What we do know, or at least what we think we know, now, is that existence is made up of two things: energy, and the laws that control the way that energy behaves. We don't know what energy is, and we don't know the laws that control it's behavior, nor do we know where either of them come from or go to. But, energy expresses itself only in certain ways, and not in any or every way, and because it does so, all that exists, exists as it does.

Do you wish to call that mysterious force that is creating energy, and then governing it's behavior "God"? If so, then certainly the universe could not exist without "God". But if you assume that "God" exists apart from this mysterious source of energy and the factors that govern it, then the universe could exist without "God". Most folks define God AS that mysterious source of all that exists, so for them the answer is clear. But they have no proof one way or another, because like all of us, they just don't know, either.

So it's up to you. How do you choose to define "God"? That will give you your answer. But not THE answer.
 

Francine

Well-Known Member
Is existence possible without God?

No. And not only is existence not possible without God to bring something into existence, it is not possible without God to keep something in existence from nanosecond to nanosecond. God's essence IS existence, and everything that exists has some small amount of this essential existence imparted to it, all the time.
 

lunamoth

Will to love
No. And not only is existence not possible without God to bring something into existence, it is not possible without God to keep something in existence from nanosecond to nanosecond. God's essence IS existence, and everything that exists has some small amount of this essential existence imparted to it, all the time.

I agree. Which is why when someone asks "Is there God?" the answer is: "I am."
 

sandandfoam

Veteran Member
But them what made the creator?
I don't know, but it seems the same problem as what caused the big bang and the only solution that seems rational to me is something that exists outside time could have caused the big bang. This thing outside time may be called God?
 

Panda

42?
Premium Member
I don't know, but it seems the same problem as what caused the big bang and the only solution that seems rational to me is something that exists outside time could have caused the big bang. This thing outside time may be called God?
But that doesn't answer the question. All it does is moves the problem of where did the universe come from to where did God come from.
 

McBell

mantra-chanting henotheistic snake handler
There is no creation without a Creator.
That is, until you get to the creator.
Then the creator "just is"?

So what of the creators creator?
And that creators creator?
and the creators creators creator?
and so on and so forth.
Funny how theists tend to not dwell on the creator of their creator.
 

Guitar's Cry

Disciple of Pan
That is, until you get to the creator.
Then the creator "just is"?

So what of the creators creator?
And that creators creator?
and the creators creators creator?
and so on and so forth.
Funny how theists tend to not dwell on the creator of their creator.

The creator of the creator is his creation. :cool:
 

iLL_LeaT

Member
The answer is that we don't know.

What we do know, or at least what we think we know, now, is that existence is made up of two things: energy, and the laws that control the way that energy behaves. We don't know what energy is, and we don't know the laws that control it's behavior, nor do we know where either of them come from or go to. But, energy expresses itself only in certain ways, and not in any or every way, and because it does so, all that exists, exists as it does.

Do you wish to call that mysterious force that is creating energy, and then governing it's behavior "God"? If so, then certainly the universe could not exist without "God". But if you assume that "God" exists apart from this mysterious source of energy and the factors that govern it, then the universe could exist without "God". Most folks define God AS that mysterious source of all that exists, so for them the answer is clear. But they have no proof one way or another, because like all of us, they just don't know, either.

So it's up to you. How do you choose to define "God"? That will give you your answer. But not THE answer.


See, I have always pictured God (if there is a God) as completely separate from this system. A sort of engineer who has used the resource from his realm to make our realm. But then a few more questions come up. Does our creator have a creator? And If God just made us in the same way an engineer makes a car, can he really promise an afterlife? I mean if I make a self aware robot, I can't promise it an afterlife.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
See, I have always pictured God (if there is a God) as completely separate from this system. A sort of engineer who has used the resource from his realm to make our realm. But then a few more questions come up. Does our creator have a creator? And If God just made us in the same way an engineer makes a car, can he really promise an afterlife? I mean if I make a self aware robot, I can't promise it an afterlife.
I suspect that you're way over anthropomorphizing "God". It would be very unlikely that this God (a mystery, remember) would "think" like we do. It's more likely that existence as we know it is a spontaneous expression of some divine will that is not constrained by thought or reason or personality.
 

rojse

RF Addict
I don't know, but it seems the same problem as what caused the big bang and the only solution that seems rational to me is something that exists outside time could have caused the big bang. This thing outside time may be called God?

But it still does not solve the problem that if the Big Bang needed a creator, why doesn't this creator need a creator?
 

rojse

RF Addict
Is existence possible without God?

Let me clarify what I mean by “existence.” I don't mean the existence of humans. I mean the system that we live in, AKA the universe.

Lets say, for a second, that the Big Bang is 100% correct. How did the atom get into space and time? And how did space and time come into existence so that the atom would have somewhere to be?

Has space and time and that atom always just been???????

I'm not so sure of any of these questions. What do you think?

Here are my thoughts (As of right this second). If the universe has always just been, then there may not be a God. However, It does not make since for this atom to be static for an infinite amount of time then just randomly explode.

If the universe came into existence at some point in time (if there was a beginning), then there must be a God. I mean nothing can only make nothing.

I think that the universe is possible without God.

I think that a lot, if not all, of the observations about how well-suited we are to this universe arise from the fact that we have to be alive to observe the universe. If there were no one alive, we could not make these observations.

Your musing that nothing can not create nothing seem logical at first, but does not bear any examination. If this is so, how did God himself come about? Even should you wish to avoid this question, how did God create matter and energy (something) out of nothing (the universe before the Big Bang?)
 

iLL_LeaT

Member
Why not? Any computer program representing the robot's mind can be copied to another robot, or even let loose inside a simulation.

I could copy its mind from one robot to another, but could I do that forever? infinity is a long time. At some point in time it life would suddenly end past the point of repair. With an infinite amount of time, it's utter end is inevitable.
 

iLL_LeaT

Member
I suspect that you're way over anthropomorphizing "God". It would be very unlikely that this God (a mystery, remember) would "think" like we do. It's more likely that existence as we know it is a spontaneous expression of some divine will that is not constrained by thought or reason or personality.

This is true. I was just trying to make a relation to make comprehension easier. But my point was that I see God as not apart of this system. And as a creator, not just an entity of our universe.
 

Rolling_Stone

Well-Known Member
Is existence possible without God?

Let me clarify what I mean by “existence.” I don't mean the existence of humans. I mean the system that we live in, AKA the universe.

Lets say, for a second, that the Big Bang is 100% correct. How did the atom get into space and time? And how did space and time come into existence so that the atom would have somewhere to be?

Has space and time and that atom always just been???????

I'm not so sure of any of these questions. What do you think?

Here are my thoughts (As of right this second). If the universe has always just been, then there may not be a God. However, It does not make since for this atom to be static for an infinite amount of time then just randomly explode.

If the universe came into existence at some point in time (if there was a beginning), then there must be a God. I mean nothing can only make nothing.
This is from a link I posted in another thread:
We can adapt Plato’s cave allegory to represent monistic idealism in the following way. The fire is replaced by the light of the sun (pure Awareness) coming in through the entrance to the cave, and the puppets are replaced by archetypal objects within the transcendent realm. The phenomenal world of matter and thoughts is merely the shadow of the archetypes in the light of consciousness. Here, we clearly see a complementarity of phenomenon and Noumenon. To look only at the shadows is to be unaware of Awareness. To be directly aware of Awareness is to realize that the phenomenal world is merely a shadow. The shadow world is what we perceive. Awareness can only be apperceived, i.e., realized by a knowing that is beyond perception. Apperception liberates one from the shackles of the cave, and exposes one to infinite freedom. Apperception is the proof that consciousness is all there is.
God exists (or his existence questioned) when we are shackled; when freed from our shackles, God disappears but remains as a finger pointing.
 

iLL_LeaT

Member
I think that the universe is possible without God.

I think that a lot, if not all, of the observations about how well-suited we are to this universe arise from the fact that we have to be alive to observe the universe. If there were no one alive, we could not make these observations.

Your musing that nothing can not create nothing seem logical at first, but does not bear any examination. If this is so, how did God himself come about? Even should you wish to avoid this question, how did God create matter and energy (something) out of nothing (the universe before the Big Bang?)

Now I'm not really talking about science. I'm positive that anything out side of our realm is not observable. So I'm not really claiming anything just wondering what people think.


The fact of the matter is that we are all a little predispositioned to use God for that answers to things we can not rationalize. Our brains are hardwired that way. And I am as victim to that as anyone. As far as I know, that atom was not sitting there for an infinite amount of time before the big bang. Anything could have happened before that point in time. Maybe all of the observable evidence from before the Big Bang no longer existences. Who knows. Maybe God is just a super genius and figured out that we would not be able to rational deduce everything. And with our predisposition, we would just naturally turn to God.


Who crated God? That's a hard one. Who crated us? I don't know. I would have to say that at some point something just had to be. Is it God? Is it us (well not us but the universe)? I would think that it would have to be something infinite. So I guess the question is, is the universe infinite? If not, then what. Is so, does that mean that there is no God? or does that mean that there may not be a God?




Anyway I'm rambling.
 
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