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Old 05-28-2011, 03:41 PM
 
6,762 posts, read 11,595,612 times
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Just wanting to get some honest opinions and ideas as to how atheists think we came into existence. For reference, I believe that we were created, although I do not believe that any religous text is accurate in detailing it.

Here are some things I am curious about.

If the "big bang" was the so called beginning of the universe, where did the matter come from that allowed the big bang to happen?

Once the rapid expansion of our universe was underway, how were there any laws at all, such as the speed of light, time, space, etc?

With all of the things that happen such as molecular reactions, atomic and subatomic particles and their behaviors, how did all of those individual elements and parts of matter begin behaving the way they did and why do they continue to behave in a scientifically predictable fashion.



Just a little more info on me: I do believe we were created. I accept that it is possible we were not. I believe our universe is billions of years old. I believe that evolution definitely occurs at some level and have not ruled out any specific parts of evolution in my mind.

Basically, I enjoy pop cosmology and astronomy and am just trying to find out what non believers think when it comes to "how" all matter and reactions, etc came into existence from absolutely nothing. To me, creation is the only thing that makes sense, but I am open to explanations.
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Old 05-28-2011, 04:15 PM
 
Location: Valencia, Spain
16,155 posts, read 12,798,544 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXboomerang View Post
Here are some things I am curious about.

If the "big bang" was the so called beginning of the universe, where did the matter come from that allowed the big bang to happen?
No idea. Where did the matter come from that allowed your god to 'create' everything?

Quote:
Basically, I enjoy pop cosmology and astronomy and am just trying to find out what non believers think when it comes to "how" all matter and reactions, etc came into existence from absolutely nothing.
Why do you think that non-believers think everything came from nothing? I've never met one who thinks that.

Quote:
To me, creation is the only thing that makes sense, but I am open to explanations.
OK...so how did that happen out of absolutely nothing?
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Old 05-28-2011, 04:34 PM
 
17,183 posts, read 22,779,379 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXboomerang View Post
Just wanting to get some honest opinions and ideas as to how atheists think we came into existence. For reference, I believe that we were created, although I do not believe that any religous text is accurate in detailing it.

Here are some things I am curious about.

If the "big bang" was the so called beginning of the universe, where did the matter come from that allowed the big bang to happen?

Once the rapid expansion of our universe was underway, how were there any laws at all, such as the speed of light, time, space, etc?

With all of the things that happen such as molecular reactions, atomic and subatomic particles and their behaviors, how did all of those individual elements and parts of matter begin behaving the way they did and why do they continue to behave in a scientifically predictable fashion.



Just a little more info on me: I do believe we were created. I accept that it is possible we were not. I believe our universe is billions of years old. I believe that evolution definitely occurs at some level and have not ruled out any specific parts of evolution in my mind.

Basically, I enjoy pop cosmology and astronomy and am just trying to find out what non believers think when it comes to "how" all matter and reactions, etc came into existence from absolutely nothing. To me, creation is the only thing that makes sense, but I am open to explanations.
It is impossible to answer this in a forum with so little space and time.

I suggest viewing Stephen Hawkings Universe. In Particular, program 2 has a good explanation of the big bang and what we know. Program 6 tries to answer the question you ask.

Science does not have every answer, but it has better ones than the supernatural, imo.
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Old 05-28-2011, 05:29 PM
 
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I don't know

I'm confident there are people who specialize in this and people who are smarter than me have a better idea, but I don't know if they know either.

...and I'm totally ok with that.
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Old 05-28-2011, 05:37 PM
 
6,762 posts, read 11,595,612 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rafius View Post
No idea. Where did the matter come from that allowed your god to 'create' everything?
I don't claim to know that.

Quote:
Why do you think that non-believers think everything came from nothing? I've never met one who thinks that.
You apparently don't get out much. I have met at least 6 or 7 who believe that, and I live in Texas! lol

Quote:
OK...so how did that happen out of absolutely nothing?
I don't know. I simply believe that our entire existence is the result of a higher power in the spiritual realm. I don't know how that spirtual realm came to exist, I don't think we have been made to understand it in this lifetime. I believe we will find out after this life.

Basically your statements seem to come from more of an agnostic point of view IMO. Maybe I'm wrong.
But my question is for people who specifically believe that there is not a god at all.
If anything, I am a "slightly agnostic" believer because I think it is at least possible that there is not a god. I am just curious as to what those who feel 100% sure that there is not god think about scientific explanations for origins. If you have no thougts or ideas about it, that is okay.
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Old 05-28-2011, 06:55 PM
 
1,114 posts, read 1,218,286 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXboomerang View Post
I don't claim to know that.


You apparently don't get out much. I have met at least 6 or 7 who believe that, and I live in Texas! lol


I don't know. I simply believe that our entire existence is the result of a higher power in the spiritual realm. I don't know how that spirtual realm came to exist, I don't think we have been made to understand it in this lifetime. I believe we will find out after this life.

Basically your statements seem to come from more of an agnostic point of view IMO. Maybe I'm wrong.
But my question is for people who specifically believe that there is not a god at all.
If anything, I am a "slightly agnostic" believer because I think it is at least possible that there is not a god. I am just curious as to what those who feel 100% sure that there is not god think about scientific explanations for origins. If you have no thougts or ideas about it, that is okay.
Good luck at finding many atheists who meet THAT criteria. Any person who is not a theist, is an atheist. Atheism means: A(without)/theism. It says nothing about degrees of certainty/knowledge (that would be addressed by gnosticism/agnosticism). Most atheists just lack a belief in god. As an atheist, I simply do not (yet) have a belief in any god, because I have not been provided with any convincing evidence of one. That doesn't mean that I am not open to the possibility of a god.

Of course if I have not been convinced that any god exists, then I'm obviously not going to believe that such a thing did anything, much less create the universe. So, why do you ask a question about the universe? Do you want us to make up some kind of answer to a question that we don't have an answer for? After all, none of us were there at the beginning, so we can't know for sure. Heck, the universe may have always existed for all we know. Why do you even ask us such a question as if it is some how relevant? It may be an interesting hypothetical to some people, but to me, it is not even something I think about. I don't know what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs either, but this is not something I feel that I "must" have an answer for. What is wrong with admitting that you don't have an answer for something? That is the only intellectually honest answer. Not knowing how the universe came to be, truly is not in any way important to me at all. Even though I don't "know" how the universe came to be, I obviously don't believe a god created it, because I have not been convinced that a god even exists to have done anything. Prove god exists first, and then I'll give consideration to the claim that "he" created the universe.

Last edited by mythunderstood; 05-28-2011 at 07:30 PM..
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Old 05-28-2011, 09:28 PM
 
6,762 posts, read 11,595,612 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nana053 View Post
It is impossible to answer this in a forum with so little space and time.

I suggest viewing Stephen Hawkings Universe. In Particular, program 2 has a good explanation of the big bang and what we know. Program 6 tries to answer the question you ask.

Science does not have every answer, but it has better ones than the supernatural, imo.
Is there somewhere online that I could view these programs? Would be interested in seeing what he has to say.
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Old 05-28-2011, 10:26 PM
 
17,183 posts, read 22,779,379 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TXboomerang View Post
Is there somewhere online that I could view these programs? Would be interested in seeing what he has to say.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/steph...king-universe/
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Old 05-28-2011, 10:41 PM
 
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You know with the "God" story you'll never know truly how it started because those who believe this story stop looking for an answer.

If you go with science then you at least, in the future, have the chance to find out. We've come a long way in understanding this creation process. We cure diseases some only prayed about curing years ago, one day I'm sure this too (how it all started) will no longer be a mystery explained by people with heaven and God. Just like anything else, science gives you the motivation to move forward with everything. To find real answers to everything. Right now we only use a small portion of our brains and understand just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe not in our life time but in the future your question will be answered.

Think back to the excuses we had for things we now commonly know are illnesses. We hung people for witchcraft that we know now probably had Tourettes syndrome or some other mental illness.

Tsunamis use to be the work of the Gods, then of the one God, and now we know the real science behind them.

Volcanic eruptions were bad signs from God, or Gods (I could go on but I'm sure you get the picture)
.
As humans our fear puts strange beliefs and excuses on things we don't yet understand to help us deal with the unexplained issues we fear.
Those eventually get replaced with truth and explanation.

Good luck to your intellectual venture......! It's fun over here on this side. XD

Last edited by twiggy; 05-28-2011 at 10:49 PM..
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Old 05-28-2011, 11:14 PM
 
56 posts, read 103,495 times
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How did god create himself out of nothing?
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