• Question: Hi, Gioia, Ian, Jo, Leo, and mariam. The big bang or god created the earth? I think that god created the big bang, how about you? luv Katie and Hannah x

    Asked by hannahandkatiexxx to Gioia, Iain, Jo, Leo, Mariam on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Iain Moal

      Iain Moal answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Neither of them created the earth. The earth was formed by the accreation of material from a dust cloud, stimulated by a neighbouring sun which went supernova. It started off as a globule of liquid, only then to cool down a bit and form a crust (although there is still LOTS of molton iron at the centre of the earth).

      If you mean to ask what created the universe, then I don’t have an answer for you. The question of why something exists rather than nothing is, I believe, the biggest and most puzzling mystery in all of history. Yes, we can trace it back to the big bang, but the trail goes cold there. Some people feel obliged to insert god into the gap in our understanding, but that still doesn’t answer the question: we could ask ‘why does a god exist instead of no god existing?’.

      Some people suggest that god doesn’t need a beginning, but if that is the case, then why assume that the universe needs a beginning? There could have been things going on before the big bang. Some people have tried to argue along the lines of ‘existence is more stable than nothingness, and so the existence of stuff spontaneously arises from nothingness’, and they use some pretty sophisticated arguments from physics. I think they might be on to something, but I don’t find the evidence compelling enough to say I believe it.

      I don’t find the god idea very convincing, as there isn’t any evidence for it. That doesn’t mean that I have an answer, but I would much rather be in a position where I admit I don’t know that pretend that I do know.

    • Photo: Leo Garcia

      Leo Garcia answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      The big bang is our current best theory which explains the origin of the universe, based on currently available scientific evidence and observations.

      There is no reason to think that there is supernatural entity behind the origin of the universe – and to even suggest that answers nothing, because the question of ‘what is the origin of that supernatural entity’ must then be asked. Considering this is a theory that cannot be tested, it is not a theory at all – and so of no scientific worth. So really, not only is there no evidence to suggest that it is true that any god/gods/ghosts etc. initiated the big bang, but we learn nothing by suggesting it, either.

    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I don’t actually believe in God, so for me there’s no conflict. But if there is a God, I don’t see why he couldn’t have created the big bang!

    • Photo: Joanna Watson

      Joanna Watson answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Hi Katie and Hannah.

      I totally understand why you would think that. I think that all of the things that have happened since the universe was created have been or will be explained by science, and not religion.

      What happened before the universe was created is a much more difficult thing to think about and I have an open mind on where everything came from in the first place and why the universe exists – something that could be described as a god seems to me like it should be one of the options.

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