How Did Everything Get Started?

I sometimes wonder how everything got started; the universe, I mean. How did it all start? Scientific orthodoxy nowadays says the "Big Bang" is what started everything. The Big Bang is an expression coined by astronomer Fred Hoyle to make fun of the theory. Hoyle thought the Big Bang was pseudoscience. There are scientists who disagree with the Big Bang, even today, they have other ideas.

I have to say that when I try to imagine that infinitely small point of heat and energy required by this theory, I just can't wrap my mind around that. My common sense says "no way!" How can something be infinitely small? It's just ridiculous! How can something be nearly infinite? That doesn't make sense. How can something so unimaginably small contain what is necessary to build a universe so unimaginably huge? Again, it makes no sense.

How long was it in that infinitely small state? What made it go bang? Had it existed forever before it went bang? How did it get so small? What is infinity? Can you fathom infinity? I sure as hell can't! As far as I know, infinity is a concept, so how does that explain the Big Bang from an infinitely small point of energy. Infinitely small sounds like an oxymoron to me, like Microsoft Works, or Military Intelligence.

I would be much more inclined to believe that a large mass of matter/energy existed and that some event caused it to expand into what we today call the universe; but to be honest, even that one seems kinda far fetched to me. What made it all expand? When? Why? I just don't know, and I don't think scientists know either. They have theories, but that's not the same as knowing. Interpreting evidence is one thing, but proving it is quite another. I know, I know, science isn't about proof, it's about how probable things are. The Big Bang doesn't seem probable to me and at least a few scientists.

Many scientists say that there's evidence for the Big Bang, but is it really evidence or their interpretation of the data? I'm not saying it is or it isn't, I'm asking. And please don't get wrong: I think the scientific method is the best way we have of getting to know the universe around us. But the Big Bang thing, It just doesn't make sense to me.

When it comes to how everything got its start, or if there even was a start, I confess my ignorance. I don't reject the Big Bang as a possibility, I just don't know. However senseless it may seem to me, I might be wrong about the Big Bang. But there is one thing I know for sure, and that is that I wasn't there, so I'm not going to pontificate about shit I don't know.

Some believe that God created the universe. Christian fundamentalists believe that the Bible's Genesis story is literally true and that the universe is no older than 10,000 years. Excuse me while I bust a gut laughing. That's the only comment this deserves.

Then there are those who believe that God created everything, but that he used the Big Bang and Evolution as a means of attaining the state in which we now exist. They don't know how things got started, so they insert God in that gap in their knowledge.

Personally I reject God as an explanation, because in the end it explains nothing and creates more problems than it solves; not to mention that FACT that there's not one iota of hard evidence to prove God's existence, or any god's existence for that matter. It's just wishful thinking. Santa Claus for adults.

You must realize, of course, that we're all born without a belief in God. That's right, we have to be conditioned by our parents and our society to believe in God. If we weren't indoctrinated at an early age, what would happen to religious beliefs? Or, what would happen if kids were taught about ALL religions, not just their parent's religion? That would be interesting to see, I think.

A long time ago, when humans lived in caves and makeshift shelters, they hunted for their food. As a result, they sometimes spent a long period of time with very little to eat, so I can imagine them gorging themselves after a successful hunt and then at night having dreams about their ancestors and believing that their ancestors are alive and communicating with them from some nether world. They probably thought their dreams were real.

This, I think, was the beginning of all religions: believing that the dreamworld was real and that those in that dreamworld, fathers, mothers, brothers and what-not, we're still alive. This ancestor belief eventually morphed into belief spirits that lived behind every tree, or rock, or in rivers and streams. After a while these spirits became a bit more distant and lived on mountains, like Mount Olympus for example, to finally end up living in the heavens. Now I realize that this is a bit simplistic, but it makes sense. It seems to be a natural progression to what we now have.

Humans are believing machines, we need to believe; in fact believing is a necessary survival tool. Imagine a child who didn't trust (believe) his parents: how long do you think that child would survive? I'd wager not very long.

But while believing is necessary to our survival, it doesn't always work to our advantage. In fact sometimes, it has been extremely detrimental to our well-being. One just has to read a bit of history to realize that many religious beliefs have been the bane of humankind, causing wars, murder, torture, the mistreatment of women and indigenous populations; and on and on it goes, ad nauseam.

What I believe, or disbelieve, about the Big Bang won't change my life. Maybe I'm wrong and there really was a Big Bang, I don't know. But I do know this: I wasn't there, so pontificating about it is out of the question for me.

However, I've seen what religious beliefs can do and I will definitely pontificate about that: It's high time humanity grew up and gave up its ancient faerie stories about gods and religions, because mostly they're harmful and they often end up turning people into hateful lemmings.

grgaud