Religion III

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Google it.

I did. It's debatable whether any SCOTUS decision equates to recognizing atheism as a religion.

Originally Posted by boxcar

Strictly speaking, that isn't true when merely postulating the existence of God.

Have you ever seen The Big Lebowski?

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

I did. It's debatable whether any SCOTUS decision equates to recognizing atheism as a religion.

If you say so...

Have you ever seen The Big Lebowski?

Have you ever seen the Big Bang?

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Have you ever seen the Big Bang?

Yes, I have.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

Yes, I have.

When you were on LSD?

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Have you ever seen the Big Bang?

The term "Big Bang" is commonly taken to mean the great expansion. The term "Big Bang" was introduced into the lexicon by a layman and, unfortunately, adopted by the scientific community as a term for the great expansion, a still ongoing phenomenon.

In the scientific community the term "to see" means to detect something, possibly with the aid of instrumentation. It is possible to detect the red shift with rather inexpensive instruments. Seeing the red shift is equivalent to "seeing" the great expansion, i.e., seeing the Big Bang. So yes, I have seen the Big Bang.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

The term "Big Bang" is commonly taken to mean the great expansion. The term "Big Bang" was introduced into the lexicon by a layman and, unfortunately, adopted by the scientific community as a term for the great expansion, a still ongoing phenomenon.

In the scientific community the term "to see" means to detect something, possibly with the aid of instrumentation. It is possible to detect the red shift with rather inexpensive instruments. Seeing the red shift is equivalent to "seeing" the great expansion, i.e., seeing the Big Bang. So yes, I have seen the Big Bang.

No, you haven't. You've never seen the big firecracker in the sky. You've seen the effects of what you think WAS the Big Bang.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

No, you haven't. You've never seen the big firecracker in the sky. You've seen the effects of what you think WAS the Big Bang.

1. It's a model that explains all observable data. Do you have a better one?
2. There was no explosion. The term "Big Bang" is a misnomer.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

1. It's a model that explains all observable data. Do you have a better one?
2. There was no explosion. The term "Big Bang" is a misnomer.

Even if this is true, you did not observe the "big bang" (or expansion) when it began!

The big bang is how astronomers explain the way the universe began. It is the idea that the universe began as just a single point, then expanded and stretched to grow as large as it is right now—and it is still stretching!

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/big-bang/en/

You see, bunky, what is self-existent (eternal) in its essence never had a beginning. In fact, such and entity cannot have had a beginning by the very definition of eternal.

So...methinks that you need to come up with a better theory.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

So...methinks that you need to come up with a better theory.

My present theory works very well. The problem is that you lack the education to understand it.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

My present theory works very well. The problem is that you lack the education to understand it.

Your present guesses certainly don't align with NASA's. It's your lack of understanding of basic terms that derails your theory. NASA says the big bang had a beginning, so they're at odds with you coming right out of the chute.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

Your present guesses certainly don't align with NASA's. It's your lack of understanding of basic terms that derails your theory. NASA says the big bang had a beginning, so they're at odds with you coming right out of the chute.

Have you abandoned your belief that 6,000 years ago the universe was created in 6 days by a supernatural being?

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

Have you abandoned your belief that 6,000 years ago the universe was created in 6 days by a supernatural being?

This is not about my belief. It's about yours. You do not believe the universe had a beginning. You do believe that the universe is eternal (had no beginning and will have no end). What you believe puts you at odds with NASA -- and a whole slew of other scientists, as well.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

This is not about my belief. It's about yours.

Nice try but the title of this thread is Religion, ergo it's about your belief. You are the one who brought up the Big Bang and that's a red herring. So answer the question.

[boxcar]

Originally Posted by Actor

Nice try but the title of this thread is Religion, ergo it's about your belief. You are the one who brought up the Big Bang and that's a red herring. So answer the question.

But the context of the immediate discussion is not religion. So, the ball is in your court. You have to prove to us how much smarter you are than the NASA scientist, since your theory is at odds with theirs.

[Actor]

Originally Posted by boxcar

But the context of the immediate discussion is not religion.

You are the one who changed the subject by bringing up the Big Bang.

Originally Posted by boxcar

You have to prove to us how much smarter you are than the NASA scientist, since your theory is at odds with theirs.

There are plenty of reputable scientists out there with theories "at odds with" NASA. It would not surprise me to find that the "NASA scientist" is a grad student who was given the assignment on Friday, due on Monday. I suggest you read the scientific literature. Annals of Physics might be a good start. The Argumentum ad populum fallacy does not make something true.

So answer the question. Was the universe poofed into existence 6,000 years ago, in 6 days, by an omnipotent being.