How did the universe come into existence?

[Peter1000]

I am aware of only 2 possible answers to this question.

1) A random chance happening.
2) A Superior Being that had the knowledge to create.

The question is: Is there any other possible ways the universe could have come into existence besides the 2 ways that I have given above?

Thank you for your response.

 

[DaisyDay]

Given the laws of the universe and physics, an inevitable happening given the conditions of the moment?

 

[Uber Genius]

There is a problem with option number 1 stated above.

What would random chance be impacting?

There is No:

1 - Space
2 - Time
3 - Matter
4 - Energy
5 - Laws of Nature

The presocratic philosophers gave us a maxim that still holds today, "ex nihilo nihil fit (in Latin rather than Greek), out of nothing nothing comes."

While a immaterial, all-powerful being is an option, science which is the empirical study of items 1-5 above will never give us an alternative inference due to its knowledge limitations to a physical world. But there may be some other causal inference thamcomes from philosophy.

 

[Moral Orel]

Can you explain what you mean by "random"? That might be important.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

I am aware of only 2 possible answers to this question.

1) A random chance happening.
2) A Superior Being that had the knowledge to create.

The question is: Is there any other possible ways the universe could have come into existence besides the 2 ways that I have given above?

Thank you for your response.

I can only think of one reasonable answer. We don't know yet.

 

[Greg J.]

I can only think of one reasonable answer. We don't know yet.

Unless God has revealed himself to some people, but not you. Then it's "you don't know yet, and they haven't proven otherwise to your satisfaction."

I am aware of only 2 possible answers to this question.

1) A random chance happening.
2) A Superior Being that had the knowledge to create.

The question is: Is there any other possible ways the universe could have come into existence besides the 2 ways that I have given above?

Thank you for your response.

There are other possible answers, but those are the two most popular. 8000 years ago, a rat with an unknown nature in another universe/dimension could have sneezed and created the universe as it appears now.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Unless God has revealed himself to some people, but not you. Then it's "you don't know yet, and they haven't proven otherwise to your satisfaction."

 

[Aman777]

I am aware of only 2 possible answers to this question.

1) A random chance happening.
2) A Superior Being that had the knowledge to create.

The question is: Is there any other possible ways the universe could have come into existence besides the 2 ways that I have given above?

Thank you for your response.

God the Trinity changed some of the energy in His world into physical matter in our heaven/universe. In just 6 of His Days/Ages, He will produce a perfect physical Heaven filled with perfect physical mankind who will live forever with Him. His name is Jesus and He is the only God ever formed or that ever will be formed physically. Isa 43:11


Col 2:9 For in Him dwelleth ALL the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

 

[expos4ever]

I agree with another poster in the sense that I think we can add a third option: the existence of the universe cannot be understood by us.

 

[Ron Gurley]

"Randomness" don't compute!

The TRI-UNE God from heaven is the Great Designer and Creator. EVERYTHING was created by His perfect WILL. And He is not dead nor doth he sleep. He continues to INTERVENE in EVERYTHING

 

[expos4ever]

The problem with the "God created it" explanation is that you have replaced one mystery - the existence of the universe - with another - the existence of God.

I am happy to agree that God created the universe, but it really doesn't lessen the overwhelming mystery.

 

[Ron Gurley]

Spirit-led FAITH/BELIEF in the Bible
PLUS
common sense LOGIC...=

some understanding of the "mystery".

What are purposes and origins of Mankind? The Universe?

 

[Peter1000]

Can you explain what you mean by "random"? That might be important.

Random = that which is proceeding, made, or occuring without definite aim, reason, or pattern.

 

[Peter1000]

Given the laws of the universe and physics, an inevitable happening given the conditions of the moment?

Is this a 3rd option? An inevitable happening vs a random chance happening?

When you say, "given the conditions of the moment", I'm not sure if we can know the conditions of the moment? If we don't know the conditions of the moment, I'm not sure we can say it was inevitable. Explain if you can.

 

[JackRT]

The presocratic philosophers gave us a maxim that still holds today, "ex nihilo nihil fit (in Latin rather than Greek), out of nothing nothing comes."

On the face of it that sounds logical but it applies just as equally to the spiritual realm as it does to the physical. If we can envision a God that has existed from eternity then there is absolutely nothing to suggest the physical universe could not have existed from eternity as well.

 

[Aman777]

The problem with the "God created it" explanation is that you have replaced one mystery - the existence of the universe - with another - the existence of God.

I am happy to agree that God created the universe, but it really doesn't lessen the overwhelming mystery.

The invisible Spirit of Love has always been but not physically. The creation story begins when this Spirit speaks matter into being physically, apart from Himself and anything apart from God contains death or darkness. Then, God Himself, came into the physical world as the Light of the first Day, the Light of mankind and the Light of Heaven. He's the only God ever formed physically and His name is Jesus.

IOW, Jesus IS God incarnate, in physical form, and the ONLY God you will ever see.

 

[ToddNotTodd]

The invisible Spirit of Love has always been but not physically. The creation story begins when this Spirit speaks matter into being physically, apart from Himself and anything apart from God contains death or darkness. Then, God Himself, came into the physical world as the Light of the first Day, the Light of mankind and the Light of Heaven. He's the only God ever formed physically and His name is Jesus.

IOW, Jesus IS God incarnate, in physical form, and the ONLY God you will ever see.

Or perhaps none of that is true.

 

[Moral Orel]

Random = that which is proceeding, made, or occuring without definite aim, reason, or pattern.

So if it lacks aim, or if it lacks a reason, or if it lacks a pattern, it's random.

"Aim" kind of makes it redundant. Since aim implies a purpose, which requires an intelligence, then of course it would lack aim without there being a God. You might as well ask, "Are there any options for the universe coming to existence other than God or not God?".

"Reason" can easily imply the same thing as "aim". Of course it could be said that the universe came into existence because of, say, a quantum fluctuation. So there it has a reason. Unless you mean "reason" like you mean "aim", and that is to imply purpose. So again it would be, yes, the universe either exists because God created it or not because God created it.

Pattern though, is a bit different. If there is only one universe, then there can't be a pattern. It isn't really a valid question to ask of it. Just like we wouldn't say the existence of God doesn't follow a pattern. It is singular. If there is a multiverse, then it would be difficult to determine if there is some overlying pattern in the way that universes pop into existence. Maybe there is, maybe there isn't.

I think "random chance" might be a bad way to phrase it. It doesn't apply well to offer a distinction between created and naturally occurring.

 

[St_Worm2]

If we can envision a God that has existed from eternity then there is absolutely nothing to suggest the physical universe could not have existed from eternity as well.

Well, there is this:

Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Yours and His,
David

"God gives life to the dead and calls into
being that which does not exist"
Romans 4:17b​

 

[St_Worm2]

If we can envision a God that has existed from eternity then there is absolutely nothing to suggest the physical universe could not have existed from eternity as well.

Perhaps I should also add:

John 1
3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Colossians 1
16 By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him.
17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Yours and His,
David

Psalm 90
1 LORD, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born,
Or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.​