May Regular Tournament: God Exists

Definitions: The definition of the term ‘universe’ is extremely important in this debate, since it conveys what is meant by the term ‘universe’, and of what God is the cause according to this hypothesis I present. Thus, for the purposes of this debate, I am defining the universe as all of spacetime, energy, matter, and antimatter, and everything present within the three dimensions of space and one dimension of time [6]. Furthermore, when I referred to God as ‘supernatural’, I did not mean it in a “spiritual sense”, as my opponent implies--rather, I meant it in a metaphysical sense, i.e. God is not predicted by physics. R1) The beginning of the universe There exists a scientific consensus that the universe began to exist. The primary idea that supports this is the standard Lambda-CDM model, which is the most widely accepted model in Big Bang cosmology [1]. The standard model is most likely since it provides the best and simplest explanations for the presence of the CMBR, abundances of light elements, and the accelerating expansion of the universe [2]. According to the standard interpretation of Big Bang cosmology via. the Lambda-CDM model, time itself likely began with the initial expansion of the universe [3]. The ‘prevailing model’ suggests that the universe’s age is approximately 13.8 billion years [4][5]. Rejection of the prevailing model will result in rejection of the scientific consensus, and there is much evidence that the prevailing model is true--the presence of the cosmic microwave background, the homogeneity of energy in the universe, galactic evolution, observation of hypothesized dark matter annihilation, and the accelerated expansion of the universe [2]. The prevailing model leads us to believe the universe did have a beginning in time. This, coupled with study of cosmological redshifts via. the Borde-Guth-Vilenkin theorem, allows us to conclude the universe began to exist. Physicists Audrey Mithani and Alexander Vilenkin write, “[There are] three candidate scenarios which seem to allow the possibility that the universe could have existed forever with no initial singularity: eternal inflation, cyclic evolution, and the emergent universe. The first two of these scenarios are geodesically incomplete to the past, and thus cannot describe a universe without a beginning. The third, although it is stable with respect to classical perturbations, can collapse quantum mechanically, and therefore cannot have an eternal past.” [7] Four of the world’s most prominent astronomers describe the Big Bang event in these words: “The universe began from a state of infinite density. . . . Space and time were created in that event and so was all the matter in the universe. It is not meaningful to ask what happened before the Big Bang; it is like asking what is north of the North Pole. Similarly, it is not sensible to ask where the Big Bang took place. The point-universe was not an object isolated in space; it was the entire universe, and so the answer can only be that the Big Bang happened everywhere.” [8] Thus, it is scientifically rational to conclude the universe began to exist, and the assertion that the universe is infinite is not backed by any of the models that support Big Bang cosmology in science. Con’s assertion that the universe never began to exist is unfounded, with almost no support in modern quantum mechanics, thus to conclude such a hypothesis is absurd in light of Big Bang cosmology. R2) Causality is not required Con asserts that the universe could have been created ex nihilo with quantum fluctuations. But a universe being caused by quantum fluctuations is not ex nihilo. Let me first explain a quantum fluctuation. A quantum fluctuation arises from a cosmic vacuum state by the annihilation of two ‘virtual particles’--a particle and its corresponding antiparticle, e.g. an electron and a positron--which then release energy that lasts for a period less than Planck time [9]. What is the quantum vacuum? The quantum vacuum is a place in gravitational spacetime in a vacuum state, i.e. a quantum state with lowest possible energy [10]. According to most physicists, the quantum vacuum is *not* empty, and contains energy [11]. Thus, vacuum fluctuations are caused by limited energy that is required to ensure no violation of the third law of thermodynamics [12]. Craig writes, in response to the idea that quantum fluctuations are uncaused, “The microstructure of the quantum vacuum is a sea of continually forming and dissolving particles which borrow energy from the vacuum for their brief existence. A quantum vacuum is thus far from nothing, and vacuum fluctuations do not constitute an exception to the principle that whatever begins to exist has a cause.” [13] There are also major theoretical problems to the vacuum fluctuation model, especially with regards to production mechanisms of matter and its deep internal incoherence. According to such models, it is impossible to specify when and where vacuum fluctuations would emerge to cause universes, and gradually, universes will collide with each other and self-destruct [14]. Thus, vacuum fluctuation models fail to affirm an uncaused universe. Conclusion My opponent’s arguments relate to God not being required, thus is dismissed via. Occam’s razor, but I have debunked his assertions that causality of the universe is not required--there is a scientific consensus that the universe had a beginning, and there is no explanation of the existence of the universe except in a finite cause with properties that equate it to God. Con must not defend their arguments in the next round and only rebut my case. Thus, I affirm. Over to Con. 1. http://arxiv.org... 2. http://en.wikipedia.org... 3. http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu... 4. http://www.esa.int... 5. http://www.aanda.org... 6. http://www.yourdictionary.com... 7. http://arxiv.org... 8. http://www.scientificamerican.com... 9. http://daarb.narod.ru... 10. http://core.ac.uk... 11. http://physics.aps.org... 12. Ralph Fowler and Edward Guggenheim. Statistical Thermodynamics, p 224. 13. http://www.reasonablefaith.org... 14. http://tinyurl.com...