BOOM!
Thus, the expansion of the universe began! Current theory holds that 15 billion years ago all of the matter and energy of space was located in one place until an incredible explosion occurred currently known as the Big Bang. We will never know how and why this process began although our attempt to understand this sudden expansion of the universe begins with theory of the Big Bang. Our science of today has determined that currently the universe is and has been expanding since the Big Bang. Science, through observation, has determined the speed and direction of entire galaxies as they continue to move away from the Big Bang of long ago.
A simple firecracker covered with popcorn before it explodes clearly illustrates the premise that supports the Big Bang theory as the popcorn scatters. After the firecracker explodes, the only way left to understand this event is to study the popcorn and so it is with the Big Bang and the expanding universe. This concludes what I surmise or know of the Big Bang.
Most scientists believe that the Earth, Sun, and all of the other planets and moons in the solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a giant cloud of gas and dust known as the solar nebula. Our science can determine the age of the Earth and the remains of its once living inhabitants by the rate of decay of various elements of the makeup of the material tested. While this is not a date certain technique, it is far more accurate than the claims of ancient religious documents that wrongfully state the age the universe and humankind.
If God created the universe the 15 billion years ago, the time revealed by the sound application of basic science, I find it hard to believe that He remains ready today to hear our petty prayers. The recent discoveries of the planets of other stars lend credence to the belief of many that there may be incredible numbers of intelligent life forms living in the universe created by our God. It would follow that these other children of God are also worthy of the same attention that many believe we receive from God.
Therefore, the God of humankind must be over 15 Billion years old and perhaps serve thousands or even millions of other sentient races in the universe he created. Humankind’s perceptions of God are most notable for the way they assume that God is afflicted with human traits such as vengeance, anger, and a sense of insecurity requiring the reassurance our worship provides.
The ancient Egyptians created many Gods with heads that resembled a variety of animals. Atum, their first God, appeared and then spat out Shu, God of air and Tffnut, God of moisture. The passage of time marked the arrival of more Gods, including, Horus, King of the Earth and Osiris, King of the underworld. The Gods of Egypt brought fear as their legacy while the Gods of today offer both love and fear to their followers.
As time advanced, the early Greeks created an association of Gods known as the Titans. Eventually, another association of Gods known as the Olympians replaced the Titans. Mythical tales suggested that romantic love could occur between the Olympians and common people thus clearing the way for common people to both love and fear their Gods.
The Roman Empire with a population from many tribes and many lands was really in need of a religion that could codify its existence. By this time, creating Gods and religions was a well-established cottage industry that clearly realized that multiple Gods resulted in multiple temples. This diversity diluted both the power of influence and income potential of promising life everlasting to the gullible.
The many religions of today include Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the emerging Baha’i Faith founded a mere century and a half ago that now claims to have more than five million followers. The acknowledgement of the influence of Abraham gained these religions the creditability of the Old Testament as a foundation of faith. A lifetime of study of the contents of this paragraph would perhaps help you understand only a few trees in a vast forest of religious knowledge.
The point of the foregoing is to establish the fact of human influence in the creation of religions. Consider the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 and centered in Salt Lake City, Utah. It like many of the religions of humankind claimed that God chose a human messenger to deliver the will of God. While common belief of today holds that there is but one God, it is strange that so many versions of God’s will have surfaced.
The common thread of many religions is the promise of everlasting life for your soul. Trying to define the meaning of the word ‘soul’ through research is a frustrating experience when your first hit is ‘soul music.’ Then Encarta provided the following:
“Buddhism is unique in the history of religions because it teaches that the individual soul is an illusion produced by various psychological and physiological influences. Thus, it has no conception of a soul or self that can survive death.”
I found this to agree with my beliefs, as I do not believe that there is life after death and I do not believe that there is a God known to humankind. I do not believe that we are merely the whimsical result of evolutionary quirks either. Fifteen billion years ago, the Big Bang began a journey to today and beyond and it may have been an intentional act far beyond our understanding.
However, I sincerely believe that religion and the fellowship it inspires is a vital part of our lives. Mother Teresa and even ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has shown that human love for others can be God like in results. I fear that religion faces great danger in the future as science continues to disprove its many claims. Religion should adapt to the challenges posed by science and remember that all the knowledge regarding community and fellowship are just as important as science. Our children need the best parts of religious activity and can worship an unknown creator who set off the Big Bang
