"Russell Christian It's hard for us to accept that the universe is eternal because we do not accept conjectures but accept only facts that science provides us. This is the reason why I have said above that we should allow time, perhaps a very…"

"This is a great question and, like the others have said, there really is no good answer yet.  Maybe there never will be one.  This could be the last of the gaps for god to fill. I know that it can be hard to accept a universe with infinite…"

"Explanations differ from delusions. - - - The big bang explanation is compatible Buddhism's endlessly expanding-contracting explanation. (A Catholic priest who'd studied mathematics devised the big bang explanation, and it happens to very…"

"You may be interested in reading a book called "Atheist Universe" by David Mills. In his second chapter, "Origins of the Universe" he goes into this question. It's written in a way that even a dummy like me can understand…"

"Science offers some evidence as far back as making the big bang plausible.   Nobody knows, what had been before.    So it is just a choice to either consider the big bang as a beginning and wonder, where it all came from or else…"

"  I am far from being a phycist or any kind of scientist and so my answer may be wrong. Since the instant of the big bang, the universe has used enormous amounts of material and energy. Therefore the law of conservation energy alone may not be…"

"Cool links Nerd -- thanks. Maybe when our knowledge of science is more advanced than it is now -- we will have a scientific explanation."

"I haven't read any of the other comments here yet, so if I repeat any points then I apologise. First, I think that the universe isn't 4-5 billion years old, but somewhere between 13.5-14 billion years old. But, in all fairness, let's…"

"I'm sorry Paul - I ate your donut. It was my birthday yesterday - please forgive me... I think your two "To say..." statements say it all -- very well put!"

"Yes, this does come to my mind too. This question needs to be answered only if you want to brcome an atheist helped only by science. Elsewhere, in one A N discussion, it has been shown that logic too can be used to lead to atheism. There are…"

"I was in college with a lot of credits in math and science, but studying accounting when I set out to quit Catholicism. Three books whose titles I long ago forgot helped me: 1. a book that compared the various forms of Xianity, 2. a book that…"

"I am currently reading this book and I find it very interesting and informative. The reality of this universe, how it began and will eventually end is far more amazing than any of the stories offered by any of the world's religions."

"sometimes i think about this too. when people ask me about how i think the world and everything was ceated i usually change my answer depending on my mood. most times i say 'maybe god did created the world and everything in it. god probably…"

"While I agree that murderers and rapists do not have a right to live, the problem with having the death penalty on the table is that it means you have to trust juries and the rest of the legal system to never make a mistake.   As the…"

"IMO, the death penalty should be much more common. It should be applied when:   A) The crime in question is considerably gruesome or violent. and B) There is enough evidence that there is no doubt that they are guilty.   I don't know…"

"Ignorance. You will never get rid of the criminal problem with psychology, sociology, activism, and social engineering. Only those whose understanding of these sciences and ideas and therefore can choose what parts of them to accept believe…"