The beginning of the universe

Grab to eternal life!

Jesus is the way,
the truth, and the life

Chapter 1 -

The beginning of the universe

THE Beginning of everything

As we start our study, we should start from the beginning of the universe. We already noted that the most common theory is that the universe came to life by itself, and after that, evolved life on Earth started to appear little by little. This material-based view entails the idea that time and materials are the only prerequisites needed in making something possible – the possibility of a Creator is not even considered.

   However, the essential point is that the universe must have had a beginning and that it cannot be eternal and infinitely old. Even the theories of different scientists indicate this. When they speak about the “big bang,” the birth of galaxies, stars, the solar system and the Earth, they presume that they must have had their beginnings. They are aware of the fact that they have not always been around, even though they do not believe in a special process of Creation. They do not take God into account, but base their theories however on the fact that everything began at once.

   Furthermore, we can also see in practice that there has been a very first special moment. The so-called second main rule of thermodynamics indicates that the universe is going towards a heat death – towards a condition in which all differences in temperatures have disappeared and in which the amount of useful energy will decrease and finally expire. In principle, this decrease in energy can be compared with wood burning in a campfire. When the wood has been burned, it cannot be used again – it becomes useless. It indicates that the amount of useful energy decreases all the time:

Energy does not really seem to disappear. The problem, however, is that it is changing gradually into such a form where it can no longer be used. The whole universe is traveling towards a heat death. The present universe and all materials and energy therein are being dilapidated into heat energy that will eventually fill the entire universe. When this happens, nothing can take place. (1)

The facts that there still are differences in temperatures around the world, that the Sun and the stars are shining, and that there are still energy reserves inside the Earth only show that the universe is not everlasting and that it has not always been in the same condition. If the Sun and the stars were old enough, the temperature would be the same everywhere and we could not see any motion caused by temperature differences. It would be equally cold everywhere and the stars would have died out. But now it is not so.

The conclusion that can be drawn from the previous information is that at some point in the past there must have been a day and a moment when everything came into being. There must have been a moment when the clock ticking towards a heat death started, and a moment when everything began. It is the only possibility. Otherwise, we would have to reject the second main rule of thermodynamics.

   The next citations bring out the same issue. They indicate, how the theory concerning heat forces us either to believe that the world has been created at a certain moment, or that the laws of nature have been different at an earlier point in time

Arthur Eddington (an English astrophysicist in the 1930’s): When we go back in time, we will come to a more and more organised world. Finally, we will come to a moment where all materials and energy are as organised as can be. We cannot go beyond this point. We have come to a point in time and space that cannot be crossed, and that can only be described by the word "beginning" (...) To me, it is completely natural to accept the conclusion that the current natural science offers for the future – the heat death of the universe. (2)

William Jevons (an English philosopher in the 1870s): We cannot trace the heat history of the universe too far into the past. At some point, we will get impossible results referring to such heat distributions, which cannot, according to the laws of nature, come from any preceding distribution. (...) The theory concerning heat forces us either to believe that the world has been created at a certain moment, or that the laws of nature have been different at an earlier point in time. (3)

life must also have a beginning

It was noted that the universe has a beginning, and the same goes for life – it too must have a beginning. There must have been a moment when life, which is quite a brittle thing and requires conditions of a very certain type, began. At least, nothing indicates that it has been eternally on the Earth.

The most major reason for the limited existence of life is, of course, the limited existence of the Sun. As the Sun cannot have always been around supplying warmth and light for the Earth, there cannot have been any life either (The second main rule of thermodynamics places restrictions for the existence of the Sun. The Sun is like wood burning in a campfire. It only burns for a certain time, and then it becomes cold and dark.). Without the Sun, the temperature would be almost -273 degrees Celsius, it would be dark and all the water would be frozen – the conditions would be impossible for life. No known form of life could thrive under these conditions: life would be impossible.

Therefore, the conclusion is that just as the Sun cannot have always been around supplying warmth for the Earth, there cannot have been any life, either. The issue is so simple that it should awaken us. It also indicates that there must have been a moment when life came to be on the Earth. Scientists do not believe in the Creation but even if it is not taken into account, life still must have begun at some point. Otherwise, we would have to yet again reject the second main rule of thermodynamics.

   The next quote speaks to the same subject. It indicates that people do, indeed, believe in the beginning of life but how the same issue is still unclear to scientists. These kinds of conclusions are possible because people do not want to admit God’s share in the Creation.

Andy Knoll, a Professor of the University of Harvard: “As we try to compile a summary of what we know about the deep history of life on Earth, the origin of life and phases of its forming which led to the biology that can be seen around us now, we have to admit that it is in the dark. We do not know how life began on this planet. We do not know exactly when it began and under what conditions.” (4)

Jari Iivanainen