Why is the origin of the universe meaningful?

[Filthy Tugboat]

Arguments for God often always rely on the ultimate question of, "without God how could the universe exist." And often arguments of a prime mover which I think are somewhat legitimate but just don't share any relation with religious conceptions of God. But really, why is the origin of the universe important at all? Why should I concern myself with how it all began and, with that concern, any concept of God or deep scientific study into the big bang and evolution? Why does it matter what happened billions of years ago?

[Jagella]

...why is the origin of the universe important at all? Why should I concern myself with how it all began and, with that concern, any concept of God or deep scientific study into the big bang and evolution? Why does it matter what happened billions of years ago?

Apologists turn to the origin of the universe because it is a gap in knowledge that they can place their god into. Since we don't know why the universe has taken on its present, observable form, then "God musta done it," or so they say.

So to Christian apologists what happened billions of years ago is very important to them because their god might seem more believable the farther away in space and time they can get him. Who is going to believe a god who performed magic this morning on my front porch? A god that close is close enough to disprove. Move him away in space and time far enough to make disproof very hard.

[Jagella]

Because if the universe and all that is in it is the result of an intelligent creator then knowing Him and what he has in store for us will satisfy our most fundamental needs and have a profound effect on the success of any future plans we make. If we are here because a Creator put us here, we do well to know why in case He has placed conditions on our staying.

What is the "intelligent creator" the result of? You've just traded the mystery of the existence of the cosmos for the mystery of the existence of the Bible god.

But the existence of the Bible god is no mystery. He was created by the Jews who modeled him after older, pagan gods. Such a made-up god cannot create anything much less a universe.

[Filthy Tugboat]

...why is the origin of the universe important at all? Why should I concern myself with how it all began and, with that concern, any concept of God or deep scientific study into the big bang and evolution? Why does it matter what happened billions of years ago?

Apologists turn to the origin of the universe because it is a gap in knowledge that they can place their god into. Since we don't know why the universe has taken on its present, observable form, then "God musta done it," or so they say.

So to Christian apologists what happened billions of years ago is very important to them because their god might seem more believable the farther away in space and time they can get him. Who is going to believe a god who performed magic this morning on my front porch? A god that close is close enough to disprove. Move him away in space and time far enough to make disproof very hard.

I find it is still quite meaningful to a few atheists too, debating quite hard that the Big Bang justifies their philosophical position on the number of Gods that exist. I've stuck my head into a few debates over the years and sure it's nice to point and say, "look, existence doesn't necessitate God." But as I've said a bunch now, I really didn't care, and the more I learnt about the big bang and cosmology and evolution, all of these cool facts from physics and biology it didn't matter one iota to me philosophically. I was an atheist before I heard or read about the Big bang and was an atheist after too, it doesn't factor into my reasoning as to why I am one, but I do feel that enough people do seem to rely on this understanding of the origin of the universe. It is important to their philosophy, and I can't fathom why.

[Filthy Tugboat]

[Replying to post 11 by William]

"How" we are here is very important to many, and for others it is more a focus on the "Why" we are here which interests them more.

I agree though I feel that both tend to extrapolate from the other. The Why's tend to come to conclusions about the How's and the How's tend to come to conclusions about the Why's and if they disagree, it seems important to them, it comes down to more than speculation on the unknown elements. Some atheists will prate on about how this means there is no God, and some theists will babble on about how the Big Bang itself is a flawed scientific model.

[Kenisaw]

Arguments for God often always rely on the ultimate question of, "without God how could the universe exist." And often arguments of a prime mover which I think are somewhat legitimate but just don't share any relation with religious conceptions of God. But really, why is the origin of the universe important at all? Why should I concern myself with how it all began and, with that concern, any concept of God or deep scientific study into the big bang and evolution? Why does it matter what happened billions of years ago?

Like a lot of knowledge that has been gleaned over the past couple of hundred years, you and I have no idea what use could come from it. I'm sure you are well aware of the myriad of tools and inventions that have followed from the scientific pursuit of knowledge. Your computer, communicating over the internet, is a direct result of quantum mechanic inquiry. Why did it matter what happened at the smallest levels of existence? If we hadn't studied it, just for the sake of studying it, then there would be many technologies of use to humans that wouldn't be known today. As a species we'd be worse off, simply for ignoring our curiosity about something.

I can't promise anything useful will come out of trying to pinpoint what happened billions of years ago, but no one can guarantee the opposite either...

[Filthy Tugboat]

Arguments for God often always rely on the ultimate question of, "without God how could the universe exist." And often arguments of a prime mover which I think are somewhat legitimate but just don't share any relation with religious conceptions of God. But really, why is the origin of the universe important at all? Why should I concern myself with how it all began and, with that concern, any concept of God or deep scientific study into the big bang and evolution? Why does it matter what happened billions of years ago?

Like a lot of knowledge that has been gleaned over the past couple of hundred years, you and I have no idea what use could come from it. I'm sure you are well aware of the myriad of tools and inventions that have followed from the scientific pursuit of knowledge. Your computer, communicating over the internet, is a direct result of quantum mechanic inquiry. Why did it matter what happened at the smallest levels of existence? If we hadn't studied it, just for the sake of studying it, then there would be many technologies of use to humans that wouldn't be known today. As a species we'd be worse off, simply for ignoring our curiosity about something.

I can't promise anything useful will come out of trying to pinpoint what happened billions of years ago, but no one can guarantee the opposite either...

Perhaps I didn't express myself well in the OP, I've been out of the game for a few years now.

I'm not questioning the act of studying the origins of the universe but more the weight given to notions derived from that study. Why does it matter so much to so many what happened at the beginning, why does it matter to them on a level that is so core to their identity and sense of purpose?

[Kenisaw]

Arguments for God often always rely on the ultimate question of, "without God how could the universe exist." And often arguments of a prime mover which I think are somewhat legitimate but just don't share any relation with religious conceptions of God. But really, why is the origin of the universe important at all? Why should I concern myself with how it all began and, with that concern, any concept of God or deep scientific study into the big bang and evolution? Why does it matter what happened billions of years ago?

Like a lot of knowledge that has been gleaned over the past couple of hundred years, you and I have no idea what use could come from it. I'm sure you are well aware of the myriad of tools and inventions that have followed from the scientific pursuit of knowledge. Your computer, communicating over the internet, is a direct result of quantum mechanic inquiry. Why did it matter what happened at the smallest levels of existence? If we hadn't studied it, just for the sake of studying it, then there would be many technologies of use to humans that wouldn't be known today. As a species we'd be worse off, simply for ignoring our curiosity about something.

I can't promise anything useful will come out of trying to pinpoint what happened billions of years ago, but no one can guarantee the opposite either...

Perhaps I didn't express myself well in the OP, I've been out of the game for a few years now.

I'm not questioning the act of studying the origins of the universe but more the weight given to notions derived from that study. Why does it matter so much to so many what happened at the beginning, why does it matter to them on a level that is so core to their identity and sense of purpose?

I should have been more thorough in my response. I think the main reason for the interest is still one of curiosity. The atheist/theist debate is more of a sidebar - a distraction from the primal interest on the topic. The Big Bang is often used by atheists as empirical evidence against a young universe and need for a creator god (I'm certainly someone who has employed that before), so it can have a central role when debating the validity or accuracy of something like the Bible. But the whole reason why atheists and theists even engage in their conversations boils down to (in part) this insatiable curiosity to understand where we come from. Both sides want to know. That curiosity exists on both sides, and I can't think of anyone who, if told we will know tomorrow what came before the Big Bang, would not want to hear about it.

[Filthy Tugboat]

[Replying to post 27 by Kenisaw]

I think I would definitely answer "yes." but in reality, it isn't overly important to me. I guess I created this thread to see if my apathy was common, justifiable or whether I'm just weird. I honestly don't care very much, it doesn't weigh on me or change any opinions or feelings of what is knowing anything about pre-human and pre-Earth times. It's just an assortment of facts that I know and can regurgitate on command but are completely out of my mind at all other times.

[Guy Threepwood]

[Replying to post 23 by Filthy Tugboat]

I'd say because we are made in God's image. We are all given a small part of his creativity.

[Zzyzx]

.

I'd say because we are made in God's image.

WHY would you say that?

Did someone tell you? Did you read such things in ancient texts?

Can it be shown the those people weren't fantasizing and/or telling tall tales?