Expert: Austin Cline - 9/1/2006

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hi there! in the past couple of years i have become a christian...and i just have a few questions about atheism and the beliefs.  its mostly curiosity i guess.  lets say that earth was created in a big bang (by complete coincedence).  and again coincedentally...humans were derived from other various life forms.  all great possibilities..but if that is the case...what about the rest of the universe?  what is time, what is life, what is this?  where did it come from..why are we here?  where do we go from here? doesnt that ever scare you? i dont know i just dont think it makes a lot of sense and id love to know your opinion

thanks!

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The rest of the universe is here because of the same natural laws which formed this planet. Time is an aspect of the universe, just as is space. Life is a particular combination of self-replicating molecules. Where we go is up to us.

No, it doesn't scare me. There's no reason why it should. Life is what we make of it. The responsibility it ours to do well or to fail. No gods will make it all OK in the end if we mess up.

thank you for your reply! but just for clarification, whwat do you mean "where we go is up to us"? and if there is nothing ruling earth or the universe etc.  then what is failing and what is suceeding? and how do you know what time is etc.  im really just curious.  thanks again

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"whwat do you mean "where we go is up to us"?"

What we do with our lives is up to us.


"and if there is nothing ruling earth or the universe etc.  then what is failing and what is suceeding?"

That's up to us as well.

"and how do you know what time is etc."

Modern physics. Time is the fourth dimension, alongside the three spatial dimension.

thats not a very good explanation.  im just trying to learn more about what you believe and WHY you believe it. that is what this site is for, is it not?  

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"thats not a very good explanation.  im just trying to learn more about what you believe and WHY you believe it. that is what this site is for, is it not?"

I answered the questions you asked, none of which were "why" questions. If, for example, you want to know why modern physics describes time as the fourth dimension and thus why it's an aspect of our universe, you'll need to start studying physics. That's not something I can teach you in this format.