No problems with atheism then...

[Godnose]

What existed before the Big bang?

A tough question with no definite answer. But, you can expand your knowledge on this from here, at least.

I tried that already. No luck! Plus even went a few years back to listen to SH about it here in Embra, and even he didn't have a clue*. But, er, my question was intended to relate to the zero question.

A bit too lateral I guess - particularly for you literal types.

I feel the urge to expand - can't help it. OK ... According to my understanding time (and space) starts at the Big Bang, so actually there is no such thing as "before" the Big Bang, because "before" implies a passage of time and, as I said, time started AT the Big Bang. The answer I was hoping for of course was "Nothing" or "The Void". Then I'd be able to say "Nope", because there weren't even any concepts then - in fact there wasn't even any "then". So that's yet another kind of zero. So now we have three types of zero, all with rather different qualities from each other:

Normal zero (or perhaps "rational" zero is better) ... eg: 1-1, 2-2, 2-1-1, -20+10+5+10-5, etc

Unimaginary zero (or should that be "imaginary zero"?) ... The "thing" to be quantified does not even exist (eg: Vladimarusk the Tamalin - you can't have 1-1 of them if the "them" has never existed).
Voidal zero. ... The kind of zero that exists (or rather doesn't exist) only because there is no context for it to exist within.

Sh1t! Just thought of another one. OK - here goes. The Big Bang is an explosion right, and we are still living in it (the expanding universe!). So, if it's expanding it must have an edge, and if it has an edge then what is beyond that edge? OK, if you follow that through then you probably get to pretty much the same sort of thing as with the Voidal zero, yes? Nope! Because, of the scale. Think about it. The Voidal zero, by definition, is a tiny wee thing, well less than a tiny wee thing really, whereas the one at the edge of the universe is Big. Very very Big. it has to be, because it is "outside" the universe. So, that's my fourth zero:

Big Zero ... like the Voidal Zero, but Very Very Big.
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*Actually have to moderate that a bit, not really fair to say SH didn't have a "clue". But only clues, or surmises, no definite facts. Because it's beyond the event horizon... phew! I think I need some solace!