What to say when somebody asks about the big bang

[Longhorn]

I recommend redirecting them to our resident physisisisicist

[Minimalist]

What do I say when somebody asks me about the Big Bang theory?

Anything from what happened before it, how did it start, etc.

"We don't know yet, scientists are working on it" is the most valid answer.  After all, the whole concept only dates to the early 1930's and it wasn't until 1965 that actual evidence to support it was detected in the form of microwave radiation.  Give it some time.  After all, jesus freaks have been spouting their bullshit for 1,500 years and only manage to look sillier and sillier.

[abaris]

Noone ever asked me about the Big Bang.

I have to stress again and again that virtually nobody talked about religion vs science where I live in my whole life. Not unless you seek them out. It's simply not part of our conversations and I can only say that I'm not even sure if my own family members are religious or what they believe. The only thing I know for sure is them not being any kind of fanatics. Same goes for my friends, aquaintances and collegues. If I was asked about the Big Bang I would say that I don't know, since I always was an idiot when it came to natural sciences.

[Arkilogue]

"Where did the stuff that 'banged' come from?"

"Same place your God came from."

God has always been there.....so has energy/matter according to the first law of thermodynamics.

[Whateverist]

Are you perhaps defining "God" as that which has always been there? Even if you refrain from importing other baggage into the term, it is questionable whether anything enduring has always been there.

[Arkilogue]

Are you perhaps defining "God" as that which has always been there?  Even if you refrain from importing other baggage into the term, it is questionable whether anything enduring has always been there.

If matter/energy cannot be created nor destroyed but only transformed, then somethingness has always been here changing forms.

[Whateverist]

You mean if the things we think we know have always been true, then ...


I don't think that premise will hunt.

[Aegon]

Are you perhaps defining "God" as that which has always been there?  Even if you refrain from importing other baggage into the term, it is questionable whether anything enduring has always been there.

If matter/energy cannot be created nor destroyed but only transformed, then somethingness has always been here changing forms.

Could it be that all the energy of our universe was contained within the "God", and the "God" transformed itself into the universe? Is this already a belief? Or does it not make sense?

EDIT: Looks like I'm describing Pandeism.

[wiploc]

What do I say when somebody asks me about the Big Bang theory?

Bertrand Russell said something like, "When the experts are agreed, the layman does well not to hold a contrary opinion.  When the experts disagree, the layman does well not to hold any opinion at all." 

Now I'm not an expert on cosmology, but the experts do seem to be agreed on the big bang, so I have a lightly held belief that the big bang happened. 

As to what happened before the big bang, their is no expert consensus, so I don't have an opinion.  It's a good question; I'm curious just like you are.  But I don't have an answer. 

A Christian once told me that there was an answer.  I forget what he said it was.  I didn't believe him, but I wanted support for my position, so I went up on campus to the physics department.  I found a cosmologist, and I put the question to him.  He said, "Nobody knows what happened before the big bang.  Nobody knows what happened before the big bang.  Nobody knows what happened before the big bang." 

So my position is this:  I don't know.  And I feel comfortable knowing that my ignorance is supported by the ignorance of experts. 

Theists may hope that you'll think something like this:  "I don't know the answer, so your answer must be correct."  But they don't know the answer either.  They have made up the goddidit answer, but they can't say what came before god any more than you can say what came before the big bang. 

Suppose you said, "You ask how things began, why there something rather than nothing?  It happened like this:  Some minutes after the big bang, things cooled down enough that matter formed."  How would they respond?  They would say, "Wait, that's not the beginning.  I asked how things got started originally, why there's something rather than nothing!  Where did these things come from that cooled down enough to form matter?"

Then you say, "Ah, I see your point.  You're saying that goddidit doesn't really explain anything because you don't know where god came from.  You haven't explained the actual beginning until you explain how god began, and why there are gods rather than nothing.  Do I have that right?"

If they say god has always existed because god is necessary, then you get to say something like, "That's glib enough, but there isn't any reason to think it true.  It's a made-up explanation, unsupportable.  Would you be satisfied if I said the universe is necessary, and the universe has always existed?  If not, then you have offered me an explanation that you wouldn't accept yourself."

[Minimalist]

God has always been there.

Evidence, please.  Your opinion is worthless.