Why Is There Something Rather Than Nothing?

• 

One of the key fundamental questions in cosmology and metaphysics is this: “Why is there something rather than nothing?”

If there is something, then there must be the beginning of something. So, another question is: Who or what created something? In cosmology, this beginning is the Big Bang. And if so, who or what caused this Big Bang?

One explanation is that with the Big Bang, time took place as well. So, if there was no time before this Big Bang, there is no such time before the Big Bang; therefore, even no such causal question as “Who or what caused this Big Bang?”

Not just in cosmology but even in theology, St. Augustine did the same explanation. It seems that we’ve been ever since on this same page for our speculations from mythology to theology to metaphysics to philosophy to cosmology.

So, in the first place, “Why is there something rather than nothing?” We don’t know why. Or, perhaps we could use such idiomatic, mythological, theological phrase literally as: “God knows.”

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

Asking such time before the Big Bang could sound like asking the private life of God before His creation of the universe – the heaven and the earth.

If God created the universe from the Big Bang and our lives could be the continuation of this Great Explosion, then we could also say that God created us as a tiny part of the vast universe explosion. If so, we could also rephrase this question “Why is there something rather than nothing” as follows:

Why are there people like us in this universe? Or more existentially speaking, why am I here in this universe? Why are we who we are? Why am I who I am?

Despite or because of these existential questions, we still are a tiny part of this gigantic explosive universe. We don’t know how long we are going to stay here. Some might leave here earlier by a traffic accident or even tomorrow. Others might stay here longer or even almost for a hundred years. Still, others might kill themselves in despair, preferring “nothing rather than something.”

Perhaps by leaving this world, we could enter the realm of nothing; we might meet God in such nothing and timelessness. And we might get the real answer from Him on our questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? Why are we who we are? Why am who I am rather than nobody or someone else?

In this world, when Moses asked God who He was. His answer was still within the cognitive limitation of our words; hence, it sounds enigmatic and esoteric

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Exodus 3:14

I’m using the terms of mythology, theology, and cosmology. If ever there would be such conversations with God in heaven, then, it must be totally beyond our comprehension of this world. Like Jesus used parables, we can’t explain and understand anything with the words and concepts of this world. Even such things as intuition and contemplation, when we talk about them, we still have to use words. Indeed, there are “Words” as long as we are in this world.

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Matthew 13:10-11

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:1-3

“Why is there something rather than nothing?”

This question itself could imply there is something rather than nothing. If ever there is nothing rather than something, we can never have this question in the first place. And this something took place without causation since time also took place together. If so, then even the verse took place should not be appropriate since this something should be something that is.

However, while something is something that is, with the Great Explosion taking place, as time being, the universe should be explosive, which should manifest and uphold itself. With this dynamism, we could measure the time like 13.8 billion years and more if with Dark Matter.

We’re part of this Great Explosion. God could be the cause and result of it; at the same time, the Great Explosion itself. He is too close and too far for our comprehension. What we could hear is just this esoteric answer: “I AM THAT I AM.”

Image by Free-Photos