The Big Bang Theory and God

An "accident" produces *something*. What is so special about the world and the universe, and all within it, that it can't be one or several of absolutely INFINITE possibilities?

See, I have to disagree with you here. First of all, the Big Bang Theory DOES postulate that something came from nothing. I chose not to approach the question using the term "singularity" as it would confuse most engaging the topic. But the singularity was not "something" just incredibly small and dense. This is our best measurment based on Planck time, but this was itself momentarily after the Bang had begun. There was a time, however, prior to Planck time and there was a moment (to say the least...the English language does not allow us to use words of a timeless essence) where the singularity had composed all of time, space, and matter. This was, hence, timeless. "In such a model [the big bang model] the universe originates ex nihilo in the sense that at the initial singularity it is true that there is no earlier space-timto the point." - William Lane Craig and Paul Copan, "Creation out of Nothing", p 223. "It belongs analytically to the concept of the cosmological singluarity that it is not the effect of prior physical events. The definition of a singularity...entails that it is impossible to extend the spacetime manifold beyond the singulaity. This rules out the idea that the singularity is an effect of some prior natural process." - Quentin Smith, "Theism, Atheism, and Big Bang Cosmology", p 120 The singularity is something outside of time and space through which space and time came into being. It was not something incredibly small and dense as this would be something of physical matter, and would thus also be constrained to time. Also, Quantum physics does not vouch for us the existence of any sort of multiverse. On one hand, the multiverse is just as metaphysical as the idea of God. It would be, by definition, outside our means of detection. I do not know who has told we Quantum physics has detected a multiverse...they are wrong. Secondly, if we want to apply god-of-the-gaps to this question, then let's also apply occam's razor. It seems to me that postulating one God is a much simpler explanation than postulating an infinite number of universes (I owe this point to Richard Swinburne). Further, to "inject god into the big bang" is not to fall back on the god of the gaps theory as if these gaps need to be filled. As John C. Lennox has argued, it is not that these gaps have existed and need to be filled while waiting on scientific answers...it's that scientific discovery has opened up these gaps. And these gaps are getting wider and wider with new discoveries.

randis1 you write well and on the surface your argument would seem persuasive but I come hard up against one small problem. We are discussing Cosmology and Physics and all of the experts you quote are Theologians and Philosophers. If I want to bake a cake I don't go to my plumber to get instructions, I ask a baker. To narrow the field a bit lets talk about the concept of the multiverse. I did not state that Quantum Physics has detected a multiverse. Knowledgeable people in the field of Quantum Physics have postulated a multiverse. Hugh Everett, Stephen Hawking, M.I.T. physicist Alan Guth, Richard Feynman, physicist Andrei Linde and others all support the idea of a multiverse. Against this you chose the word of the Philosopher Richard Swinburne who is highly regarded in his field but his field is not Quantum Physics so we are back at the plumber, baker problem. For a broader look at how Physics views the Big Bang Theory in relation to Theism please refer to: http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00003496/01/SingularityTheism.pdf

You left out schrodinger