Has Dr. Sean Carroll escaped the theistic implications of the Big Bang?
Does The Universe Have A Cause?
One of the most popular arguments for God's existence is the argument from the beginning of the universe. It goes like this:1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
2. The universe has a beginning
3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
That conclusion serves as a springboard to identify that the cause of the universe must be timeless, spaceless, and possess immense causal power. When combined with other scientific observations of the universe, it is implied that this cause additionally is both intelligent and personal. The argument from the beginning of the universe provides powerful evidence that God is the Cause of the universe.
Because this argument's reasoning is valid and its conclusion strongly implies theism, atheists commonly attack the argument by denying one of its premises: namely, the second one, that the universe had a beginning. Dr. Sean Carroll is one such atheist. He attempts to escape the theistic implications of the beginning of the universe without denying the (appearance of a) beginning of the universe. A friend presented to me this slideshow from Dr. Carroll not too long ago:
