Now that the moving boxes have been unpacked, yours truly has returned to her feeble attempts at make sense of the world at large . . . .
Most individuals, if they were to be
asked, would admit to a fear of that one too-real human “final frontier” of
death. It is the last life
adventure we do not even want to think about, let alone talk about. While a certain amount of refuge might be
found in religious beliefs, our fears about that unknown finality of finalities
more often than not override those religious teachings. We fear a potential nothingness. For most of us, after two generations, aside
perhaps from the occasional passer-by who might glance at our headstone, no one
will know that we ever existed.
Even for those who believe in the afterlife of a
heaven and hell, all they truly “know” is that their souls “might”
spend eternity either adoring God or suffering in hell fire. So on the one hand you have the thought of
the boredom of doing nothing else for the remainder of the remainder (Sorry,
God, no disrespect intended), or, on the other hand, suffering in horrid pain for some slight that
man has interpreted as a sacrilege against a particular God’s will.
I am the last person to criticize a
specific religious belief (unless it entails human and/or animal sacrifice or the abuse
of children). If you want to believe in heaven and hell, that is your perogative. If you espouse atheism, that is also your perogative. I do not believe in
nothingness; I do believe that a force exists which is greater than any one of
us individually. I believe that each one
of us is an integral part of that force.
Without even one of us, without even one of our atoms,
that force would cease to exist; the universe would cease to exist. What form that force takes is the question.
Therefore, let us proceed with that question: if such a force exists, what is it? Is there, can
there be, a minute validity to a belief in any force whatsoever? What could constitute a concrete basis for
the conviction that a force of any kind exists . . . at least concrete in the
context of our current understandings of the physical nature of the universe.
Can a logical argument ever be made
for the existence of “something” after death?
Let us see if we can develop a theory for the existence of a greater
force through the analysis of certain aspects of our current knowledge of
physics.
Let us begin with a very basic review
of the Big Bang Theory (“Bazinga!” as Sheldon would gleefully exclaim), the
current prevailing scientific theory of the formation of the universe:
According to the theory, the universe
was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly, such rapid expansion causing the universe to cool and resulting in its
present continuously expanding state. According to the most recent measurements and
observations, the Big Bang occurred approximately 13.75 billion years ago,
which is therefore considered the age of the universe. After its initial expansion, the universe
cooled sufficiently to allow energy to be converted into various subatomic particles, including protons, neutrons, and electrons. While protons and neutrons combined
to form the first atomic nuclei only a few minutes after the Big Bang, it took thousands
of years for electrons to combine with them and create electrically neutral atoms. The first element produced was hydrogen, along with
traces of helium and lithium. Giant clouds of these primordial elements
would coalesce through gravity to form stars and galaxies, and the heavier elements would be
synthesized either within stars or during supernovae.
The Big Bang Theory postulates that the
amount of energy in the universe was established at the Bang. That the total energy content of the universe
cannot be created and it cannot disappear.
While the total energy content of the universe is constant, it can be
transformed into mass, chemical energy, heat energy, latent energy and
work. We also have to remember that at
the point of the Big Bang, energy was concentrated and ordered. The universe since then has expanded and
energy has become diluted. The universe
continues to expand; if it were to stop, then it would cease to exist. Even considering the expansion theory, that
expansion of the universe doesn't take more energy: as the universe expands, the distances
between stars or galaxies increases, and thus the gravitational energy between
them decreases to compensate.
Working in tandem with (or following)
the Big Bang Theory, is the “Principle of Energy Conservation,” which states
that mass and energy are complementary aspects of a fundamental quantity that,
for lack of a better word, we call mass-energy. Mass-energy cannot be created or destroyed,
only changed in form.
Okay, so what do the Big Bang Theory and
the Principle of Energy Conservation have to do with life after death? Simple:
per these universe creation propositions, for the universe to continue, we (who participate in the energy form of
the universe) must also continue. The
form of energy in which we continue might be in question. But continue we must. Our energy life force must continue for our
universe to continue.
Hmmmm.
Wouldn’t that make each of us a center of the universe?
So perhaps, when religious belief does
not work for us, and we ask that question “What’s it all about?” at a very
basic level it is about the continuation of the universe as we currently know
it. At that very basic level, there is no death.
P.S. ---
Now, if you are like me, you question
what caused this Big Bang. Nothing can
come from nothingness. A void is a void
is a void. When I hear the basics of the
Big Bang, invariably I question where the particles came from that created the
huge hot mass it supposedly was in the beginning. This question interferes with my believing
that the universe started from nothing. The Big Bang did not occur out of
nothingness; it was precipitated by
other events. Therefore, if you
attest that the Big Bang was the true and only forming ground for our universe,
first tell me where the particles came from that created the hot mass from
which the universe was formed.
Until next time, LL&P!
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