IN THE BEGINNING

"The researches of many commentators have already thrown much darkness on this subject, and it is probable that, if they continue, we shall soon know nothing at all about it." (Mark Twain)

The prevailing theory (and a good one!) is that you were created inside a very large star! Most of the elements that make up your body – iron, nitrogen, sulfur, hydrogen, carbon, and everything else found in your body – were formed inside a star that eventually exploded and sent debris (including the material used to create your body) spewing out into space only to be gathered together again into another star (our sun) and our solar system including Earth, where we materialized! The process took billions of years, but here you are!! Exciting? Awesome?

A person who enjoys an inquiring mind conceivably has a richer interaction with the universe or at least with the world he or she experiences on a daily basis. Inquiry exercised assiduously can open fascinating possibilities just as one enjoys the anticipation and revelation associated with the opening of a birthday gift. There is no doubt that early life experiences develop that sense of wonder and curiosity which causes us to ask questions and seek knowledge. Personal encounters, street-smart experiences, and perhaps most of all, reading, broadened our world. Today, however, technology beyond our wildest dreams has opened up worlds of possibilities to stretch our understandings and imaginations. A case could be made that the more we know concerning a thing or event the more we can enjoy our experience of that item. Consequently our lives should be enriched and made more enjoyable through our search for answers to life's more important questions.

As you read this book, be prepared to encounter many superlatives, such as amazing, awesome, incredible, marvelous, and other similar descriptions. It is the nature of the subject matter to generate such adjectives. We wouldn't expect to discuss the universe, God and immortality without using strong descriptions.

If you haven't lost interest in the direction of this discussion so far, it should rekindle your interest to know that regardless of whether this book will have anything worthy to say; the major theme, at the least, should capture the imagination of most people. Even if this book does not satisfy your expectations, it shouldn't deter you from pursuing other sources in a search for answers or relevant discussions concerning that major theme. Hopefully, you are one of the inquiring minds that spends some time asking yourself the questions: What is the nature of the universe?; Is there a God?; What is the relationship of God to the physical universe and its inhabitants?; What happens at death? Is there an on-going existence of the mind/soul/spirit or is it simply destroyed – never to exist in eternity?

The theme of this book is to see the above questions, and related ones, as belonging to one great subject of inquiry. The author finds it inconceivable that anyone would not find themselves pondering these ideas on a regular basis. Can anyone not wonder about the mystery of death and what happens to a person after it? Do we not exercise ourselves over the matter because we may be a Christian and feel the New Testament has resolved all questions? Or do we find the subject too frightening to contemplate?

Large numbers of people buy books that appeal to our greed, or rehash the old idea of the power of positive thinking, or simply puts forward ideas we all agree with and welcome as a validation of our prejudices (all of which are happening in inexplicable sales rewarding authors with nothing worthwhile or profound to say). Shouldn't we be far more interested in thinking about our universe or what happens to us after our inevitable death? This is not meant to promote this book. It is simply wondering why we do not have a greater interest in the more critical questions concerning life.

The three topics I hope to tie together are the universe, God and what happens to us when we die. I assume these three subjects have to be inseparably related.

Let us set some ground rules to provide the foundation for our discussion. The following axioms will be the basis or framework for the ideas and arguments discussed in this book. They will be repeated in other parts of the book as they become relevant.

One: The universe, creation, God's world is logical and makes sense. Some things about our world seem strange and unreasonable (for example: why a good god would allow pain and suffering) until we unravel them and find there are rational explanations. When we understand what is going on we find that it makes sense. The world is reasonable and sane!

Two: Our values are practical and dependable. Philosophers tell us that we cannot judge physical or moral laws by our own values. For example: we might say that life is cruel and not fair. Philosophers insist we are using our value systems to assess a universe that does not run on our value systems.

The universe does not have to concur or resonate with our principles. Our values are based on our limited perspective and lack of knowledge. I want to assert this second axiom as a truth for the basis of our discussion. If we cannot use our value systems, then we have nothing. Even if we do not agree among ourselves on what those values are; however, each of us must work out our own set of principles, regardless of what others believe. If we cannot impose our values on a judgment of the universe or life, then we have nothing with which to measure. Thus we have nothing to talk about. Conversation is over. To make any progress in understanding the world we live in, we have to accept axiom # two as one of our ground rules.

Three: Simple is usually right. The fourteenth century philosophy of Ockham's razor states the following: Given alternate theories or possibilities, the simplest one is usually right.

Four: The physical (and moral) laws that pertain here in our part of the universe are universal and apply everywhere.

I found an axiom in a book on the chemistry periodic table that seems to summarize the four axioms we propose: "Natura nihil agit frustra" which translates as "there are no grotesques in nature" which that author considered to be "the only undisputed axiom in philosophy; which is in itself, a questionable assessment. The point being that nature tends to be less strange, odd or bizarre than not. More often than not nature will take the more simple and commonplace route rather than the more complex and weird one.

In order to continue this discussion we need to accept these four axioms as the basic foundation for the ideas of this book, even if they are not personally your own beliefs. Without this foundation for discussion we have nothing to talk about. We are not arguing the truth of these axioms. I begin by assuming them and develop a story that they support.

* * *

Warning: read this book and you will want to read it over and over again. You may become a person with a one book library (three books if you include the dictionary and telephone directory).

UNIVERSE

The cover of this book is one of the most incredible photographs ever taken! (The title...