Question
What is a good way to argue against an infinite regress when showing there has to be an uncaused cause [because the universe had a beginning]? And how would you respond to someone who says God not having a beginning would have to share the same problem of having an infinite regress?
-Jonathan
Response
For those that aren’t familiar with the Kalam Cosmological Argument, it is an argument that points to a first cause since the universe had a beginning. Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egfe6Ut7OnY.
Well, many atheists reject the second premise, “The Universe had a beginning,” to try to say that the universe is eternal and therefore doesn’t need a cause. This however would lead to what is called an infinite regress or more appropriately, it would lead to crossing infinity, which is logically impossible.
When speaking of infinity we must differentiate between an actual infinity and a potential infinity. Actually infinity means that there exist an actual infinite number of things right now. So how many numbers exist? An infinite. How many is that?…..well…its infinity. Theres no number to it because whatever number you pick you can always add one infinite numbersmore. So an actual infinity can not actually exist in reality. Now contrast that with potential infinity. If I start counting now, I will never reach infinity but I will be counting towards a potential infinite. This means I will keep counting but never reach an end. So when talking about infinities we know that an actual infinity can not exist (like an eternal past), but potential infinites can be concepts, like counting to forever.
So how does this apply to the universe? Well, if I can’t count TO infinity, then I can not count down FROM infinity. How so? Well, today is here because yesterday ended. So let’s say today is 0 and yesterday was -1, the day before that -2, the day before -3, and so forth. Well, if the universe is eternal (existed forever infinitely in the past), then how did we ever get to today if there was never a beginning? It would be infinitely old, and since we can’t cross infinity, then we should have never arrived today. Another analogy: Say we have dominoes, and today was the last domino that fell. Well, for this domino to fall, the one before it had to fall. But if there was never a first domino to be pushed, then how can we even get started? So, for there to be an eternal universe, think of trying to jump out of an infinitely tall pit. But it’s actually worse. It’s like trying to jump out of an infinitely tall pit that is bottomless. Not only is it impossible to do, but it’s impossible to get started. Therefore, the universe can not be eternal in the past and must have an absolute beginning. Thus, the second premise in the Kalam Cosmological Argument, “the universe began to exist,” is valid.
Now what about God? If the universe can’t be eternal in the past, then why can God exist forever in the past?
Well, when you unpack the question, this is really a category fallacy. See, the Kalam Cosmological Argument points to a timeless Being. That means God literally transcends time without creation. So this would mean that there was no time before the creation of the universe. So to say God was always existing would imply that there was a time frame in which God “was” when there was no time for God to be in. Well, that’s a contradiction. How can something be in time when there is no time to be in? This will take a minute to wrap your head around it, but let’s use an analogy for help.
There are other things, if they exist, that also transcend time. Take, for example, the number 7. If it exists, it is not in time. In fact, it is not even made up of matter, and neither does it take up space. To be in time, something would have to pass through a series of events and/or have a beginning. The number 7 is not, therefore, it is not in time. This question was actually asked to Saint Augustine (354 AD – 430AD) when it was asked of Him, “What was God doing before He created the universe, and why didn’t He create it sooner?” After much thought and reflection, Augustine came to the only possible conclusion that God, along with creating matter and space, created time. It was only within the past 50 years or so that scientists actually came to discover that time in fact did begin at the inception of the universe. Its amazing what we can learn when we use philosophy and think about God and His attributes.
-Eric Hernandez
