Could the Universe have an Infinite Past?
The Universe either has a beginning, or else it has an infinite past. This is an important consideration for understanding origins.
Given logic and science, most people agree (atheists and theists alike) that the Universe had a beginning. Still, every now and then, I run into someone who feels that scientists and astronomers are theorizing way over their heads – that these brainiacs … just might be wrong.
So, is it possible that the Universe could be infinitely old? I believe anyone one can step through these logic statements to answer this question for themselves.
Below are logic statements. See if you can agree with each one. As you reach the end, you will be able to conclude that the Universe must have had a beginning.
- Given an infinitely old universe, there must be an infinite amount of time in the past.
- In order for the Present Moment (i.e. “Now”) to have ever reached “Today”, the “Present Moment” must have progressed through the infinite amount of time in the past.
- It is impossible to traverse anything infinite. (By definition, infinity has no end. If you can reach the end of something, then you didn’t have an infinite amount of it to start with.)
- Because we have reached “Today”, we have reached an end of whatever amount of time existed in the past. Therefore, based on items (2) and (3) above, there can not be an infinite amount of time in the past.
- If there is not an infinite amount of time in the past, the Universe must have had a beginning.
“Arriving at today” (with an infinite amount of time in the past) would be like reaching the end of infinity, or counting up to the last number. Completing these kinds of infinite-tasks are simply not possible. By definition, infinity has no end; if you ever reach the end of something, then it was not an infinite “something” you progressed through. Therefore, the Universe can not be infinitely old (already) … at best, it can only be in progress of being infinitely old. Either way, it must have had a beginning point.
So, why is this important? Well, if the Universe had a beginning … the bigger question is:
What began the Universe?
Something to think about …