God has made it clear that this is not the case (Genesis 1:1, 2:4; Isaiah 42:5, 45:8, 45:18; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11, 10:6), and since He is perfectly knowledgeable (Job 37:16; Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 46:9-10; John 21:17; 1 John 3:20), perfectly honest (Exodus 34:6; 2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 31:5, 57:10; John 1:14, 1:17, 14:6; Ephesians 4:21; Hebrews 6:18), and perfectly sovereign (1 Chronicles 29:14; Job 41:11; Psalm 119:91, 135:6; Ecclesiastes 11:5; Mark 10:27; John 1:3, 5:44; Acts 17:24; 1 Timothy 1:17, 6:15; Jude 1:25), His statements on the matter are sufficient to establish the truth of the issue. Even if we could find nothing logically incoherent about the universe "just being", God has told us that this is not how it happened.
But there appear to be enormous logical problems with the universe "just being". Indeed, were the universe uncreated, it appears there could be no such thing as "logic".
If the universe "just was", no one would have caused it to be. If no one caused it to be, then no one defined it and its various aspects -- no one has definitive control over it. If no one has definitive control over it, then no one has the authority to guarantee its behavior. If no one has the authority to guarantee its behavior, its behavior cannot be guaranteed. If its behavior cannot be guaranteed, then the universe and things in it may not obey our presupposed laws of logic, like the Law of Non-contradiction.
If there is no God, we have no good reason to accept that nothing can both be and not be at the same time and in the same way. At minimum, we certainly can't be certain about it. If we cannot be certain about that, then we cannot be certain about any conclusions at all, since all of our conclusions are based upon the assumption that the Law of Non-contradiction is in fact valid.
Without any justification for certainty about the Law of Non-contradiction, we have no solid justification for any claim we make.
In other words, knowledge would be impossible.
Knowledge is not impossible, so the universe has a Creator. If the universe has a Creator, then it follows that it was created.
Further, the God of the Bible has established the laws of logic for us, including the Law of Non-contradiction. The One who created all things has told us that He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). If He creates something, He creates it. If He destroys something, He destroys it. He never creates what He doesn't create, denying Himself. That simply isn't how He operates.
Because the God of the Bible exists, it is possible to know things. It is possible to reason. It is possible to think logically.
If a perfectly consistent creator God who reveals His perfect consistency to us did not exist, we would not have any reason for anything.
Comments
Well, no, that's not going to happen unless you can back up your assertions with something more substantial.
Utter irrationality offers the only refuge for the atheist.
Is that not, in reality, what you actually wrote? By your own words are you damned, Tim.
I would say, take that up with the scientists, they're the ones who came up with the Big Bang Theory.
According to several cosmological constants, such as in thermodynamics and entropy which suggests we are going from more ordered and consistent to a state of disorder and unpredictability. The universe is going to tear in half if we live that long to see it. The fact that the Big Bang occurred answers your question as to why the universe can't "just be" eternally.. It just ain't the way it works. That's like me asking why can't unicorns exist.