Boxgum,

What actually is it that has no matter? If it has no matter, how do you know that it exists?

Probably because someone told you often enough, and you choose, uncritically, to believe it.

With regard to your bitter pill comment, it is not I that needs to dull my senses against reality, but those who choose to believe fairy tales.

R0bert,

The point is that a scientist at a public educational institution, on a wage paid by taxpayers, ought not to be confusing the public about science (and relying on his scientific "credibility" from that position to do so), whether or not it is in his free time, or about his pet "interest".

Religion deludes people about their real, objective conditions, and promoting hope in afterlifes, heaven etc. diverts them from coming up with solutions to "really" end their suffering.

Science, and the scientific method, is how humans investigate their real, objective conditions, and enables them to find solutions to "really" end their suffering, or at least come closer to it.

People should not be mislead about these things. As I said, it is an intellectual crime against humanity.

Keiran,

Science: The evidence of the Big Bang is the uniform background radiation (2.7 degrees K). Space and time are blurred in Plank Time. Background radiation and redshift represent a serious challenge to a Solid State universe. There was no vacuum before space-time.

Philosophy: Aristotle also states all matter tries to a achieve a perfect state (The Unmoved Mover). All matter undergoes endless change with the goal of achieving no potentiality. Aristotle saw circular orbits as an "attempt" to achieve perfection. That is, the final state is never achieved but it is pursued - forever.

Mathematics and observation support Science. The universe in 12 to 15 billion years old. Earth circulates around a middle aged third generation sun

Sells, I was surprised, from your 27th August posting, that evil was present in your heaven. I had thought that evil, in the form of Satan, had been ejected from heaven long ago. And to find you regarding Marx, your fellow decrier of capitalism, as evil also puzzles me.

I suppose we can all create our own heaven-on-earth if we are allowed to get rid of our pet hates. I would include poverty and aids and other afflictions and, with thought, many others like disturbing noises. But then, if heaven is a place without personal annoyances, it would be reduced to an eternally boring existence of mutual admiration.

Keiran,

This is a photograph when the universe was only 300,000 years old:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/images/content/96115main_Full_m.jpg

Note, stretching of the space-time continuum allows us to look back in time.

Oliver, can you please give me nasa's information on that image that looks very much like a simulation.
Don't you think this could be one of many visualizations to support the religion of the big bang? lol

Perhaps you can tell me how nothing could exist and then bang a universe appears.
Perhaps you could explain how this big bang universe could be expanding into itself.
Perhaps you could explain how we see galaxies colliding.

Let's be quite clear about this ......... there is not a skerrick of scientific evidence to support this big bang cosmology and nor will anyone in the future find anything because it is plainly illogical. i.e. Nothing cannot be the cause of something if there ever was such a thing as nothing which is impossible anyway.

Of course this will not stop the high priests from continuing to denigrate the work of Hubble and Humason. When they found out about the Hubble-Humason redshifts, they decided that those must be Doppler redshifts, to serve as the first and only proof of the big bang expansion. This is the barefaced lie because Hubble, in actual fact, was a life long doubter of velocity being the cause of cosmological redshifts.

So why do scientists publicly deny the implications of modern science and promulgate the compatibility of religion and science? Wishful thinking, religious training, and intellectual dishonesty are all important factors. Perhaps the most important motivation in the US of A is this very fear about federal funding for science.

Heaven is just a word - as i said above - it describes a state of well being - a oneness with ALL things one encounters... just as they are. This leads to contentment, serenity, bliss and even ecstacy (read the works of Teresa of Avila - delerious (even mad) bliss at her experience of oneness, or the Buddha's Sutras) - how can one describe the direct experience of everything, ALL at the same time, in one moment, through language? You can't - not possible. You can only describe the tiniest of details - one thing at a time. However, with a mind cultivated in stillness and silence you can truely see it all, simultaneously. In total surrender we are *given* it ALL.

I can't give you my experience and you can't give me yours - you can only attempt to describe it - as can I - and description is never complete - so many layers/levels. Put simply, you either get it or you don't.

Learn to meditate - this is both the key and the door. Buddhists know this, Christian mystics know this, Haisidic Jews know this and Suffi muslims know this. Jesus knew it (remember his 40 days in solitude?)

It's very difficult to let go of all preconceptions and the passed on ideas of others - but direct (in the moment) perception is very possible and available to every one. Just stop *thinking* and accept what is directly here and now and BE with it (this can take time to master - but worth the effort), experience it and realise *FOR YOURSELF* the perfection all around.

No one can show you heaven directly (remember *heaven* is only a word). Direct perception/experience can only be gained by the individual themselves. It really does involve a mind free of thought - the ability to see directly, presently. Its a state of acceptance rather than contrivance/striving. Perfection is all around - always - nothing needs to change other than how we as individuals relate to what we are experiencing.

Those who can see, see.... and those who can't think.