It’s the oldest objection to God’s existence—and most people have never heard a satisfying answer.
In this excerpt from Theological with Shabbos Kestenbaum, Dr. Stephen Meyer, philosopher of science and author of Return of the God Hypothesis, flips the question entirely: every worldview—whether theist or atheist—requires an uncaused starting point. The real question isn’t whether a prime reality exists. It’s which one the evidence actually supports.
And when you look at what modern physics and cosmology are telling us about the origin of the universe, one answer holds up far better than the other.
Watch the full episode on Theological with Shabbos Kestenbaum for the complete conversation on intelligent design, fine-tuning, DNA, Einstein’s greatest blunder, and the scientific case for God.
🎬 Full Episode: https://youtu.be/s7g95CDJl6I 🎟️ The Story of Everything—in theaters now: https://l.prageru.com/4tdQE4u
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44 Comments
@Daniel-wi6sk
How can matter come from non-matter is a mystery we cannot even begin to comprehend. So why does it help us understand the origin of the universe – if in fact it has one, which is indeed doubtful. If God is just a name by which we describe our ignorance, we can just as well give it another one that does not imply a being made of non-matter, such as Great Unified Theory, Big Crunch, Multiverse, etc.
@davidskolik5303
Simple question to answer. Man created god(s). Thousands have been dreamt up through your species existence.
@ronsmith8340
You need to get your own stories straight. What theism nor Meyer tell you that there are two creation myths in Genesis so God created the universe twice.
God creating the universe or the "pre-existing mind" is nothing more than Paganism.
And the universe didn't have a beginning. Meyer is behind with his science.
@MikeBasalyga
The logical answer for the Creation of the Heavens is the same for everything Mankind creates on Earth: Can more be created with… or without Intelligence?
@reason2463
Meyers did not answer the question. You didn’t think he could, did you?
@JLoStu42
Philosophies of men mingled with scripture.
@Hunter_of_caveman
What…..???? Nobody created God, He is what he is as he said: I am who I am, the alpha and the omega.
@kevinscott-v7u
Man created God, it's that simple.
@RichardHolmes-ll8ii
The LDS answer this question the best.
@charlesbadrock
Space itself may very well be eternal infinite No begining No end Intelligent Design Hypothesis is a possibility among a multitude of possibilities Natural Processes is another both theories neither have been proven nor disproven whatever is is whatever is not is not Posthumous exoneration Immediately Innocent framed setup railroaded from jump it's time to correct a horrible miscarriage of justice clear her name do the right thing ❤❤Babs always sweetheart
@srxdeka1000
God and gods are the space, the materials, and work in times and space, there are nothing out of materials or times and space, tge old god logic is failing, because they fantasy a better worlds out of real world suffering, come with crazy arguments.
The gods are in earth and worlds, materials, and we can someday understanding gods, perfected.
The others evils are the knowledge about material have laws but not get the real gods, as we believed, not yet, tried harder.
@scottsnodgrass4361
I’m 62 years old. I’ve been asking this question since at least age 4. I was always told that God created everything. I accepted that, but I wanted to know who created God. It is still a burning question I’ve never found an acceptable answer to.
@Recalcitrant_Atheist
You're going to have to be a little more specific. The answer depends on which god you are asking about?
For example, the Egyptians created RA. The Greeks created Zeus. The Vikings created Odin. The Hebrews created YHWH. The Romans created Jupiter. The Hindus created Vishnu. etc., etc., etc.
@Recalcitrant_Atheist
Meyer must have a PhD in bloviation.
@Андрей-в3ю8к
The question is essentially incorrectly asked. The correct answer is: who created the Jewish God? Now one can ask why, given such a catastrophically large number of contradictions in the Torah, the world continues to construct theological concepts based on the Torah's concept of God. This is, at the very least, unfair to other religious views. My subjective opinion is that any religion, whether currently existing or ever to come, cannot explain anything about God. And any attempt to explain or understand God leads to cognitive dissonance. It's time for humanity to admit that it's time to stop inventing God. Although I personally believe that external control exists, but how exactly it exists is beyond human understanding!
@teamginate3400
Well sounds like he can’t explain what he’s talking about 😂
@odysodys1098
Eloquent word salad and complete non-answer. Where did a pre-existent mind come from? Why is there something rather than nothing?
@robertmiller6444
Nope. Firstly, misrepresents the "materialist" case. But the argument just reduces to a "god of the gaps" "argument". Basically, oils down to a – I don't like a "materialist" origin as I find it unsatisfactory so I'm just going to make up this imaginary extra leap to posit the existence of some entity for which there is even less demonstrable basis. The problem is this fails occam's razor. It requires marking assumptions with no basis.
As for 'materialism", it is not the claim that matter and energy just always exist. Not only that, but it's outright incorrect in that we don't know the preexisting state only that matter and energy emerged from the preexisting state as the universe expanded and cooled. That there was a "before" state of existence that we don't yet understand that "condensed" to matter and energy, or from which matter and energy emerged, takes fewer assumptions than to make up some imaginary being that was somehow their cause of matter and energy.
Now if you want to believe there exists some preexisting entity, that's not precluded, so go ahead. But I don't need that to fill in a gap in our understanding of what existed before. I am perfectly fine with some pre-existing state we don't yet understand and leave it at that. I don't need to make up some extra imaginary leap to find "closure". I don't need "closure" I am perfectly fine without a "closed" answer as it changes nothing in any practical sense. That is, if you we don't know the "closed" answer, what purpose does it serve to make something up? Just so you can believe you have a "closed" answer?
@USA-qu2nw
Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end!
@NizarSoroShamon
س/ لماذا الشياطين لا تستحق رضوان الخالق رغم أنها لا تنكر وحدانية خالقها ؟
ج/ لأن إبليس أسقط نفسه بشهوة التسلط متكبراً على ربه ، فلا يستحق رضوانه.
((أَنْتَ تُؤْمِنُ أَنَّ اللهَ وَاحِدٌ. حَسَنًا تَفْعَلُ. وَالشَّيَاطِينُ يُؤمِنُونَ وَيَقْشَعِرُّونَ )) رسالة يعقوب ٢ : ١٩ .
((الصَّانِعُ مَلاَئِكَتَهُ رِيَاحًا، وَخُدَّامَهُ نَارًا مُلْتَهِبَةً)) مزمور ١٠٤ : ٤
((أُهْبِطَ إِلَى الْهَاوِيَةِ فَخْرُكَ، رَنَّةُ أَعْوَادِكَ. تَحْتَكَ تُفْرَشُ الرِّمَّةُ ، وَغِطَاؤُكَ الدُّودُ. ١٢ كَيْفَ سَقَطْتِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ يَا زُهَرَةُ، بِنْتَ الصُّبْحِ؟ كَيْفَ قُطِعْتَ إِلَى الأَرْضِ يَا قَاهِرَ الأُمَمِ؟ ١٣ وَانْتَ قُلْتَ فِي قَلْبِكَ: أَصْعَدُ إِلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ. أَرْفَعُ كُرْسِيِّي فَوْقَ كَوَاكِبِ اللهِ، وَأَجْلِسُ عَلَى جَبَلِ الاجْتِمَاعِ فِي أَقَاصِي الشَّمَالِ. ١٤ أَصْعَدُ فَوْقَ مُرْتَفَعَاتِ السَّحَابِ. أَصِيرُ مِثْلَ الْعَلِيَّ.)) سفر أشعياء ١٤ .
((١٢ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ، ارْفَعْ مَرْثَاةً عَلَى مَلِكِ صُورَ وَقُلْ لَهُ : هكَذَا قَالَ السَّيِّدُ الرَّبُّ: أًنْتَ خَاتِمُ الْكَمَالِ، مَلآنٌ حِكْمَةً وَكَامِلُ الْجَمَالِ. كُنْتَ فِي عَدْنٍ جَنَّةِ اللهِ. كُلُّ حَجَرٍ كَرِيمٍ سِتَارَتُكَ، عَقِيقٌ أَحْمَرٌ وَيَاقُوتٌ أَصْفَرُ وَعَقِيقٌ أَبْيَُض وَزَبَرْجَدٌ وَجَزْعٌ وَيَشْبٌ وَيَاقُوتٌ أَزْرَقُ وَبَهْرَمَانُ وَزُمُرُّدٌ وَذَهَبٌ . أَنْشَأُوا فِيكَ صَنْعَةَ صِيغَةِ الفُصُوصِ وَتَرْصِيعِهَا يَوْمَ خُلِقْتَ . ١٤ أَنْتَ الْكَرُوبُ الْمُنْبَسٍطُ الْمُظَلِّلُ، وَأَقَمْتُكَ. عَلَى جَبَلِ اللهِ الْمُقَدَّسِ كُنْتَ. بَيْنَ حِجَارَةِ النَّارِ تَمَشَّيْتَ. ١٥ أَنْتَ كَامِلٌ فِي طُرُقِكَ مِنْ يَوْمَ خُلِقْتَ حَتَّى وُجِدَ فِيكَ إِثْمٌ. ١٦ بِكَثْرَةِ تِجَارَتِكَ مَلأُوا جَوْفَكَ ظُلْمًا فَأَخْطَأْتَ. فَأَطْرَحُكَ مِنْ جَبَلِ اللهِ وَأُبِيدُكَ أَيُّهَا الْكَرُوبُ الْمُظَلِّلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ حِجَارَةِ النَّارِ . ١٧ قَدِ ارْتَفَعَ قَلْبُكَ لِبَهْجَتِكَ. أَفْسَدْتَ حِكْمَتَكَ لأَجْلِ بَهَائـِكَ. سَأَطْرَحُكَ إِلَى الأَرْضِ وَأَجْعَلُكَ أَمَامَ الْمُلُوكِ لِيًنْظُروا إِليْكَ. )) سفر حزقيال ٢٨.
((١٨ فَقَالَ لَهُم: رَأَيْتُ الشَّيطَانَ سَاقِطًا مِثْلَ الْبَرْقِ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ )) بشارة لوقا ١٠
((٣١ اَلآنَ دَيْنَونَةُ هذَا الْعَالَمِ. اَلآنَ يُطْرَحُ رَئيسُ هذَا الْعَالَمِ خَارِجًا)) بشارة يوحنا الحبيب ١٢
@NizarSoroShamon
عقول بلا إيمان كالخيول بلا فرسان.
رفض بلا بديل مثل قرض بلا تمويل.
أول مغالطة عند الملحد إنكار وجود الفاعل قبل الفعل ونتائجه.
س/ لماذا الإلحاد باطل؟
ج/ لا بديل عن منطق العقل السليم المؤمن بالآتي :
١- لا فعل بلا فاعل، ولا شيء يأتي من لا شيء، فمن أوجد كل شيء ولا يحتاج إلى سواه ليكون موجوداً بذاته؟
٢- فاقد الشيء لا يعطيه، فمن وضع الحياة العاقلة في المادة والطاقة وهما بلا حياة ولا عقل ولا ضمير؟
٣- الكون كله مُتغيِّر وخاضع تحت قوانين الطبيعة فليس ذاتيّ الوجود فليس إلهاً بل يحتاج إلى خالق يكون الكامل بذاته فلا يحتاج إلى سواه ليكون إلهاً حقاً، وهذا الشرط يتحقق بتمايز اقنوم عن اقنوم في الذات الإلهية بلا انفصال ولا تفاوت ولا تركيب .
٤- الكمال لواحد فقط لا أكثر وهو الخالق الصادق حتماً ووجوباً في تتميم نبوءات العهد القديم التي عند اليهود وتخص المسيح الفادي رغم عدم إيمانهم أن يسوع هو المسيح الرب الفادي .
٥- لا يليق بكرامة الإنسان أن يكون مصدره مادة وطاقة ليس فيهما عقل وحياة وضمير وحرية، وأيضاً لا يليق نهاية بلا دينونة.
س/ كيف يَصدقُ الملحدُ في قولهِ : الأديان صناعة بشرية ؟
ج/ ١- إذا الإله غير مسؤول عن رسالته، ويتخلى عن مسؤولية وأمانة ومصداقية وعوده للبشر .
٢- إذا الإله يأمر بقتل الناس في سبيله قبل يوم الحساب.
٣- إذا الإله يُقيّد حرية البشر في الطاعة فقط.
٤- إذا الإله يقبل المال مقابل بقاء (الكافر) على معتقده .
٥- إذا الإله يُخالف كلامه بكلام جديد معترف به قبل قرون.
٦- إذا الإله يتنجس بما خلق، فلا يقترب من البشر بل يسكن في سماء فقط.
٧- إذا الإله لم يتكلم ولم يسمع وغير مُحب ومَحبوب قبل خلقه أي مخلوق .
٨- إذا الإله يُفَضِّل شعب على كل الأُمم، ويُبيح له الحرب لنشر الإيمان.
٩- إذا الإله يُحَرِّم السؤال ويُخيف اتباعه من عاقبة السؤال.
١٠- إذا الإله يُكرر هرطقات لم ينصرها قبلاً .
الخبر اليقين وصحف الأولين في سفر التكوين وليس قصص الأولين لأن الكمال للخالق وليس للمخلوقين.
تَدَرّج مظاهر الحضارة من كهوف الجبال في تركيا حيث أثر لسفينة الى أرض شنعار حيث ظهرت حضارة سبقت سومر هي حضارة تل العُبيد يتفق مع سفر التكوين الذي يشير الى رسو فُلك نوح على جبل آرارات وتكاثر أولاد واحفاد نوح في أرض شنعار السهل الرسوبي في العراق.
@87TFAT
God does have a creator, and the creator of godis man.
@kurtedjohn
The fact that anyone, expert or not, believes that a God better explains what it is that has existed for eternity better than simply matter and energy, does not make it so. As it stands now, and probably for forever, what you believe depends on your own faith. Atheists do not necessarily believe that there is no god, we just believe that there is no proof of a god who is an all knowing all powerful creator. And especially that there is no proof of a God who can hear our prayers, and be able to change anything in the future . It would be nice if there were life in heaven after death, but I think we simply die. That may be a sad thought, but I think it’s true.
@seizonsha
I can answer that. Nobody knows and nobody will ever know.
@artiecisneros4691
Mental masturbation.
@gmajor1273
The question, Who created GOD?, shows a real lack of knowledge of who the Bible says GOD is by the people asking the question as some sort of gotcha question.
@mrDK1951
God is not created.
@Pangolier
He is full of shit. Naturalists are not suggesting that matter and energy are primes. That is a false statement. They are just claiming that is as deep as we know now.
2nd of all, for all we know, matter and energy "HAS" created us. How is that less likely to be the case? We can trace back all the changes. Why should we accept an imaginary God is more influential while he is not and has no indication of doing anything?
My suggestion, God is not what you think it is.
@Conservative.Republic
Jesus Christ is King ✝
@raptordave
Chuck Norris.
@ryansav1527
I have a theory that everything exists had a first,Can you find the first pig that ever existed? The first burger? The first to create a surname? The first denture? The first ant? What does the number one number mean??? The answer is just around the corner guys, just open your mind, same of this creator, he's the first😮
@Estee.Ar.6869
Man.
@danielhanawalt4998
All things considered, an intelligent mind behind it all makes more sense than it just happened.
@RotiJohnPrata
Mark Twain — 'Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool.'
@RotiJohnPrata
“It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.” Mark Twain
@vonrock6862
The Great I AM
@jeremylawrence6041
Who Created God? Man
@Yaakov-yep
Who created the Creator is a self defeating question. His name means I AM. YEHOVAH. He doesn't need a genesis. He is humanity's genesis.
@GuyReed-mh6sv
At one time the universe consisted of mostly particles, atoms, plasma, junk. All of this congealed into one unit. Over a period of time this unit would begin to think for itself;I think therefore I am. The IM is now what we call God.
@222ableVelo
I believe in the God of the Bible. But to be fair, I can't imagine how God is eternal. "Always existing" seems impossible to my finite mind. How did God just magically pop into existence in the first place? How do you "just exist"? I think logic automatically takes you to that question. And I don't believe the materialist explanation, but the same goes for energy and matter — if one believes that energy (or matter) always existed, then the question is how?
@mesplin3
That explanation wasn't unexpected.
@blackjay5338
The doctrine of the restoration posits BOTH! God and matter are both eternal and self existent.
I'm continuously amazed at how LDS theology solves so very many questions asked by philosophers for millennia. It's the most complete and cohesive system I've encountered.
@gorequillnachovidal
but the question in the title was not addressed at all
@maxmustermann1206
God cannot create another god. Anything that God creates is, by definition, a creature.