Subj : The universe
To   : JOSHUA LEE
From : DAVE OLDRIDGE
Date : Tue Dec 19 2000 10:40 am

JL> -=> DAVE OLDRIDGE wrote to TODD HENSON <=-

JL>  DO> It's mathematically in the same category as "north" of the north pole.
JL>  DO> As Hawking points out, you can normalize the whole picture by treating
JL>  DO> time (as we measure it) as an imaginary quantity (in the mathematical
JL>  DO> sense).  The singularity at t=0 then simply becomes a point on a

JL> Hawking's theories are not without controversy; though he manages to
JL> sell a lot of popular books based on his theory of an atheistic big
JL> bang.

JL>  DO> Gen 1
JL>  DO> In the beginning the God is creating the world.  Present tense!

JL> Beraishis bara elokim...

JL> "bara" is in "complete" (my terminology; the usual terminology for
JL> Hebrew grammer uses Hebrew terms that would be incomprehensable here)
JL> tense. (In Biblical Hebrew, there is only complete and incomplete
JL> tenses; either something is complete or something is not; no past,
JL> future, etc; though these can be used, and often are, to allude to
JL> these states. Also noteable is that the word for a long period of
JL> time, world, and universe in Hebrew is identical; Olam; so it's
JL> no wonder that a Jew, Einstein, came up with a theory of physics,
JL> relativity, that incorporates such perspectives. :-) )

JL> However, I think you are right theologically; Chassidus, rational
JL> mystical Jewish theology, tends to claim that the universe is being
JL> continuously created by the words of creation; which are part of
JL> G-d himself. (Panentheism.)

JL>  TH> What do you think about that?

JL>  DO> See above.  This is the case throughout the entire Bible!  Compare
JL>  DO> also:

JL>  DO> Before Abraham was, I AM.

JL> That's not in *my* Bible... :-)

No, but it fits right in.  And the Rabbi who said it has a large 
following :-)

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