# The Universe is God (According to Christians) Note: This is _not_ a proof for/against the existence God. I hope believers and non-believers will find reasons to enjoy my ramblings here. --- Christians believe that God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere). ## What is _Everywhere_ and _Everything_ and _Always_? Many people, including myself, believe "universe" means _everything_ and _everywhere_ and _always_. But our universe is finite, so _everything_, _everywhere_, and _always_ are all finite too. As far as we know, matter began, energy began, space began, and time began. According to our brightest minds, long ago, nothing existed and everywhere was nowhere. I mean, _maybe_ the physicists are wrong. _Maybe_ our universe has always existed, or some other universe existed before it. _Maybe_ an infinite number of universes existed before ours and continue to exist. _Maybe_ the universe is so big that its edges touch. _Maybe_ the universe just has planets and planets and planets forever and there's literally no end to it, or _maybe_ when you reach the end of our universe you enter the next of infinite universes. _Maybe_ there's another "spiritual" dimension of spacetime that we can't access with our feeble human minds. Sure. Cool. If any of that extra stuff exists, I'm going to call all that extra stuff "the universe" too. The physics really don't matter here. What's important is that "universe" in this essay means _everything_, _everywhere_, and _everywhen_. (I'll sometimes use the word "every*when*" instead of "always", because it's poetic 💁) ## Where is _Everywhere_ and _Everywhen_? > "Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him?" declares the > Lord. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the Lord. — Jeremiah > 23:24 According to Christians, God is definitely not spatially or temporally _smaller_ than the universe. Christians maintain that God was always everywhere in the entire spacetime of our universe. In set theory, we could express this as `God ⊄ universe` or conversely `universe ⊆ God`. Now, I'd like to contend that there is no "outside" of everywhere, because then it wouldn't be "everywhere" anymore. If we found a rock outside of the universe, well, that would be the universe too. If we found heaven outside of the universe, that would be the universe too. If we found a "spiritual dimension" outside of the universe, that would be the universe too. In the same way, God can't be outside of the universe, because _that would be the universe too_. It follows that `universe ⊄ God` and `God ⊆ universe`. > Definition: The sets A and B are said to be equal if A⊆B and B⊆A denoted by > A=B. Two sets that contain each other, by definition, are equal. So in terms of space and time, it seems pretty clear that God must be the _exact same size_ as the universe. If God is everywhere, then "everywhere" is also God. ## Miracles > He is wise in heart and mighty in strength, who has defied Him without harm? > It is God who removes the mountains, they know not how, when He overturns them > in His anger; who shakes the earth out of its place, And its pillars tremble; > who commands the sun not to shine, and sets a seal upon the stars; who alone > stretches out the heavens and tramples down the waves of the sea; who makes > the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; who does > great things, unfathomable, and wondrous works without number. Job 9:4-10 There is nothing an omnipotent being can't do. But first let's talk about _can't_ vs. _won't_. In one sense, a tennis-player _can't_ stop playing tennis, because then they wouldn't be a tennis-player anymore. In another sense, a tennis-player can obviously stop playing tennis any time, but _won't_ because they enjoy tennis. In the same way, according to Christians, God can't/won't lie, sin, forget, or disappear. Logicians are more interested in questions like "Can God create a boulder too large to lift by himself?" God is either incapable of making immovable boulders not strong enough to lift every boulder. These propositions cannot logically both be true. Many Christians contend that God is capable of logically impossible actions! Neuroscientists are interested in questions like "Can you sneeze?" Of course you've sneezed before, but was it really you who sneezed? If you're capable of sneezing, then why can't you sneeze on command? Computer scientists are interested in whether machines can be intelligent. If a computer can think, does that mean a submarine can swim? As stated above, there is nothing an omnipotent being can't do. Now let me ask you this: what is there that the universe _can't_ do? God can't/won't disobey his laws. The universe can't/won't disobey its own laws. If God is omnipotent, so is the universe. But what about "miracles"? Aren't miracles "impossible"? Well, if it happened in our universe, then the universe did it. Therefore it wasn't impossible! If the universe can't perform miracles, then neither can God. Okay, now you're probably thinking, "The universe is not even conscious! You're saying it can do everything, but it can't do _anything_! It's just a bunch of junk!" If the universe can't do anything, then does that mean that a computer can't add `1 + 1`? Just because it's a bunch of junk doesn't mean that it doesn't cause things to occur. It just happens to choose things in a predictable manner. And if the universe is incapable of decisions, does that mean that you're incapable of sneezing? Just because sneezing doesn't happen _right now_ doesn't mean it's impossible! Some Christians may say, "No, the universe would cease to exist if God disappeared! God is the _reason_ the universe is running." I completely agree! And that's because God _is_ the universe. The universe can do and is doing _everything everywhere_, _all at once_. So according to Christians, the laws of physics _are precisely_ God's laws. ## Omniscience > Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. > Psalm 147:5 You can probably anticipate where I'm going with this. To be omniscient is to know everything. The universe knows everything. [Q.E.D.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q.E.D.) Alright, alright, not so fast. The universe isn't _alive_ so how can it _know_ things‽ A library doesn't _know_ things. It just holds information. It's just a reference. You can look up the speed-of-light in an encyclopedia. But in some sense, the universe _knows_ the speed-of-light, because it _does_ the speed of light. It just does it on autopilot! It's not the same as a library. It's not a reference — it's the real deal! Do you _know_ your own name? When you try to remember your own name, doesn't it just magically pop out of nowhere into your mind? Do you know exactly what the inside of your head looks like? Do you know how your brain knows your name? When the universe tries to remember how particles move, it just happens. It's like you remembering your own name. What is there that the universe doesn't know? It knows every one of your thoughts, because _you are the universe too_. In fact, you are just one tiny spec of the universe observing itself! The universe knows everything there is to know. But if God knows everything too, then do God and the universe share the same mind? ## Conclusion Quick recap: - God is the exact same size as the universe - God is exactly as powerful as the universe - God is exactly as knowledgable as the universe So according to Christians, the universe _is_ God!