Journal of Contemporary Studies on Religion and Science (JCSRS)

Journal of Contemporary Studies on Religion and Science (JCSRS)

Examining The Theological Outcomes of Vilenkin’s View on The Beginning of Universe Based on ‘Quantum Tunneling Out of Nothing’

Document Type : Original Article

Author
payame noor university
Abstract
The question of how the universe came into existence continues to be a central concern for both science and theology. Similar to earlier attempts to explain the beginning through material or prime causes, which concluded with the non-existence of a deity, modern cosmological and physical theories have proposed spontaneous, independent-of-cause accounts, such as "quantum tunneling out of nothing." This paper seeks to examine the true propositions put forward by empirical science, which have often been distorted by theological or philosophical inferences that are disconnected from their origins and thus baseless. Critiquing the views of certain atheist scientists, such as Vilenkin, this paper argues that their claims do not negate the existence of a deity. On the contrary, these ideas are shown to be compatible with theological concepts of creation, as they are based on a beginning in the total absence of matter, time, and space. These theories align with the Quranic concepts of ebdaa (creation ex nihilo) and bara (creation from nothing), reflecting a creation pattern that is unprecedented. The turning point in this debate lies in the misinterpretation or misunderstanding of quantum tunneling, which is often wrongly seen as a mathematical model suggesting the universe's beginning was accidental, like atomic decay. Beyond the flawed overgeneralizations of physical and mathematical premises rooted in assumptions of limited uncertainty and randomness, the evidence remains inadequate. Therefore, the inability to prove existence does not equate to proof of non-existence. Uncertainty, as suggested by the Copernican model, is just one of many possible explanations in quantum physics. Other equally plausible accounts, such as the Bohemian view or the multiverse theory, explore accidental phenomena like nuclear decay through deterministic equations in quantum mechanics.
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