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1、TheOriginoftheUniverseStephenHawkingAccordingtotheBoshongopeopleofcentralAfrica,inthebeginningtherewasonlydarkness,water,andthegreatgodBumba.OnedayBumba,inpainfromastomachache,…vomitedupthesun.Thesundriedupsomeofthewater,leavingland.Stillinpain,Bumba…vomitedupthem
2、oon,thestars,andthensomeanimals.thelepard,thecrocodile,theturtle,and,finallyman.Thiscreationmyth,likemanyothers,triestoanswerthequestionsweallask.Whyarewehere?Wheredidwecomefrom?Theanswergenerallygiven,wasthathumanswereofcomparitativelyrecentorigin,becauseitmustha
3、vebeenobvious,evenatearlytimes,thatthehumanracewasimprovinginknowledgeandtechnology.Soitcan'thavebeenaroundthatlong,oritwouldhaveprogressedevenmore.Forexample,accordingtoBishopUsher,theBookofGenesisplacedthecreationoftheworldat9inthemorning,onOctoberthe27th,4,004B
4、C.BishopUsherBishopUsherdeducedthatthefirstdayofCreationbeganatnightfallSundayOctober27,4004BC.Refinementsbyothersfurtherpinpointedthisto9a.m.,Londontime,ormidnightintheGardenofEden.Ontheotherhand,thephysicalsurroundings,likemountainsandrivers,changeverylittleinah
5、umanlifetime.Theywerethereforethoughttobeaconstantbackground,andeithertohaveexistedforeverasanemptylandscape,ortohavebeencreatedatthesametimeasthehumans.Noteveryonehowever,washappywiththeideathattheuniversehadabeginning.Aristotle:TheuniverseexistedforeverForexampl
6、e,Aristotle,themostfamousoftheGreekphilosophers,believedtheuniversehadexistedforever.Somethingeternal,ismoreperfectthansomethingcreated.Hesuggestedthereasonweseeprogress,wasthatfloods,orothernaturaldisasters,hadrepeatedlysetcivilizationbacktothebeginning.Themotiva
7、tionforbelievinginaneternaluniverse,wasthedesiretoavoidinvokingdivineintervention,tocreatetheuniverse,andsetitgoing.Conversely,thosewhobelievedtheuniversehadabeginning,useditasanargumentfortheexistenceofGod,asthefirstcause,orprimemoveroftheuniverse.Ifonebelievedth
8、attheuniversehadabeginning,theobviousquestionwas,Whathappenedbeforethebeginning.WhatwasGoddoingbeforeHemadetheworld.WasHepreparingHellforpeoplewhoaskeds
