Infinite Regress
The idea or concept of an infinite regress has been suggested by some (Atheists, Naturalists, Materialists, etc.) as an explanation as to how and why the universe did not have and does not need a beginning.
An infinite regress involves a beggingless series of events in time, which is actually impossible for at least three reasons which I will list at the end of this post.
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The idea or concept of an infinite regress has been suggested by some (Atheists, Naturalists, Materialists, etc.) as an explanation as to how and why the universe did not have and does not need a beginning.
An infinite regress involves a beggingless series of events in time, which is actually impossible for at least three reasons which I will list at the end of this post.
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A) We can speak of two kinds of infinite series;
1) Imaginary or abstract infinite; such as in mathematical theory, where for instance we could imagine an infinite number of points on a line between point A and point B; or in set theory where a whole number can be divided an infinite number of times.
Imaginary infinites exist only in the mind.
2) Actual or concrete infinite; real in a metaphysical sense. An actual infinite must be complete and indivisible, and there can be only one. If there were more than one infinite, then they would actually be finite, no matter how vast, because one would necessarily end where the other began.
(God is the only actual infinite that exists, and He is one and complete.)
B) An actually infinite number of things cannot exist in the material world for several reasons.
First; you can never arrive at an infinite number of things by adding one thing after another for the simple reason that you can always add one more, forever; and so you can never arrive at actual infinity.
You can’t add to infinity because it’s already infinite.
But the history of the universe is a collection of all past events that have ever occurred in the universe.
But a collection formed by adding one member after another cannot be actually infinite.
So the events in time that form the history of the universe cannot be infinite.
Therefore, the universe must have had a beginning.
An infinite regress has no beginning.
But if it is impossible to arrive at infinity by adding one thing to another going forward, so it is also impossible to achieve infinity by subtracting one thing from another going backward.
You can’t subtract from infinity, it’s infinite.
Therefore, a beginningless series of events in time cannot exist.
However, a limitless series can exist; that is to say something that began to exist in time can continue endlessly. This is called a potential infinite as opposed to an actual infinite.
Second; it is impossible to cross the infinite. You can never reach the other side.
An infinite period of time can never be traversed and so if the universe had no beginning but has an infinite regress into the past then you could never arrive at today.
But we have arrived at today; therefore the events in time prior to today must have had a beginning. (The universe, including time itself, was created by God, who is timeless.)
Third; an infinite number of causes is impossible because there needs to be a first cause to get it all going. There must be an uncaused first cause. (This is God.)
1) Imaginary or abstract infinite; such as in mathematical theory, where for instance we could imagine an infinite number of points on a line between point A and point B; or in set theory where a whole number can be divided an infinite number of times.
Imaginary infinites exist only in the mind.
2) Actual or concrete infinite; real in a metaphysical sense. An actual infinite must be complete and indivisible, and there can be only one. If there were more than one infinite, then they would actually be finite, no matter how vast, because one would necessarily end where the other began.
(God is the only actual infinite that exists, and He is one and complete.)
B) An actually infinite number of things cannot exist in the material world for several reasons.
First; you can never arrive at an infinite number of things by adding one thing after another for the simple reason that you can always add one more, forever; and so you can never arrive at actual infinity.
You can’t add to infinity because it’s already infinite.
But the history of the universe is a collection of all past events that have ever occurred in the universe.
But a collection formed by adding one member after another cannot be actually infinite.
So the events in time that form the history of the universe cannot be infinite.
Therefore, the universe must have had a beginning.
An infinite regress has no beginning.
But if it is impossible to arrive at infinity by adding one thing to another going forward, so it is also impossible to achieve infinity by subtracting one thing from another going backward.
You can’t subtract from infinity, it’s infinite.
Therefore, a beginningless series of events in time cannot exist.
However, a limitless series can exist; that is to say something that began to exist in time can continue endlessly. This is called a potential infinite as opposed to an actual infinite.
Second; it is impossible to cross the infinite. You can never reach the other side.
An infinite period of time can never be traversed and so if the universe had no beginning but has an infinite regress into the past then you could never arrive at today.
But we have arrived at today; therefore the events in time prior to today must have had a beginning. (The universe, including time itself, was created by God, who is timeless.)
Third; an infinite number of causes is impossible because there needs to be a first cause to get it all going. There must be an uncaused first cause. (This is God.)
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