Has Modern Cosmology Really Become A Quasi Faith-Based ‘Religion’?

I have come to believe, even accept that much of what passes for modern cosmology is akin to a faith-based ‘religion’ in as much as an awful lot of modern cosmology seems to be based and taken on an awful lot of absolute faith. And faith is ‘knowing’ something you don’t actually know.

Now I need to make absolutely clear from the get-go that I totally support the observational evidence that there was a Big Bang Event (BBE), ONLY that it was a macro event and NOT a micro (quantum-sized) event (as cosmologists would have you believe). I also totally support the observational evidence that the Universe is expanding, ONLY that it is expanding through preexisting space and NOT on space (as cosmologists would have you believe). In other words, the BBE did NOT create space but happened in already existing space.

One: The BBE was NOT a micro event. It has to be pure faith that drives cosmologists to accept that you can cram the totality of the visible Universe (and also what lies beyond our observational abilities) down to a volume – in the beginning – of that of a pinhead (or even less).

Two: Since there is currently no observational test that can distinguish between galaxies moving away from each other hence expansion through space, or being carried on space that is itself expanding, it is pure faith for cosmologists to choose the latter over the former.

Three: Though there are three solid lines of observational evidence to suggest both a BBE and an expanding Universe – the cosmic microwave background radiation; the cosmic abundances of hydrogen, helium and lithium; and of course the galactic redshifts – there is another faith-based item that’s central and crucial to the modelling of modern cosmology. And that’s the alleged ‘fact’ that the speed of light has been constant over all of cosmic time. They don’t know that. It’s purely based on faith; not of necessity factual.

Four: The alleged ‘fact’ that the expansion rate of the Universe at large is actually accelerating (in total defiance of expectations and scientific common sense) is absolutely dependent on that faith that the speed of light has been constant over cosmic time frames. Further, there’s clearly faith that the underlying basis of this bombshell observation was based on the study of a limited supply of Type 1-A Supernova all based on the scientific understanding of Type 1-A Supernova was set in stone. It might be actually presumptuous to suggest that our understanding of the workings of Type 1-A Supernova is as justified as astrophysicists would have us believe. This might be an example of garbage-in; garbage-out.

Five: Finally, cosmologists say that the energy density of the Universe remains constant even though the volume of the Universe is increasing. Most of this ever increasing supply of energy is called – because we can’t see it or detect it and it has to be called something – Dark Energy (a form of apparently anti-gravity). This Dark Energy is what is driving the ever accelerating expansion rate of the Universe. But, it’s pure faith to suggest the constant creation of something – Dark Energy – is out of absolutely nothing, especially given that’s in violation of the well-established First Law of Thermodynamics.

So, lots and lots of faith required for the cosmological faithful all around, if you accept the Modern Cosmological Story.

Has Modern Cosmology Really Become A Quasi Faith-Based ‘Religion’? Addendums

Addendum One: The Purpose of Agnostic’s Forum.

*When you go to the home page of the Agnostic website it specifically states that the website forum is for “skeptics” and “freethinkers” which is exactly what I did in my post titled “Has Modern Cosmology Really Become A Quasi Faith-Based ‘Religion’?” I’m skeptical of the modern cosmological model and as a result did a batch of freethinking about the issue.

Addendum Two: The State of Science.

*So I subjected the modern cosmological model to some scrutiny. Where would the state of science be today if no one ever dared to question the status quo? The Flat Earth would still be the center of the Cosmos; the Sun and planets would still be going around the Earth; alchemy and astrology would rule the classroom; witch doctors would be the medical profession; and here be dragons.

Addendum Three: Regarding the Speed of Light.

*We know the speed of light CAN vary. The speed of light decreases when passing through air; more so water; even more so through glass or diamond or clear ice (or any other solid transparent or translucent substance).

*It takes light many hundreds of years between escaping from the core of our Sun to ultimately reach the Sun’s surface hence to ultimately reaching your eyes.

*There is and must be some underlying physics that determines what the speed of light (in a vacuum) is. What that physics is, is totally unknown, but play with that underlying physics and you alter the speed of light.

Addendum Four: The Expansion Rate of the Universe.

*If the expansion rate of the Universe were really accelerating, I would suspect that one could relatively easily compare the redshifts of some far distant galaxies today and compare that to what it was say 50 or some odd years ago. No change would negate the entire Dark Energy scenario.

Addendum Five: Proving My Point.

*Several posters here responding to my post are near proving my point of the parallel between modern cosmology and ancient religious belief systems. They’re vehemently defending a scientific scenario that they don’t actually know to be true is true. While no doubt being critical of say a Christian who defends vehemently the ‘fact’ that Jesus was the Son of God, who walked on water, who died and was resurrected and now sits at the right hand of God Almighty up in Heaven. They don’t actually know that to be true but they have faith that it is true.

*Some posters are near blindly accepting and defending the words of cosmological authority figures without question, much like Muslims accept Allah or Catholics believe everything their priests, bishops, cardinals, and pope says. Whatever happened to the concept of thinking an issue through for yourself?