Seems like a futile discussion to me. There is absolutely no way to prove our ancient origins so why bother with a discussion on it? Why not stick with topics that can be dissected? So, my preferred talking points would be to pick a different subject as this one cannot be resolved.

In a literal nothing, it seems counter to our intuition that something could obtain (or arise) out of a state of nothingness. In as much as one could point to such a state and say that something cannot arise from nothing, one could also say that there would also be nothing, literally nothing, to stop it.

There had to be something from which the universe "took shape". I don't think there is such a thing as "nothing" if there is something now. So there must have always been something to form the thing that is now. I believe that existence is infinite. If something has a property, then it must be something. Even if the Big Bang is true, there had to be some interaction for there to be an expansion of it. The Big Bang doesn't mean it was an explosion from a center. Although if it did mean that then there would still have to be an interaction of something for it to happen. It just means there was an expansion of space itself. So that space had to exist already. I don't believe in a singularity, in the sense that it came from nothing, being the reason for our universe's creation.

Both nothing and infinite are very difficult concepts to wrap our minds around. I think we might be too limited in our knowledge to understand them. All we know is our observable universe. Even if time stopped, it still wouldn't be "nothing". Nothing would be non-existence. How can we be in existence and think logically that we came from non-existence? How can anything come from non-existence? It's possible that our universe is expanding within another space "outside" of our universe (our universe is contained inside something else), or it's infinite. If our universe is finite, then there is a border. But doesn't that border have to have something on the other side of it for it to be a border? Do you just smack into a "wall" or energy force you can't break through? Wouldn't there have to be something on the other side of that energy force for it to actually emit energy? It's like a never ending search either way, isn't it?

This is something we will most likely never know the answer to. We don't have the means to explore it, and probably never will.

Nothing as used by a physicist is different than the colloquial definition. That's why it's important to define your terms. We don't have a "nothing" to examine. As such "nothing" may be an abstract concept like a perfect circle that is only good as an abstract concept.

The only honest answer at this point is "I don't know", because no one does. The only difference is a theist tacks on "therefore god" which is nothing more than a baseless assertion. They can cling to it if they want, but eventually we'll learn how... and their god of the gaps will continue to shrink.

I would ask them if something can’t come from nothing, where did god come from? Everyone must believe at some point that the oldest thing they know of/believe in/can suss out must have either a) come from something else or b) nothing at all. The only difference is we don’t claim to have found that original force or thing yet, because we can’t prove it. Neither can they, nor can they deny that at some point they believe in something that came from nothing. It’s turtles all the way down.

Well good luck with trying to hsve a rational conversation with adults who believe in "Santa for grown ups".?

I don’t know about something from nothing but you can have more from les as in synergy... If the less is little enough it might be close to nothing but if it’s nothing twice nothing is still nothing, I think you must have something to have synergy? Perhaps our somthing was a leak from another universe, as in the bubbles theory of the multiverse, if there’s many universes was there a first universe and what would that be? I think it would be somthing “nothing” doesn’t exist thus you always have the possibility of synergy, or somthing more from very little. I need a beer!

I don’t think something can come from nothing I thinks there has always been something.

It is a philosophical debate that was used by religion as an argument for the existence of a god. A further example of how language has been used to discriminate against people. There are certain phenomena that as of yet cannot be scientifically proven. If something cannot be scientifically proven that is no reason to invent a narrative to explain same. Certainly no reason to 'believe' in such an argument. Certainly a sign of an argument that has no factual basis and as such is pointless?

You need to read the stories surrounding Lawrence Krauss's theory of something from nothing, the problem with his nothing is that it is something.

Isn't your god something? Where do you think it came from? It always has been and always will be is not an acceptable answer, because it contradicts your point that something can't come from nothing.

Nothing is a relative term... There's always something, but we can't always see it. For example, leave a bowl of water (rainwater, pondwater...) somewhere with the right conditions and things will start to grow from seemingly nothing...

With curiosity and science, we can try to understand how things grow and produce. With religion, we can not worry about it and just say "god/s" did it.

Therefore, with curiosity and science, we can learn ways to make the best of nature's ways. With religion, we are at the mercy of whatever the "god/s" choose to impose on us, without our say, without our permission, out of our control.

I prefer to have some control over my life and the world around me, because I do have that power. Knowledge is power. Religion is for those who the lack the knowledge - or wish to ignore knowledge. That's how I see it.

Whether "god" created something from nothing or nature created something from nothing, there is not a smidgen of difference in the two. The only thing to consider is that nature is real, visible, testable, knowable and god(s) are invisible, imaginary, unknowable, so take your pick.

I haven't really been in a lengthy discussion regarding it but I think that you're correct regarding "nothing" as it's difficult to conceive.

I actually don't think there ever was a "nothing" or a "beginning" and maybe that's a concept that humans need to let go. If the beginning of the universe was the Big Bang and assuming that it is 100% accurate, how did that event come to happen? How was the stage set for the Big Bang before it occurred? I'd be willing to bet that it was part of a cycle and that there has never been true nothing.

If God created matter, what did he create it from?
Nothing of course.
They say that something can't come out of nothing and then propose that their god makes precisely that happen.
Don't waste your time on such people - they have no honest purpose.