Define “Creatio Ex Nihilo.”
In Latin, “ex nihilo” literally means “out of nothing.” It often appears along with the concept of creation, as in “creatio ex nihilo”, meaning “creation out of nothing.” It contrasts with the phrase “creatio ex materia” (creation out of some pre-existent, eternal matter) and with “creatio ex deo” (creation out of God.) Christians all believe that the world is created ex deo, however, whether the universe was created “ex nihilo” or from already present material is still a topic of discussion today among Christians and people of other beliefs alike. There is evidence in the bible supporting both creatio ex nihilo and ex materia.
Despite the simplicity of defining the concept of “nothingness” (a pronoun denoting the absence of anything), it is still difficult to understand nothingness as a concept. It is very hard to describe something, without saying it is something. Therefore, even saying that a certain thing is nothing is technically describing it as something, which gets confusing after a while. For example: Blue is a colour, as are yellow and red. All three of these colours make up every colour tone we see. Theoretically, there was an absence of colour, what would be in its place, white or black? It is very difficult to imagine this, as all our life we have been able to distinguish what we have seen because of their colour(s). Even when we try to imagine a world without colours, it becomes impossible not to end up labelling the absence of colour either “blackness” or “whiteness.” In other words, in order to describe the absence of something, we are using something that is present. This is the same with describing the absence of everything; in that we are using something that we associate with something that is exist to describe nothingness.
Why do some believers feel that they have to defend the idea of God creating the universe from nothing, and why do some believe that God doesn’t have to create the universe ex nihilo? The concept of God using nothing but his own power to craft the universe could be an example of God’s omnipotence. The very first line in the bible supports the idea of creation ex nihilo: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) This suggests that as God is the divine creator, the most powerful thing in existence, he doesn’t need pre-existent material to produce anything. However, the verse after suggests that God is more a craftsman rather than a creator: “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) These contradictory verses make it difficult to establish whether God created the universe ex nihilo or not. What we can understand is why some Christians would believe that God created everything from nothing. It is an example of God’s omnipotence, and the idea of God just using present material to create everything makes him come across as less powerful.
Let’s assume that God created the world from nothing, and that there was nothing until God said there to be so. The absence that there was before the creation must have had the potential to be something. Therefore, would it be wrong to suggest that if nothing had the potential something, then surely it would be something, and not the absence of something. If this is true, then it is impossible to say that God created the universe ex nihilo, as there must have been something for God to make the universe out of. If there truly was nothing, then it wouldn’t have the potential to be anything and therefore God wouldn’t be able to make the universe. On top of this issue, there is also the problem of God existing before the beginning of the universe. Is God included in the nothingness that existed? If so, then surely God didn’t make the universe out of nothing and used his own power, which was already there. When does nothing become nothing? When is it right to say whether nothing has the same characteristics as an existing thing? Early I have spoken about how potential is a characteristic of everything that exists, and that nothingness must have potential if it eventually becomes something. Another issue, is the very fact that we can label nothingness, means that it must be something.
Although it is understandable where the idea of God creating the universe ex nihilo came from, and that it is a prime example of how powerful God is, it is difficult, too difficult in fact, to imagine nothingness, as our brains feel it is logical to link something to something else. Even if it was possible for God to create the universe out of nothing, there would be no way for it to make sense to humankind, as I believe that there is no way for us to imagine nothingness.
“Nothing can come from nothing.” Discuss.
I have written about this topic in my previous answer, but I shall expand on it. “Nothing comes from nothing” is a philosophical expression of a thesis first argued by Parmenides (515-540 BCE). Parmenides wrote that there is no break in between a world that didn’t exist, since it couldn’t be created ex nihilo in the first place (note that the Greeks also believed that things cannot disappear into nothing, just as they can't be created from nothing, but if they ceased to exist, they transform into some other form of being.) This however, is a two and a half millennia year-old theory, and advancements in science have taught us how the universe was formed as it is today, through the Big Bang. However, people still ask whether there was existent matter before the Big Bang.
According to current Quantum Theory, something can come from nothing. However, the explanation, of why that happens has not yet been formed; this is where God comes in, for believers. Just like Parmenides’ and the Ancient Greek’s ideas of the forming of the universe, Creationism predates the theory of evolution. Creationist beliefs in their origins were non-scientific ere explanations of the origins of the universe, based on a combination of natural observation and a belief in the supernatural (God, miracles, angels, etc.) Those who continue to hold onto these beliefs can be sorted into two groups: Those who believe in the idea of supernatural phenomena to fill the gaps left open by science, and those who reject all modern scientific theories on the origins of the universe (obviously one of these is more sophisticated than the other.)
To a Christian, using science to disprove the idea of God creating the world out of nothing is ludicrous. Because God is the most powerful, he should not and cannot be bound by his creation, as this will limit God. Therefore the laws of physics cannot be applied to God, and any argument where God and his abilities can be bound by the currently agreed upon Laws of Physics cannot be discussing a true omnipotent deity, and if the Christian God is omnipotent, then the Laws of Physics cannot be applied to him. If this is true, then this is the wrong Creator and the wrong Creation.
According to the beliefs of Christians, God in his/hers/it’s fundamental form is an immense, timeless and dimensionless awareness, or if we are talking about God on a personal level, an immense, timeless and dimensionless mind. Because it is unsure whether God has a gender or not (and although I have made this assumption before), it should be referred to as “It.” God has existed before time, and will exist when time ceases. This means that God would theoretically be able to make something from nothing, as God is not part of space time or the material world, therefore excluding it’s self from nothingness. This being said, whether God could literally form material out of nothingness is difficult to imagine. If God is the only timeless and dimensionless mind, then it is as an advantage to everything else that exists and can exist, thus, God is the most powerful thing in the universe. If this is the case, then there is no extent to its power: Creating a circle square, making rain reverse, creating something out of nothingness, etc. If all this is true, and I am not saying it is, then nothing can absolutely come from nothing.
This being said, what is stopping more than one dimensionless, timeless mind from existing? We know that God has a control of the material world, but does he have ultimate power over the a-material realm? Again, is nothingness including everything that exists dimensionless and timelessly? If God was not alone, would that make him non-omnipotent? If God is not a lone being, then we must consider the possibility of different realms: Our universe of space-time, and the realm where God exists apart from the universe. We could argue that although the universe could be formed out of nothing, it still involves the input of something, this being God.
Although the idea of nothing being made of from nothing sounds illogical, it can be explained in a seemingly logical way. That being said, there are assumptions that have to be made that have no way of being proven. With science advancing the way it is, it has been suggested that matter existed before the Big Bang, just not in the state we see it as currently. The truth is that it will be almost impossible to precisely tell how the universe began, but even more difficult to explain it through “creatio ex nihilo.”