How big is the universe? (was: Evidences of God)

Jeremy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> I have been asked by other posters to show some logical evidences of 
> God's existence. Let me start by stating my position on the matter.
> 
> I believe that God does exist.
> I believe the Bible to be God's word to us.
> I believe that a person can logically, reasonably, and intelligently
> believe in God.

Jeremy,

I believe this is the first time I have ever read any of your posts. 
Thank you for stating your position up front, in response, I will state 
mine.

"The universe is all that is, was or ever will be." This isn't so much 
opinion as my definition of the word "universe".

Nothing exists but matter and void.

> The way I would like to begin this discussion, is to go through a
> logical progression -- a series of steps that we can evaluate together.
> 
> The first step that I would like us to walk through is the question of a 
> beginning?  Did the universe have a beginning?

By the definition above, the universe cannot have a beginning. Even the 
existence of the "void" is part of the universe. If God exists, it is 
part of the universe.

> There has been and can be a lot of discussion on whether or nor there 
> was a beginning, and if you want to break out and discuss that, we can 
> and that is ok.  I feel that evidence shows us that the universe had a 
> beginning.

What evidence?

> So if the universe had a beginning, the next question that I see to ask 
> would be was there a cause to the beginning?  I see basically two 
> options... either there was something that caused the beginning of the 
> universe, or nothing caused the beginning of the universe.

We're already stuck... You apparently have a different definition for 
the word "universe" than I do. Your definition seems to allow "things" 
to exist outside the "universe", mine does not. So where do we go from 
here?