Why must the universe start out empty?

Question

It's a very common to ask,

Where did the universe come from?

How did something come out of nothing?

Where did the that started the big bang come from?

Indeed, it's often used as a justification to believing in God:

"I believe that God created the matter that exploded into the big bang"

"Something can't come out of nothing, therefore some supreme being has to exist"

Common to all these questions is that they assume that the universe started empty, and something had to fill it. Why do people assume this? Why is an empty universe start more likely than a full universe start?

What's your justification for saying that there had to be nothing when it all started and that nothingness was later filled? Why couldn't simply the universe have matter from the very beginning, just as you think it has emptiness from the very beginning?

Answer 1

A few things:

People shouldn't infer a deity because we don't know what causes the big bang [wasn't really a bang]. Then the question arises: What/Who created that deity?

Read up on the big bang. "Big Bang" by Simon Singh is good

EDIT:

Robert R: I think you need to pick up a book...seriously

Answer 2

Because it would violate the laws of thermodynamics. No modern scientist believes in an eternal universe. That theory was totally debunked.

The laws of thermodynamics also make it clear that it is impossible for something to come into being from absolute nothing with absolutely no cause. Therefore there must be a Creator.

Answer 3

Because most of the fundies do not understand the Big Bang Theory.

Or Evolution... or simple science/common sense/logics...

Else they wouldn't be called fundies.

Answer 4

The universe has always existed.  The Big Bang was nothing more than a Supernova.