Which Are the Oldest Religions in the World?

Which Are the Oldest Religions in the World?

The oldest forms of worship in the world are ancestor worship, shamanism, and animism, which are thought to date back to at least around 300,000 BCE. The oldest religions that are still widely practiced are are Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Jainism. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism all came from India, while Judaism originated in Israel and Taoism in China. Shintoism, a Japanese spiritual practice that is still practiced today, dates back further, but is not strictly speaking a religion. Other very old forms of worship include pantheism, Zoroastrianism, and Confucianism.

Early Forms of Worship

Pre-organized forms of religion generally centered on rituals, ancestor worship, shamanism, and animism. Ritual burials are speculated to have occurred up to 300,000 years ago, and were almost certainly practiced since at least 100,000 BCE. Ancestor worship also played a major role in pre-organized worship, and was found throughout the world. Shamanism, the practice of a selected person going into an altered state of consciousness to communicate with spirits or animals, was also widely practiced, and is thought to be evidenced by cave paintings dating back to 320,000 BCE. This was closely connected to animism, the belief that all things have a soul or spirit.

As cities began to develop, god and goddess worship became more common. Around 35,000 BCE, many figurines shaped like women began to be created, which are thought to have been used in a form of goddess worship. Shinto practices began to develop in Japan around 14,000 BCE, though they weren't codified until the 8th century CE. In 9130 BCE, the first known man-made temple was built, called Göbekli Tepe. It was apparently used in shamanistic or animistic worship.

Organized Religions

Polytheism

Polytheism is the belief in many gods and goddesses, and was practiced by a number of societies, including the Sumerians, Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks, Ancient Romans, Ancient Chinese, and Celts. Though all of these societies worshiped differently, polytheistic religions do tend to have similar types of deities, like creator deities, water deities, mother goddesses, and love deities. For instance, Isis was a mother deity in Ancient Egypt, while Ninsun served a similar role in Sumerian culture, as did Gaia in Greek culture. Similarly, the role of the water deity was played by Mazu in China, Poseidon in Greece, Neptune in Rome, and Lir in the Celtic tradition.

Hinduism

Hinduism is the oldest organized, the third largest, and the major religion of India. It has no known founder, as it was organized from a variety of traditional beliefs from different cultures and mythologies. The roots of Hinduism are thought to date back about 5,000 years. Hinduism has two great theistic movements: the cult of Vishnu called Vaishnavism, and the cult of Shiva or Shaivism. It advocates commitment to dharma, an ideal way of life. Hindus, or believers of Hinduism, believe in karma, or the force of one's actions, and reincarnation, or the passage of a soul from one body to another body.

Judaism

The religion of the Jews, Judaism is considered the matrix for Christianity and Islam. With a history of over 4,000 years, Judaism is based on monotheism, the belief in one God. The Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament in Christianity, is the fundamental source of Jewish belief, notably its first five books collectively called the Torah or Pentateuch. Judaism follows a system of law, called Halachah, which regulates personal values, family relationships, social responsibility, and civil and criminal justice.

Buddhism

Buddhism is the religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha or the awakened one, in the 6th century BCE. It was the most successful religious movement derived from Hinduism and eventually spread throughout India and other Asian countries. Buddhism can be divided into two main branches: the more conservative Theravada, or "Way of the Elders," and the diverse and liberal Mahayana, or "Great Vehicle." Buddhist teaching is centered on the Four Noble Truths: suffering or duhkha, desire as the cause of suffering, suffering can end, and existence of a way to end suffering.

Jainism

Jainism is believed to be founded by Mahavira in the 6th century BCE, though Jains regard him as only the last of the Tirthamkaras, or 24 founders of the religion. The philosophy of Jainism is centered on the belief that every living thing has a soul, and thus it promotes non-injury to all life-forms. Jainism is divided into two sects: the Svetambara and the Digambara. The Svetambaras wear white clothes, while the Digambaras go naked naked. Jain monks, however, commonly wear cloths over their mouths to prevent them from unconsciously breathing in and accidentally causing injury to a living thing.

Taoism

Taoism is thought to have been founded around the 3rd or 4th century BCE, which is when the primary text of Taoism, the Daodejing, dates back to. The author of the Daodejing, Laozi, may have lived around the same time as Confucius, the founder of Confucianism. Those who practice taoism try to live in accordance with the "way" or dao, which is the completely indescribable source and flow of everything. Main concepts in Taoism are wu wei, which is the process of doing things effortlessly or non-intentionally, and the "Three Treasures," which are compassion, moderation, and humility. This religion is connected with many physical practices, like qigong and tai chi, as well as the concept of yin yang, which is the belief that opposites are actually completely interconnected.

Other Religions

Other very old religions include Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, mystery cults, and paganism. Zoroastrianism is thought to have been founded around the 6th century BCE, and is notable for being one of the first religions to use the concept of the struggle between good and evil. Confucianism, which is more of a philosophy than a religion, was founded by Confucius in the 5th century BCE. It posits that there is an ideal structure and hierarchy of the world, and that people have a moral obligation to fulfill their roles in that hierarchy.

Mystery cults took place primarily in Ancient Greece and Rome, and involved the secret, usually ritual worship of specific gods and goddesses. Notable mystery cults included the Eleusinian mysteries, which centered on the goddesses Demeter and Persephone; the cult of Isis, which was centered on the Egyptian goddess Isis, and later other similar goddesses; and the cult of Cybele, who was a mother goddess figure.

Source:http://www.wisegeek.com/which-are-the-oldest-religions-in-the-world.htm

Is God the Universe?

Is God the Universe?

Forums: Science, Entropy, End Times, Speculation, Creationism 

NOTE: This may jump a lot, as it is a lot of info to share (and take in) all at once, and I apologize if you get lost. I'm relying on others to review what I've provided and clarify my shoddy explanations; however, I'm confident that this is where science and religion will find a comfortable meeting ground. As my understanding increased, so too did my frustration and disappointment with my peers, both in the scientific and religious communities; where I saw a perfectly blended unison of science and creation, many saw black and white. I hope to break that barrier.


--


This is the cumulative sum of my understanding of the life, the universe, and all things; it is based in evidential fact where possible, but I'm not an expert in any particular field nor well-read into all necessary subjects and it is therefore subject to abstract thought. I leave it up to you to judge the potential validity of this hypothesis -- these are merely my views.


Let's start at the most logical place possible: the beginning. I've long believed in a synchronicity between the Big Bang and Creationism, and therefore I've come to refer to the Big Bang as the Creation Event (CE). Regardless of what it's called, however, the concept remains the same: an immense explosion occurred at the "center" of the universe, and this tremendous bang scattered all matter and energy into the void of space.


The obvious and burning question is: why? To answer that question, we can begin by inferring that it must have happened for a reason; that, however, then begs the question of whether or not the reason was an action or a reaction -- was the universe, and consequently existence, the product of one or more entities reacting, or the decay of a single entity into many?


I'm confident that this question is virtually unanswerable at this point in time, but this topic would be pointless without attempting to do so. My argument/hypothesis/answer is thus: God is the single entity that, by choice, decayed into many; and as such, matter and energy (existence) is the product of his "children" -- or the series of what we might consider an infinite number of reactions that occurred after His original.


It sounds ridiculous, but let's consider a few things before we jump to "mystic conclusions."


First, consider the atom. It is not actually an atomic nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons and protons -- these energies are actually stored WITHIN the atomic nucleus, much like a living cell and its components within a membrane, and are "superimposed" over each other in three-dimensional space. In this way, you can compare atoms to stars: like hydrogen and helium reacting in a star's core, protons, electrons, neutrons (and the other fun particles) collaborate within the nucleus of the atom to define the its identity.


Second, consider the black hole. I think our knowledge of black holes is sufficient, but our understanding of them is lacking; I've inferred a function for these cosmic beasts based on their characteristics, and it is strikingly similar to nuclear fusion.


Essentially, I consider them the opposite of stars. Whereas stars are balls of burning gas that radiate energy, black holes are literally singularities. When a star of sufficient mass collapses, I believe it holds the potential to create a point of density so great that existence itself "collapses." In other words, it is so densely packed that energy cannot permeate it; rather, all reactions stop and solid matter is violently separated from energy, which is then ejected back into the cosmos while the matter is recombined into a single entity -- its goal.


Therefore, you can think of it as the literal inverse of a star; rather than circulating energy and matter and allowing it to interact and react, it "sorts" and "organizes" it -- solid matter in, energy out. Why?


This is where things get interesting... and relevant. Let's take a step back and observe the atom again; this time, consider quantum mechanics. From what I can gather about quantum mechanics, they turned traditional scientific understanding on its head. If I'm not mistaken, one of the strangest things is that quantum mechanics suggest the impossible: that at any one time, any single particle of matter or energy may exist everywhere at the same time, and that they constantly phase in and out of existence. And this actually makes perfect sense.


Uhh.... how, right?


Let's go back to the Creation Event, but this time let's take black holes, stars, atoms, and quantum mechanics into consideration. So, a big explosion occurs and boom, the universe exists. But what happened, exactly? Here's how I see it.


In the beginning, there was God. He existed perhaps only as a potential in the Void; like a thought that has yet to be thought. He exists, and yet does not exist. He is the God Element -- the accumulative whole of all things. All the potential matter and energy that composes the universe is contained within Him... a singularity. A point of infinite density that technically does not exist, and yet at any one time, exists infinitely across the whole of the Void.


To be clear, the Void is not space. The Void is non-existence. The Void is the complete and utter absence of energy. In absolute zero, there is no movement; particles cannot exist because energy does not move nor exist. There are no laws. There is nothing. It is unfathomable. In fact, by nature, it is simply not there. It cannot be visualized nor conceptualized for it cannot be measured or observed. It takes up no space, and it takes up all space. It is everything not known. It is infinite potential.


And in this infinite potential, there is only God... until He decided otherwise. And when He made this choice, He existed. And when He came into existence, Existence came into Existence -- within the Void of infinite potential, a single particle of existence became charged with energy... and thus the universe was born from the reaction between Existence and Non-Existence.


This seems insane at first, but think about it for a moment. Scientists are trying to observe the Higgs-Boson, the "God Particle," which is supposed to fill in the gap regarding our understanding of gravity and the Theory of Relativity. If quantum mechanics are valid, the Higgs-Boson may never be discovered because the Higgs-Boson may very well be... well... all things. Every last particle in existence may merely be a part of the whole, and the whole is the singularity that spontaneously came into existence so many billions of years ago and spread throughout the observable universe.


Not seeing the big picture yet? Allow me to introduce you to our cosmic ancestors.


If the Creation Event/Big Bang scattered all matter and energy into the universe -- something like a super-massive hypernova -- and the elementary particles and forces were introduced almost immediately... it only makes sense. Existence spread as a ripple through non-existence as energy permeated it and made it real; meanwhile, matter (non-existence charged with energy) interacted with energy (raw energy/radiation) to produce everything as we know it, from the bosons and mesons and protons and electrons and atoms and elements. It's nigh impossible to tell (absolutely) which elementary particles existed first, but it's reasonable to imply that if, at the time of Creation, none of them existed, they only came to be due to a series of reactions that occurred.


This series of reactions is what we study, but interestingly, this series of reactions is so incredibly simple in concept that I can't believe I've never heard discussion about this:


BOOM, God creates the universe (simply by creating a condition that defies nature, which causes a violent reaction to balance the "equation"), and then... in my mind, millions of nuclear reactions occur as superheated plasma clouds expand and cool as the volume of the universe increases; thus, I visualize the first moments to be a single, tremendous explosion followed by a moment of "uniform" expansion, which is then followed by a series of weaker but still substantial nuclear reactions between the newly formed and highly unstable hydrogen atoms.


Why do I postulate this? Because I believe the universe to be shaped something like a cell contained within a membrane; Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation is merely energy stretched thin across a large distance (evidence that energy is "uniform") and acts, if you're to believe it, as an activating agent for solid matter -- that is, non-existence. In English, what I'm getting at is that truly, existence is merely energy flowing through non-existence, giving it definable form and function. You could say elementary particles are a sort of universal protein coding sequence which interact in certain ways to then create new phenomena, such as atoms, which then comprise all matter as we know it.


Now let's put it all together for a moment...


1. God creates existence, which first takes form as energy expanding into the Void.
2. As this energy permeates non-existence and makes it “real” (in a sense, “shines light into darkness”, making is observable and measurable), the first elementary particles come into existence.
3. These particles then begin to interact and develop relationships, all of which occur consistently and logically according to the “Laws of Nature” (which technically didn't exist yet), and one of the first major yields of this interaction is the atom.
4. Hydrogen and helium are early children, which then react, and from their reactions the first stars are born.
5. These stars grow quickly in the unstable and relatively small universe, and in short order an almost infinite number of cosmic relationships and interactions begin occurring. Virtually all cosmic phenomena begin during this time.
6. Fast forward to Earth and the origins of life. Like the stars before them, and the atoms before the stars, generations of atoms and compounds interacting to combine and decay into new and different (typically more stable) entities have produced single-cell bacteria and other organisms. These organisms rely on the relationship and interaction between acids and bases – the children of chemical element reactions, and therefore atomic reactions – instead of hydrogen and helium, but the idea of “children” remains: one generation of an organism is succeeded by the next based on the successes and failures of the prior.
7. These single-cell organisms then interact to grow into multicellular units, which then grow into eukaryotic organisms, which then continue to evolve with each successive generation.
8. Finally, fast forward several more billion years and you have complex life like human beings... who continue to mate and produce children, like the cells before them, and the atoms before the cells, and the particles before the atoms.


And yet, at the lowest end of the food chain, a constant remains: we are merely products of the original, single reaction or action that occurred during the Creation Event. Therefore, we – as well as all things – contain a single common denominator within our lineage... and that holds true for particles, atoms, elements, stars, planets, and right down to human beings.


Guess what? We're not done yet; I've covered the beginning, but what about the end? We can only surmise that, through entropy, the universe will eventually “end.” Nothing is safe from entropy. However, I don't believe the universe will simply “drift apart;” in fact, I believe CMBR provides evidence against it. If nothing else, cosmic radiation proves that energy permeates all of observable space; where it does not reach, then, is where the universe ends. In this way, you could consider this radiation like a cosmic cytoplasm and the “edges” of the universe as a membrane – like an atomic nucleus containing protons and electrons and all the good stuff that makes it tick.


This means that the universe is also a single entity. Why? It is bound by at least one shared characteristic across all observable things. That is, “existence.” How does that make it a single entity? Well, consider this: what makes you an individual? Are you truly an individual, or are you a collection of millions of cells harmoniously working together to create “life”? Are those same cells not a collection of proteins? Are those proteins not a collection of acids and bases? Are those acids and bases not a collection of elements? Are those elements not atoms? Are those atoms not a collection of elementary particles?


Is the Universe not, then, potentially... alive? Stars are not alive. Planets are not alive. Asteroids are not alive. But nor are elements alive. Nor are proteins alive. Nor are cells alive. Yet humans and animals are so deemed to be “living.” Is it such a stretch?


And given this, would the universe not then also be susceptible to death, stemming from a natural impossibility in the first place? In the void of non-existence, where nothing occurs because there is both a 100% and 0% probability of something, or nothing, happening (in other words, nothing is possible and yet everything is possible) at any one time, SOMETHING cannot NATURALLY happen. It is an IMPOSSIBILITY. And therefore, the natural course of events is as follows: the Universe must end, as the equation must be balanced.


This is where black holes come in; far from functioning as mere galactic centers, I believe black holes are collapsing and compacting the universe. While stars produce and radiate energy to facilitate new reactions, black holes are points within the “Cosmic Cytoplasm” that gather solid matter while recycling energy. Think of them as an inverse Big Bang – whereas the Big Bang tore a hole in the Void, black holes are tearing many holes in Space.


They ensure that eventually, the Universe will stop expanding and begin collapsing as the energy produced by stars is rivaled by the energy collected by black holes. As equilibrium is reached and the threshold is crossed, the volume of the Universe will begin decreasing. Inevitably, the Universe will collapse back into a singularity. What happens next is anyone's guess.


Anyway, I'm very tired. My brain is fried, as typing this up took roughly the past 2 hours straight and I'm not sure what I've communicated well or what is just gonna seem like crazy talk. I'd love to clarify and discuss anything you disagree or are confused by, though!






One last thing: angels as modern humans depicts did not exist within the Bible. Rather, “real” angels such as the Seraphim are described as brilliant, seven-winged beings who are too bright to look upon. Please compare:


Man's depiction: http://iconstudio.jordanville.org/images/Icons%20of%20the%20Angels/Seraphim-1.jpg
The real deal: http://www.bccdc.ca/NR/rdonlyres/E2AF0877-6926-46E4-A409-2FBB13079F05/0/solar_storm.jpg




I know this is a lot to take it and is lacking in specific scientific examples; I'm not claiming to have the answers. I merely believe I have a view of the “big picture” and I want to contribute that. My hope is that some of you, hopefully much smarter than I, may be able to verify some of my claims (or back them up and/or refine/clarify them) with research or evidential fact, BUT I also recognize the possibility that I'm simply a stark, raving lunatic.


I'll leave you with one thing that I wholeheartedly believe: whether God truly exists or not is a moot point, as I believe humanity will be destroyed before and or precisely when the truth is revealed. Essentially, I believe the end of times will occur when Faith is no longer necessary and the bridge between Knowledge and the Enigma is met.




Source: http://able2know.org/topic/166552-1

If God created the universe, what created God?

In a Nutshell

Many arguments claiming to prove the existence of God have been proposed throughout the centuries.  The response to many of these arguments, however, is:  “If God created the world, what created God?”  It suggests that certain arguments for God’s existence only push the question of beginnings one step farther back.  The Bible and Christian doctrine address this question by defining God as eternal and uncreated, but such answers rarely satisfy nonbelievers.  A philosophical response is that God is the ultimate first cause; the atheist is left with a dilemma of what or who that first cause might have been.  In the end, an uncaused creator may simply be a more plausible explanation for the universe we live in.  Our universe appears to have had a beginning, to be finely tuned for life, and to have a place for love and purpose. These appearances affirm as plausible a prior belief in God.

In Detail

Introduction

The existence of God is an enduring and popular philosophical problem. Many arguments claiming to prove the existence of God have been proposed througout the centuries, often on the basis of some feature of the natural world. There have also been attempts to disprove the existence of God, which is a more complex task. Consider how much easier it is to establish that there is a black swan somewhere on the Earth compared to establishing that there isn’t one. G.K. Chesterton made this point: “Atheism is the most daring of all dogmas, for it is the assertion of a universal negative.”¹

Popular arguments for the existence of God include the cosmological argument, the ontological argument, the moral law argument, and the argument from Design. The argument from Design is a more general version of the narrower perspective about irreducible complexity that forms the core of the Intelligent Design movement. Each of these arguments supports a certain belief in a creator. The response to many of these arguments, however, is: 

“If God created the world, what created God?”

This is a reply that requires serious consideration. It suggests that certain arguments for God’s existence only push the question of beginnings one step farther back. It also suggests that any God complex enough to account for all of creation would necessarily be complex enough to require an explanation.  Richard Dawkins is one of the strongest proponents of this argument.

An Answer From Doctrine?

In many faiths, God’s origin is straightforward. Christian doctrine teaches that God is eternal and thus had no beginning. The Psalms speak clearly about God’s eternal nature, affirming, but never defending God’s existence:

“Before the mountains were born or you gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” ²

“For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it passes by, or as a watch in the night.” ³

These verses, and many others like them, highlight the complexity of God’s relation to time. Theologians have debated the relationship of God to time for centuries and no doubt will continue to do so. It is a question that we probably cannot answer. In one thoughtful response, God is the creator of time itself, and thus exists outside of time seeing all of history at once. Verses like those above are often used to support this view. On the other hand, this view is often critiqued by Biblical scholars including Clarke Pinnock, John Sanders and Gregory Boyd⁴, who point out that God is portrayed in scripture as acting in time. For example, when God is negotiating the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah with Abraham (Genesis 18), or lamenting having created humans at the time of Noah (Genesis 6:5-8), God certainly seems to be in time and responding to the unfolding course of events. But of course, given the difficulty our time-limited minds have in grasping this philosophical problem, there is no compelling reason that God could not be both outside of time and capable of acting within it.

An Answer From Definition?

Answers from religious doctrine are rarely adequate for nonbelievers. In fact, many fervent believers in God reject the argument about God’s timelessness because even timeless beings need explanations for their existence. But if God is the creator of all things, and yet also requires cause, we face an infinite regress of causes. The only way to avoid this infinite regress problem is to state — as Christian theology has always done — that God is the first cause and is entirely self existent, meaning the reason for God’s existence is contained within the very definition of God.

While this viewpoint certainly may be attractive, it still fails to convince skeptics who are more likely to favor the idea that the universe contains within itself the reason for its own existence. If that could be true of God, why couldn’t it be true of the universe? There is certainly reason to be skeptical about the common sense intuition that everything must have a cause or that everything must have a reason to be as it is. This perennial assumption has been challenged by the physics of the 20th century that uncovered a mysterious quantum world where things often do not appear to have reason to be the way they are.

The common sense assumption that everything must have a cause or a reason to be as it is also suffers from what is called the fallacy of composition. This fallacy comes about when we assume that properties of the parts apply to the whole. For example, just because every member of the human race has a mother, we cannot infer that the human race itself has a mother. Similarly, a collection of spherical things would not itself have to be spherical. In discussions about the origins of the universe, we would say that just because every individual part of the universe has a cause, that does not mean that the entire universe has a cause.

The realization that our universe had some sort of beginning has opened up exciting new conversations about origins. In some ways, a universe with a beginning seems to beg for a cause. But if the universe came into being from nothing , it becomes deeply problematic to speak of anything having caused the universe to exist. Some cosmologists would argue that our universe is the result of an uncaused quantum fluctuation. Such fluctuations do not have causes in the traditional sense, so they argue this does away with our universe needing a cause. But there is a significant problem that  the vacuum that fluctuates is not nothing. Quantum vacuums — which are what you get when you remove from space all the particles and energy — are real. They have activity, laws and rules. Our universe may have fluctuated into existence from such a vacuum, but the vacuum remains unexplained.

Cosmologist Lee Smolin suggests in Life of the Cosmos, that black holes can give birth to new universes.⁵ He proposes that our present universe emerged out of a black hole in some other “meta-universe.” And perhaps our universe is presently birthing new universes. Such a process, while clearly speculative, provides a caution against extrapolating from common sense notions of causality to philosophical conclusions about the nature of all of reality.

An Answer From Plausibility

The difference between the theist and atheist positions on this topic is that by assuming that everything — including the universe — has to have a cause, then the atheist is left with a dilemma of what or who that first cause might have been. For the theist, the answer is God, but a satisfactory reason must be found why God should be exempt for the need for a cause. Such a response is available through the Augustinian concept that God is not limited in space and time, and  therefore the argument of needing a first cause loses its power.

On the other hand, if not everything needs to have a cause, the theist and atheist have no grounds for arguing this part of their case.

But the argument can be reframed in a way that is more sensitive to postmodern intuitions about causation and the importance of starting points. Suppose as a religious believer you ask the question, “What kind of a universe is most compatible with my belief in an eternal God?” In this case the response affirms but does not prove the reality of God. The universe that we experience appears to have had a beginning; it appears to be finely tuned for life; it appears to have a place for love and purpose. These appearances affirm as plausible your prior belief in God.

Now suppose you start from the atheist assumption. In this case the universe must not really be as it appears. It cannot have a real beginning, be tuned for life and love, and purpose can’t be anything other than illusory epiphenomena — the curious byproducts of chemistry and physics. The whole picture has a claustrophobic bleakness.

Bertrand Russell, one of the most brilliant and ruthlessly honest atheists of the 20th century, captured this sense of despair in A Free Man’s Worship:

“That man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labors of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of man's achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins – all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand. Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul's salvation henceforth be safely built.“ ⁶

In contrast to this view, the theist can affirm that the wonders encountered in the world are real, that they belong, and are a reflection of the glory of the creator whose mysterious power upholds everything.

Conclusion

The world disclosed by modern science is far subtler and nuanced than the world in which philosophers and theologians have lived for the past few centuries while formulating their arguments about the mysterious relationship between God, the physical world, time and causality. Nevertheless, no development in contemporary science poses a particular challenge to the view that God is creator. And some developments, like the discovery of fine-tuning in the physical laws, are supportive of traditional affirmations. The common-sense assumptions that have historically undergirded this entire discussion, however, need reconsideration in the face of recent scientific developments. We must be intellectually humble in making claims about God as creator. But we can also state confidently that denials that God is creator are fraught with even more unresolvable difficulties and ultimately provide a far less satisfactory grounding for a worldview in which meaning and purpose play important roles
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If God created everything - then who created God?

1. "If God created everything - then who created God?"
(may Allah forgive me)

Answer:
(Remember to use the formula above - i.e.; "Thank you for asking me about my religion..." etc.)

According to the Quran, Allah tells us that He is the only creator and sustainer of all that exists and that nothing and no one exists alongside Him, nor does He have any partners. He tells us that He is not created, nor is He like His creation in anyway. He calls Himself by a number of names and three of them are:
A) The First - (Al-Awal)
B) The Last - (Al Akhir)
C) The Eternal, who is sought after by His creation, while He has no need from them at all. (As-Samad)
He always has existed and He never was created, as He is not like His creation, nor similar to it, in any way.

2. "How can you believe in God, when you can't see, hear, touch, smell, taste or even imagine what He is?"

Answer:
We know from the teachings of Muhammad, peace be upon him, that no one has ever actually seen God - at least not in this lifetime. Nor are we able to use our senses to make some kind of contact with Him. However, we are encouraged in Islam to use our senses and our common sense to recognize that all of this universe could not possibly come into existence on its own. Something had to design it all and then put it into motion. That is beyond our ability to do, yet it is something that we can understand.
We don't have to see an artist to recognize a painting, correct? So, if we see paintings without seeing artists painting them, in the same way, we can believe that Allah created everything without having to see Him (or touch, or hear, etc.).

3. "Can God do anything? - Can He make a rock so big that nothing can move it? - If He did make a rock so big that nothing could move it, would that mean that He couldn't move it too? Or would it be impossible for Him to make something so big that He couldn't move it?"

Answer:
Allah tells us that "Allah is capable of doing anything that He Wills to do." He can make a rock (or anything for that matter) that is so large or heavy that nothing in the entire universe can move it. As regards Allah "moving" it, He is not in the universe and He does not resemble His creation. Whenever He wants anything done, He merely says "Qun! Faya Qun!" (Be! And so it will be!)

4. "Where is God?"

Answer: 
Some other religions teach that "God is everywhere." This is actually called "pantheism" and it is the opposite of our believe system in Islam. Allah tells us clearly that there is nothing, anywhere in the universe that resembles Him, nor is He ever in His creation. He tells us in the Quran that He created the universe in six "yawm" (periods of time) and then He "astawah 'ala al Arsh" (rose up, above His Throne). He is there (above His Throne) and will remain there until the End Times.
5. "Why did God create everything?"

Answer:
Allah says in His Quran that He did not create all of this for any foolish purpose. He tells us that He created us for the purpose of worshiping Him, Alone and without any partners.

6. "Is God pure, good, loving and fair? - If so, then where does evil, hatred and injustice come from?"

Answer:
Allah tells us that He is Pure, Loving, and absolutely Just in every respect. He says that He is the Best of Judges. He also tells us that the life that we are in is a test. He has created all the things that exist and He has created all that happens as well. There is nothing in this existence except what He has created. He also says in the Quran that He created evil (although He is not evil). He is using this as one of the many tests for us.

7. "Does God really have power of things? - If so, then why does He let people become sick, oppressed and die?"

Answer: 
Oppression is something that Allah forbids for Himself to do to anyone and He hates it when anyone oppresses someone else. He does have absolute power over everything. He allows sickness, disease, death and even oppression so that we can all be tested in what we do.

8. "Can you prove there is a God?"

Answer:
Can you prove that you exist? Yes, of course you can. You merely use your senses to determine that you can see, hear, feel, smell, taste and you have emotions as well. All of this is a part of your existence. But this is not how we perceive God in Islam. We can look to the things that He has created and the way that He cares for things and sustains us, to know that there is no doubt of His existence.

Think about this the next time that you are looking up at the moon or the stars on a clear night; could you drop a drinking glass on the sidewalk and expect that it would hit the ground and on impact it would not shatter, but it would divide up into little small drinking glasses, with iced tea in them? Of course not.

And then consider if a tornado came through a junkyard and tore through the old cars; would it leave behind a nice new Mercedes with the engine running and no parts left around? Naturally not.

Can a fast food restaurant operate itself without any people there? That's crazy for anyone to even think about.

After considering all of the above, how could we look to the universe above us through a telescope or observe the molecules in a microscope and then think that all of this came about as a result of a "big bang" or some "accident?"

(see also "Quran" below)

9. "Does God know everything that is going to happen? - Does He have absolute control on the outcome of everything? - If so, how is that fair for us? Where is our free will then?"

Answer:
Allah Knows everything that will happen. The first thing that He created was the "pen" and He ordered the pen to write. The pen wrote until it had written everything that would happen. And then Allah began to create the universe. All of this was already known to Him before He created it. He does have absolute and total control at all times. There is nothing that happens except that He is in control of if.
There is a mistake in the question: "Free Will." Allah alone, has Free Will, He Wills whatever He likes and it will always happen as He wills. We have something called, "Free choice." The difference is that what Allah "Wills" always happens and what we choose may or may not happen. We are not being judged on the outcome of things, we are being judged on our choices. This means that at the core of everything will always be our intentions. Whatever we intended, is what we will have the reward for. Each person will be judged according to what Allah gave them to work with, how they used it and what they intended to do with it.

As regards the actual "Judgment Day" - Allah tells us that everything we are doing is being recorded and not a single tiny thing escapes from this record. Even an atom's weight of good will be seen on the Day of Judgment and even a single atom's weight of evil will be seen too.

The one who will bring the evidences against us will be ourselves. Our ears, tongue, eyes and all of our bodies will begin to testify against us in front of Allah on the Day of Judgment. None will be oppressed on that Day, none will be falsely accused.

He could have put everyone in their respective places from the very beginning, but the people would complain as to why they were thrown in Hell without being given a chance. This life is exactly that; a chance to prove to ourselves who we really are and what we would really do if we indeed had a free choice.

Allah Knows everything that will happen, but we don't. That is why the test is fair.

10. "If there is only one God, then why are there so many religions?

Answer:
Allah does not force anyone to submit to Him. He has layed out a clear path and then made it known to them the two ways (Heaven or Hell). The person is always free to make his or her own choice. There is not complusion in the way of "Islam." Whoever choses to worship Allah without partners and is devoted to Him and is obeying His commands as much as possible, has grasped the firm handhold that will never break. Whoever denies God and choses some other way to worship or not to believe at all, for them there is an eternal punishment that is most horrible (Hell).

All religions originated with Allah and then people began to add or take away from the teachings so as to take control over each other. Man made religions are an abomination before the Lord and will never be accepted. He will only accept true submission, obedience and in purity and peace to His commandments.

11. "How do you know that the Quran is really from God?"

Answer: 

Muslims have something that offers the most clear proof of all, The Holy Quran. There is no other book like it anywhere on earth. It is absolutely perfect in the Arabic language. It has no mistakes in grammar, meanings or context. The scientific evidences are well known around the entire world, even amongst non-Muslim scholars. Predictions in the Quran have come true; and its teachings are clearly for all people, all places and all times. No one has been able to produce a book like it, nor ten chapters like it, nor even one chapter like it. It was memorized by thousands of people during the lifetime of Muhammad, peace be upon him, and then this memorization was passed down from teacher to student for generation after generation, from mouth to ear and from one nation to another. Today every single Muslim has memorized some part of the Quran in the original Arabic language that it was revealed in over 1,400 years ago, even though most of them are not Arabs. There are over nine million (9,000,000) Muslims living on the earth today who have totally memorized the entire Quran, word for word, and can recite the entire Quran, in Arabic just as Muhammad, peace be upon him, did 14 centuries ago.


Source:http://www.islamtomorrow.com/god_proof.asp/

Why Believe in God?

Why Believe in God?


WHY BELIEVE IN GOD-


 an Introduction“Come on, man!  We live in an age of scientific enlightenment — you can’t really mean that you still believe there’s a God.  Get real, I mean I used to believe there was a God too, but that was when I was still in kindergarten — in diapers.  Now I’d need some proof….”




WHY BELIEVE IN GOD- Numerous Reasons : The fact of the matter is that reasons for believing that there’s a God are too numerous, I hardly know where to begin.  The first reason I believe in God is that we are totally incapable of rationally explaining the world without a God.  Take the universe, for example.  Science has successfully demonstrated that the universe had a specific beginning — and that it is now running down due to the lack of available energy.  In fact, the universe in which we live is dying of heat loss.  Now since our scientific understanding rules out an eternal universe, and since it is totally irrational to believe that the universe sprang from nothing, the only rational explanation is that a supernatural being created the world in 
which we live; and that this being is all-powerful, intelligent, moral, and, of course, self-existent.




WHY BELIEVE IN GOD- Downfalls of Atheism : The next reason I believe there’s a God is that atheism is incapable of accounting for the vast array of phenomena which we experience every single day.  An atheistic world view cannot adequately account for such things as, the universal laws of logic, laws of science, not to mention, standards of morality.  In addition, if there is no God, then there is no ultimate meaning or purpose to life — we are little more than animals.




WHY BELIEVE IN GOD- The Evidence : But the real reason I believe there’s a God is that He has revealed Himself to me through the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Jesus claimed to be God in human flesh (John 8:58).  Now this is an astounding claim, but He supported the claim by His matchless personal character, His fulfillment of predictive prophecy, by His influence on human history, but most significantly, by His historical resurrection from the dead.  Now, if you are looking for God — you need look no further than Jesus Christ Himself.  He was either a liar, a lunatic, a legend, or He was, in fact, Lord.  Now I think if you’ll examine the evidence, you’ll agree with me that He was the Lord, the one who spoke and the universe leapt into existence.


source:http://www.equip.org/perspectives/why-believe-in-god/

Collins: Why this scientist believes in God

Collins: Why this scientist believes in God

April 03, 2007|By Dr. Francis Collins Special to CNN




I am a scientist and a believer, and I find no conflict between those world views.


As the director of the Human Genome Project, I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God's language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God's plan.



I did not always embrace these perspectives. As a graduate student in physical chemistry in the 1970s, I was an atheist, finding no reason to postulate the existence of any truths outside of mathematics, physics and chemistry. But then I went to medical school, and encountered life and death issues at the bedsides of my patients. Challenged by one of those patients, who asked "What do you believe, doctor?", I began searching for answers.
I had to admit that the science I loved so much was powerless to answer questions such as "What is the meaning of life?" "Why am I here?" "Why does mathematics work, anyway?" "If the universe had a beginning, who created it?" "Why are the physical constants in the universe so finely tuned to allow the possibility of complex life forms?" "Why do humans have a moral sense?" "What happens after we die?"
I had always assumed that faith was based on purely emotional and irrational arguments, and was astounded to discover, initially in the writings of the Oxford scholar C.S. Lewis and subsequently from many other sources, that one could build a very strong case for the plausibility of the existence of God on purely rational grounds. My earlier atheist's assertion that "I know there is no God" emerged as the least defensible. As the British writer G.K. Chesterton famously remarked, "Atheism is the most daring of all dogmas, for it is the assertion of a universal negative."
But reason alone cannot prove the existence of God. Faith is reason plus revelation, and the revelation part requires one to think with the spirit as well as with the mind. You have to hear the music, not just read the notes on the page. Ultimately, a leap of faith is required.

Proving the Existence of God to Atheists- Dr. Zakir Naik

Proving the Existence of God to Atheists-

Dr. Zakir Naik

Congratulating an Atheist 

Normally, when I meet an atheist, the first thing I like to do is to congratulate him and say, " My special congratulations to you", because most of the people who believe in God are doing blind belief - he is a Christian, because his father is a Christian; he is a Hindu, because his father is a Hindu; the majority of the people in the world are blindly following the religion of their fathers. An atheist, on the other hand, even though he may belong to a religious family, uses his intellect to deny the existence of God; what ever concept or qualities of God he may have learnt in his religion may not seem to be logical to him.

My Muslim brothers may question me, "Zakir, why are you congratulating an atheist?" The reason that I am congratulating an atheist is because he agrees with the first part of the Shahada i.e. the Islamic Creed, ‘La ilaaha’ - meaning ‘there is no God’. So half my job is already done; now the only part left is ‘il lallah’ i.e. ‘BUT ALLAH’ which I shall do Insha Allah. With others (who are not atheists) I have to first remove from their minds the wrong concept of God they may have and then put the correct concept of one true God.

Logical Concept of God

My first question to the atheist will be: "What is the definition of God?" For a person to say there is no God, he should know what is the meaning of God. If I hold a book and say that ‘this is a pen’, for the opposite person to say, ‘it is not a pen’, he should know what is the definition of a pen, even if he does not know nor is able to recognise or identify the object I am holding in my hand. For him to say this is not a pen, he should at least know what a pen means. Similarly for an atheist to say ‘there is no God’, he should at least know the concept of God. His concept of God would be derived from the surroundings in which he lives. The god that a large number of people worship has got human qualities - therefore he does not believe in such a god. Similarly a Muslim too does not and should not believe in such false gods.

If a non-Muslim believes that Islam is a merciless religion with something to do with terrorism; a religion which does not give rights to women; a religion which contradicts science; in his limited sense that non-Muslim is correct to reject such Islam. The problem is he has a wrong picture of Islam. Even I reject such a false picture of Islam, but at the same time, it becomes my duty as a Muslim to present the correct picture of Islam to that non-Muslim i.e. Islam is a merciful religion, it gives equal rights to the women, it is not incompatible with logic, reason and science; if I present the correct facts about Islam, that non-Muslim may Inshallah accept Islam.

Similarly the atheist rejects the false gods and the duty of every Muslim is to present the correct concept of God which he shall Insha Allah not refuse.

(You may refer to my article, ‘Concept of God in Islam’, for more details)

Qur'an and Modern Science

The methods of proving the existence of God with usage of the material provided in the ‘Concept of God in Islam’ to an atheist may satisfy some but not all.

Many atheists demand a scientific proof for the existence of God. I agree that today is the age of science and technology. Let us use scientific knowledge to kill two birds with one stone, i.e. to prove the existence of God and simultaneously prove that the Qur’an is a revelation of God.

If a new object or a machine, which no one in the world has ever seen or heard of before, is shown to an atheist or any person and then a question is asked, " Who is the first person who will be able to provide details of the mechanism of this unknown object? After little bit of thinking, he will reply, ‘the creator of that object.’ Some may say ‘the producer’ while others may say ‘the manufacturer.’ What ever answer the person gives, keep it in your mind, the answer will always be either the creator, the producer, the manufacturer or some what of the same meaning, i.e. the person who has made it or created it. Don’t grapple with words, whatever answer he gives, the meaning will be same, therefore accept it.

Scientific Facts Mentioned in the Qur'an
Theory of Probability

In mathematics there is a theory known as ‘Theory of Probability’. If you have two options, out of which one is right, and one is wrong, the chances that you will chose the right one is half, i.e. one out of the two will be correct. You have 50% chances of being correct. Similarly if you toss a coin the chances that your guess will be correct is 50% (1 out of 2) i.e. 1/2. If you toss a coin the second time, the chances that you will be correct in the second toss is again 50% i.e. half. But the chances that you will be correct in both the tosses is half multiplied by half (1/2 x 1/2) which is equal to 1/4 i.e. 50% of 50% which is equal to 25%. If you toss a coin the third time, chances that you will be correct all three times is (1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2) that is 1/8 or 50% of 50% of 50% that is 12½%.

A dice has got six sides. If you throw a dice and guess any number between 1 to 6, the chances that your guess will be correct is 1/6. If you throw the dice the second time, the chances that your guess will be correct in both the throws is (1/6 x 1/6) which is equal to 1/36. If you throw the dice the third time, the chances that all your three guesses are correct is (1/6 x 1/6 x 1/6) is equal to 1/216 that is less than 0.5 %.

Let us apply this theory of probability to the Qur’an, and assume that a person has guessed all the information that is mentioned in the Qur’an which was unknown at that time. Let us discuss the probability of all the guesses being simultaneously correct.

At the time when the Qur’an was revealed, people thought the world was flat, there are several other options for the shape of the earth. It could be triangular, it could be quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, spherical, etc. Lets assume there are about 30 different options for the shape of the earth. The Qur’an rightly says it is spherical, if it was a guess the chances of the guess being correct is 1/30.

The light of the moon can be its own light or a reflected light. The Qur’an rightly says it is a reflected light. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/2 and the probability that both the guesses i.e the earth is spherical and the light of the moon is reflected light is 1/30 x 1/2 = 1/60.

Further, the Qur’an also mentions every living thing is made of water. Every living thing can be made up of either wood, stone, copper, aluminum, steel, silver, gold, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, oil, water, cement, concrete, etc. The options are say about 10,000. The Qur’an rightly says that everything is made up of water. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/10,000 and the probability of all the three guesses i.e. the earth is spherical, light of moon is reflected light and everything is created from water being correct is 1/30 x 1/2 x 1/10,000 = 1/60,000 which is equal to about .0017%.

The Qur’an speaks about hundreds of things that were not known to men at the time of its revelation. Only in three options the result is .0017%. I leave it upto you, to work out the probability if all the hundreds of the unknown facts were guesses, the chances of all of them being correct guesses simultaneously and there being not a single wrong guess. It is beyond human capacity to make all correct guesses without a single mistake, which itself is sufficient to prove to a logical person that the origin of the Qur’an is Divine.

Creator is the Author of the Qur'an

The only logical answer to the question as to who could have mentioned all these scientific facts 1400 years ago before they were discovered, is exactly the same answer initially given by the atheist or any person, to the question who will be the first person who will be able to tell the mechanism of the unknown object. It is the ‘CREATOR’, the producer, the Manufacturer of the whole universe and its contents. In the English language He is ‘God’, or more appropriate in the Arabic language, ‘ALLAH’.
 

Qur'an is a Book of Signs and not Science

Let me remind you that the Qur’an is not a book of Science, ‘S-C-I-E-N-C-E’ but a book of Signs ‘S-I-G-N-S’ i.e. a book of ayaats. The Qur’an contains more than 6,000 ayaats, i.e. ‘signs’, out of which more than a thousand speak about Science. I am not trying to prove that the Qur’an is the word of God using scientific knowledge as a yard stick because any yardstick is supposed to be more superior than what is being checked or verified. For us Muslims the Qur’an is the Furqan i.e. criteria to judge right from wrong and the ultimate yardstick which is more superior to scientific knowledge.

But for an educated man who is an atheist, scientific knowledge is the ultimate test which he believes in. We do know that science many a times takes ‘U’ turns, therefore I have restricted the examples only to scientific facts which have sufficient proof and evidence and not scientific theories based on assumptions. Using the ultimate yardstick of the atheist, I am trying to prove to him that the Qur’an is the word of God and it contains the scientific knowledge which is his yardstick which was discovered recently, while the Qur’an was revealed 1400 year ago. At the end of the discussion, we both come to the same conclusion that God though superior to science, is not incompatible with it.

Science is Eliminating Models of God but not God

Francis Bacon, the famous philosopher, has rightly said that a little knowledge of science makes man an atheist, but an in-depth study of science makes him a believer in God. Scientists today are eliminating models of God, but they are not eliminating God. If you translate this into Arabic, it is La illaha illal la, There is no god, (god with a small ‘g’ that is fake god) but God (with a capital ‘G’).

Surah Fussilat:

"Soon We will show them our signs in the (farthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?"

[Al-Quran 41:53]

islamic proof of god existence

islamic proof of god existence

1. "If God created everything - then who created God?"

(may Allah forgive me)
Answer:
(Remember to use the formula above - i.e.; "Thank you for asking me about my religion..." etc.)
According to the Quran, Allah tells us that He is the only creator and sustainer of all that exists and that nothing and no one exists alongside Him, nor does He have any partners. He tells us that He is not created, nor is He like His creation in anyway. He calls Himself by a number of names and three of them are:
A) The First - (Al-Awal)
B) The Last - (Al Akhir)
C) The Eternal, who is sought after by His creation, while He has no need from them at all. (As-Samad)
He always has existed and He never was created, as He is not like His creation, nor similar to it, in any way.

2. "How can you believe in God, when you can't see, hear, touch, smell, taste or even imagine what He is?"
Answer:
We know from the teachings of Muhammad, peace be upon him, that no one has ever actually seen God - at least not in this lifetime. Nor are we able to use our senses to make some kind of contact with Him. However, we are encouraged in Islam to use our senses and our common sense to recognize that all of this universe could not possibly come into existence on its own. Something had to design it all and then put it into motion. That is beyond our ability to do, yet it is something that we can understand.
We don't have to see an artist to recognize a painting, correct? So, if we see paintings without seeing artists painting them, in the same way, we can believe that Allah created everything without having to see Him (or touch, or hear, etc.).

3. "Can God do anything? - Can He make a rock so big that nothing can move it? - If He did make a rock so big that nothing could move it, would that mean that He couldn't move it too? Or would it be impossible for Him to make something so big that He couldn't move it?"
Answer:
Allah tells us that "Allah is capable of doing anything that He Wills to do." He can make a rock (or anything for that matter) that is so large or heavy that nothing in the entire universe can move it. As regards Allah "moving" it, He is not in the universe and He does not resemble His creation. Whenever He wants anything done, He merely says "Qun! Faya Qun!" (Be! And so it will be!)

4. "Where is God?"
Answer:
Some other religions teach that "God is everywhere." This is actually called "pantheism" and it is the opposite of our believe system in Islam. Allah tells us clearly that there is nothing, anywhere in the universe that resembles Him, nor is He ever in His creation. He tells us in the Quran that He created the universe in six "yawm" (periods of time) and then He "astawah 'ala al Arsh" (rose up, above His Throne). He is there (above His Throne) and will remain there until the End Times.

5. "Why did God create everything?"
Answer:
Allah says in His Quran that He did not create all of this for any foolish purpose. He tells us that He created us for the purpose of worshiping Him, Alone and without any partners.

6. "Is God pure, good, loving and fair? - If so, then where does evil, hatred and injustice come from?"
Answer:
Allah tells us that He is Pure, Loving, and absolutely Just in every respect. He says that He is the Best of Judges. He also tells us that the life that we are in is a test. He has created all the things that exist and He has created all that happens as well. There is nothing in this existence except what He has created. He also says in the Quran that He created evil (although He is not evil). He is using this as one of the many tests for us.

7. "Does God really have power of things? - If so, then why does He let people become sick, oppressed and die?"
Answer:
Oppression is something that Allah forbids for Himself to do to anyone and He hates it when anyone oppresses someone else. He does have absolute power over everything. He allows sickness, disease, death and even oppression so that we can all be tested in what we do.

8. "Can you prove there is a God?"
Answer:
Can you prove that you exist? Yes, of course you can. You merely use your senses to determine that you can see, hear, feel, smell, taste and you have emotions as well. All of this is a part of your existence. But this is not how we perceive God in Islam. We can look to the things that He has created and the way that He cares for things and sustains us, to know that there is no doubt of His existence.
Think about this the next time that you are looking up at the moon or the stars on a clear night; could you drop a drinking glass on the sidewalk and expect that it would hit the ground and on impact it would not shatter, but it would divide up into little small drinking glasses, with iced tea in them? Of course not.
And then consider if a tornado came through a junkyard and tore through the old cars; would it leave behind a nice new Mercedes with the engine running and no parts left around? Naturally not.
Can a fast food restaurant operate itself without any people there? That's crazy for anyone to even think about.
After considering all of the above, how could we look to the universe above us through a telescope or observe the molecules in a microscope and then think that all of this came about as a result of a "big bang" or some "accident?"
(see also "Quran" below)

9. "Does God know everything that is going to happen? - Does He have absolute control on the outcome of everything? - If so, how is that fair for us? Where is our free will then?"
Answer:
Allah Knows everything that will happen. The first thing that He created was the "pen" and He ordered the pen to write. The pen wrote until it had written everything that would happen. And then Allah began to create the universe. All of this was already known to Him before He created it. He does have absolute and total control at all times. There is nothing that happens except that He is in control of if.
There is a mistake in the question: "Free Will." Allah alone, has Free Will, He Wills whatever He likes and it will always happen as He wills. We have something called, "Free choice." The difference is that what Allah "Wills" always happens and what we choose may or may not happen. We are not being judged on the outcome of things, we are being judged on our choices. This means that at the core of everything will always be our intentions. Whatever we intended, is what we will have the reward for. Each person will be judged according to what Allah gave them to work with, how they used it and what they intended to do with it.
As regards the actual "Judgment Day" - Allah tells us that everything we are doing is being recorded and not a single tiny thing escapes from this record. Even an atom's weight of good will be seen on the Day of Judgment and even a single atom's weight of evil will be seen too.
The one who will bring the evidences against us will be ourselves. Our ears, tongue, eyes and all of our bodies will begin to testify against us in front of Allah on the Day of Judgment. None will be oppressed on that Day, none will be falsely accused.
He could have put everyone in their respective places from the very beginning, but the people would complain as to why they were thrown in Hell without being given a chance. This life is exactly that; a chance to prove to ourselves who we really are and what we would really do if we indeed had a free choice.
Allah Knows everything that will happen, but we don't. That is why the test is fair.

10. "If there is only one God, then why are there so many religions?
Answer:
Allah does not force anyone to submit to Him. He has layed out a clear path and then made it known to them the two ways (Heaven or Hell). The person is always free to make his or her own choice. There is not complusion in the way of "Islam." Whoever choses to worship Allah without partners and is devoted to Him and is obeying His commands as much as possible, has grasped the firm handhold that will never break. Whoever denies God and choses some other way to worship or not to believe at all, for them there is an eternal punishment that is most horrible (Hell).
All religions originated with Allah and then people began to add or take away from the teachings so as to take control over each other. Man made religions are an abomination before the Lord and will never be accepted. He will only accept true submission, obedience and in purity and peace to His commandments.

11. "How do you know that the Quran is really from God?"
Answer:
Muslims have something that offers the most clear proof of all, The Holy Quran. There is no other book like it anywhere on earth. It is absolutely perfect in the Arabic language. It has no mistakes in grammar, meanings or context. The scientific evidences are well known around the entire world, even amongst non-Muslim scholars. Predictions in the Quran have come true; and its teachings are clearly for all people, all places and all times. No one has been able to produce a book like it, nor ten chapters like it, nor even one chapter like it. It was memorized by thousands of people during the lifetime of Muhammad, peace be upon him, and then this memorization was passed down from teacher to student for generation after generation, from mouth to ear and from one nation to another. Today every single Muslim has memorized some part of the Quran in the original Arabic language that it was revealed in over 1,400 years ago, even though most of them are not Arabs. There are over nine million (9,000,000) Muslims living on the earth today who have totally memorized the entire Quran, word for word, and can recite the entire Quran, in Arabic just as Muhammad, peace be upon him, did 14 centuries ago.