Abstract
This paper discusses how William Lane Craig has created a simplified tree-system in which he breaks the universe down into having a beginning that was caused by a personal being. The paper then looks at how Craig provides four arguments as evidence to backup his notion and examines how the first two arguments are philosophical and are intertwined with the concept of infinity. Next, the paper examines how Craig's last two arguments are scientific dealing with the expansion of the universe and thermodynamic evidence that the universe used to be infinitely small.

From the Paper
"Morrison provides an objective voice to Craig's evidence. Morrison knows that infinity can exist in reality. A hypothetical library with an infinite amount of books is ridiculous in reality, but there are other things, which truly are infinite (p.96). There is the matter of Euclid's Maximum, it says nothing about the number of elements, and Craig makes the false assumption that since it does not work for infinity, then infinity cannot exist (p.97). Morrison argues that things such as space, numbers, of division of sub-regions are infinite. Our space is ever expanding, and be it a closed or open system, it will still be infinite. We know that there exist an infinite sub-numbers between any two numbers (eg. Numbers 1 to 2). If a person where to walk to a destination, at one point he would get to a half-way point, then from that point he would have to get to another half-way point, and another, and so on. "

Tags:universe, infinity, god

Abstract
The essay reveals that the argument primarily suggests the innate existence of ideas. Descartes employs his famous "dream argument" to argue that the idea of one's own existence proves the difference between objective and subjective reality.

Abstract
This paper analyzes the life story of Muhammad according to the rites-of-passage model of Arnold van Gennep and Victor Turner, the relationship between the life story of Muhammad, and some of the key principles of Islamic cosmology and the ways in which Muhammad's life story might be linked to the cosmological traditions of the religions out of which Islam emerged.

From the Paper
"The rites-of-passage model, explained by Victor Turner, "indicate and constitute transitions between states" of "relatively fixed or stable conditions." This model contains three phases, pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal characterized by certain transitional traits: during the pre-liminal phase the individual or group "comprises symbolic behavior signifying detachment from an earlier fixed point in the social structure or a set of cultural conditions;" during the liminal phase "the state of the ritual subject is ambiguous; he passes through a realm that has few or none of the attributes of the past or coming state;" and during the post-liminal "the passage is consummated." "

Tags:islam, van, gennep, turner

Abstract
This paper looks at the central concept of Islamic cosmology and then goes on to explain Sufism and why it should be viewed as a spiritual dimension of Islam. Furthermore, based on the research cited, the paper concludes that the emergence of Sufism is a natural development within the religion and a necessary revelation of Islamic faith.

From the Paper
"Nasr states categorically that Sufism is a part of the Islamic tradition that extends the spiritual and the ' esoteric' dimensions of the faith. "The truth and reality of the inner teachings of Islam became crystallized mostly in Sufism. Sufism therefore embodies more than any other facet of Islam the various aspects of Islamic spirituality". (Nasr, 1987. p 3) As such, Islamic Sufism also extends and adds to the understanding of the essential cosmological elements that characterize Islam. Sufism is related to these cosmological aspects as an extension and a deepening of the spirituality of Islam."

Tags:tasawwuf, mystical, esoteric, spirituality, cosmological, elements, muhammad, absolute, relative

Abstract
This paper discusses Dine cosmology and how it is structured. It describes Dine as a homology and shows how Dine holds that all elements derive from a common source. The paper discusses the roles of baskets, hooghans and textiles and then shows how they represent universal structures, elements, colors, numbers, shapes and forms within Dine belief.

From the Paper
"Without the strict binaries that characterize the cosmologies of other cultures, the Dine propose a more integrated vision of the universe. The breath of life permeates everything, and life is cyclical and eternal. Death means only a transition from one phase of life or one form of life to another. Upon death, the same basic elements of creation continue to characterize life and that individual. The number four is structural and represents not only the four elements of moisture, air, substance and heat but also the four cardinal directions and the movement of the sun throughout the year. Directionality and the compas points denote the sacred geography that characterizes the Navajoland and Dine cosmos. As a result, the hooghan is constructed with four main structural poles. Each pole corresponds to a direction with the entrance of the house always in the east. The poles create special sections within the hooghan that are also linked to sacred geography and directionality. A fifth pole flanks the doorway, demarcating the presence of the fifth element."

Tags:hooghan, elements, creation

Abstract
This paper critiques and analyzes Mary Douglas's major work, "Natural Symbols: Explorations in Cosmology", and looks at the main thesis of the book, which revolves around the idea that rules of physical body turn into natural symbols for decoding the norms of the society.

From the Paper
"Douglas believes natural symbols play an important role in determining the nature of various social and religious rituals and practices. How we perceive a norm is connected with how we view bodily functions and vice versa. In this book, the author gives us an explanation of how our perception of human bodily functions is an extension of different social experiences."

Tags:cultural, nature, bodies, relations, pattern, meaning, beliefs, ideologies, identities

Abstract
This paper attempts to defend the cosmological argument for the existence of God against the theory of evolution by presenting arguments in favor of the cosmological argument, refuting some of the major objections against it and elaborating the weaknesses of the evolutionary theory.

Outline:
The Cosmological Argument
Criticisms of the Cosmological Argument & their Refutation
The Theory of Evolution
Does the Theory of Evolution Negate the Cosmological Argument?
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Man has sought to unravel the mysteries about the origins of the universe, life, and mankind itself since times immemorial. Philosophers, theologians, and scientists have thought hard and deep through the ages and put forwarded divergent theories about the mystery. These have eventually boiled down to two major and contrary ideas, i.e., the "evolutionary" theory that life was created by pure chance and has over time evolved into ever-more complex forms of life through a process of natural selection, and the theist argument that an outside supreme force (God) was responsible for the start of the universe and life. The "Cosmological Argument" for the existence of God and the "theory of evolution" best represent the two divergent schools of thought on this important argument."

Tags:universe, man, life

Abstract
This paper explains that all the great philosophers, from the ancients to the moderns, proposed and developed the concept of God. The author points out that the ontological arguments seek to establish the existence of God on the basis of logic. The paper relates that the most common and ancient among all the traditional classical arguments is the teleological argument, which attempts to prove the existence of God within the systematization of universe.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Ontological Arguments
Cosmological Arguments
Teleological Arguments
Conclusion

From the Paper
"There was a shortcoming in the view of Descartes which was sorted out through an attempt of Gottfried Leibniz. Leibniz argues that the arguments of Descartes are not perfect as it has not been shown that the concept of the being which is Supreme and perfect is coherent, or that it is possible for a supremely perfect being to exist. He then argued that perfections cannot be analyzed and thus it cannot be shown that perfections are not compatible, and this led him to conclude that all the perfections can exist simultaneously in one entity. The arguments of St. Anselm, Descartes and Leibniz have interesting connections to the recent arguments of Godel, Plantinga and Malcolm. Among these, the most interesting are the arguments of Godel and Plantinga. At the same time, it is difficult to say whether the claims of these authors really lead to any further proofs of the prevalence of God."

Tags:contingency, swinburne, reliability, systemization, logic

Abstract
The paper discusses how the change from Aristotle's world view to Newton's ideas was slowed down by the religious backlash of the time and a lack of technology. The paper rhwn explains how the transition happened and relates that when the change occurred, it was perhaps the most dramatic shift in view that mankind has ever known. The paper points out that at the same time, every step along the way was logical and fit the standard scientific method almost perfectly.

From the Paper
"The Aristotelian world view was unique when compared to previous views of the universe because "it furnished a complete physical description of the universe and the forces acting within the universe" (Hetherington 177). His cosmology was a coherent chain of thought that was "closely interwoven" (Hetherington 177) with his version of physics. While his view of the cosmos managed to maintain for around two millennia, it was purely philosophical and did not provide any quantitative basis on which to make predictions for various observed phenomena, such as the retrograde movement of planets. For this reason, Ptolemy's astronomical work must also be included in the discussion of the Aristotelian world view, despite its contradictions with Aristotle's claims."

Tags:Galileo, Copernicus, religion, technology, laws, of, motion

From the Paper
"Different cultures produce their own particular way of structuring the world they see around them. They use religion and ritual to explain, to gain control, and to express their own sense of connectedness to their environment. Pre-scientific societies develop their own mythologies to explain the origin of the universe and of human life. A comparison of three such societies shows how varied these ideas can be, with reference to the Maya, the ancient Chinese, and the Indians of the American southwest.
The New Text School in China was dominant throughout most of the Former Han dynasty and was given its name only later in apposition to the Old Text school, which rose to prominence in the time of Christ and gained ascendance through the Later Han dynasty. By "old" text the name means that the work was written..."

Tags:MYTHOLOGY