Infinite Regression IS THERE NO FIRST EVENT?

 
Religion reasons that there must have been a God to start the universe off because there had to have been a beginning.
 
This is the first cause idea.
 
They say that if the universe had no origin then an infinite number of events have taken place up to now. But if you count these events backwards you will never stop counting. So they surmise that unless there is a first moment you will never get to the present moment. They say the present moment proves there is a first moment.
 
So they will say that if you can get to the present moment, that means there must have been a first moment. Why? Because if there was a countless series of moments before then you would never get to the present moment. They say an infinite series of past moments is impossible.
 
The error in this reasoning is that they think an infinite series of sets means you have to count everything in the set. It does not. If a is a foot from b, the distance between them can be divided theoretically into infinite units - they are uncountable. But the distance is a set so that solves the problem. An infinitely divisible set is not necessarily infinitely divided.
 
The infinite cannot exist without the finite. The finite cannot exist without the infinite. The two are reconciled by means of sets.

 

To count an infinity of happenings and causes and effects is not the same thing as counting all of them. Infinite and all must not be confused.  That is the error made by those who think that if there was no beginning then this event cannot be real or exist for it would mean if there was no beginning an infinite series of events has already happened.
 
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