Coming up with our own set of assumptions about life, the universe, and everything sounds daunting* to say the least. It will certainly take a bunch of thought as you start to dive into the various areas. Happily, at its core, there aren’t too many axioms to sort out – but I’m finding it difficult to explain nonetheless. My plan is to walk you through my own thought process to hopefully get your own process jump-started.

Generally speaking, ask why you believe what you believe until you can’t answer anymore. That’s where you’ll find an axiom.

First topic: the supernatural. Is there anything beyond the universe? Was it made? How? Why does the universe even exist?

What we know about the universe through observation is that it is causal. Or you might say it follows the law of cause and effect. It is a key fact that underpins science. I believe that means the universe requires a cause. That cause is by definition beyond the universe – supernatural.

But why does it exist at all? I don’t buy the quantum flux cause for the big bang. It presupposes existence (quantum stuff is still real) – which is self-contradictory. But it’s comforting to believe if one doesn’t want to believe in the supernatural. Because folks have figured that out, they created the multiverse – but even that just pushes the question off to where that superstructure comes from without answering the necessary question of belief. Why does it exist? I have heard no convincing argument to demonstrste why; my answer is that I believe some Power or intelligence beyond the scope of our created order did so.

First axiom: There is something beyond the reality of the universe.

Second axiom: the universe exists because a Power of some sort created it.

Next time I’ll be borrowing from CS Lewis to discuss assumptions about the nature of humankind and consciousness.

*42 notwithstanding.