I mean on top of answering fundamental questions about the nature if reality, proving that the universe is a black hole would necessarily invalidate almost every religion. That fact alone would upend society, and probably in a bad way.
Also, if the universe is a black hole that means the universe is capable of reproduction. If the universe reproduces, there is likely no limit to the number of times it can do so. If an infinite number of universes spawn an infinite number of children, it basically establishes reincarnation as a fact of life.
And that’s ignoring all the philosophical implications such a discovery would immediately raise.
Maybe it wouldn’t change anything. Maybe it would change everything.
Most religious people will readily admit it’s based on faith, not fact. Furthermore, it’d likely make them believe it more. God has always been described as beyond the universe, bigger than, all encompassing, etc. If the holographic principle proves true, it’d actually provide a mathematical path for such statements to be literally true. Yes, it’d still be a pile of assumptions about such an external entity, but the point is there would still exist a scientific path for the most basic of things to be good enough for faith.
Why would the universe being a black hole invalidate religion, any more than, for example, the universe being really big already does? Don’t most religions focus more on some entity or entities they think made or govern the universe more than what physical processes are “used” to do that, or what the ultimate shape of the universe is? Even when a contradiction is found, it’s easy enough for a religion to just say “well, that was metaphorical”, or “just the limited understanding given by (insert deity here) to our ancestors” or something along those lines to make it fit.
I mean on top of answering fundamental questions about the nature if reality, proving that the universe is a black hole would necessarily invalidate almost every religion. That fact alone would upend society, and probably in a bad way.
Also, if the universe is a black hole that means the universe is capable of reproduction. If the universe reproduces, there is likely no limit to the number of times it can do so. If an infinite number of universes spawn an infinite number of children, it basically establishes reincarnation as a fact of life.
And that’s ignoring all the philosophical implications such a discovery would immediately raise.
Maybe it wouldn’t change anything. Maybe it would change everything.
No way, at all, what so ever.
Most religious people will readily admit it’s based on faith, not fact. Furthermore, it’d likely make them believe it more. God has always been described as beyond the universe, bigger than, all encompassing, etc. If the holographic principle proves true, it’d actually provide a mathematical path for such statements to be literally true. Yes, it’d still be a pile of assumptions about such an external entity, but the point is there would still exist a scientific path for the most basic of things to be good enough for faith.
Why would the universe being a black hole invalidate religion, any more than, for example, the universe being really big already does? Don’t most religions focus more on some entity or entities they think made or govern the universe more than what physical processes are “used” to do that, or what the ultimate shape of the universe is? Even when a contradiction is found, it’s easy enough for a religion to just say “well, that was metaphorical”, or “just the limited understanding given by (insert deity here) to our ancestors” or something along those lines to make it fit.