@ripple,
Creatio ex nihilo, and ex nihilo, nihilo fit, creation from nothing and from nothing comes nothing.
In reference to the theory of the universal nilpotent rewrite system by Peter Rowlands, Bernard Diaz, Vanessa Hill and others.
According to this theory mathematics can accurately and exhaustively describe the universe (duh......) That's a brilliant idea, because you can then refer to all the mathematics used in science as supporting evidence for the theory, and mathematics is used everywhere in science.
What this means then is that the fundamental unit of existence is not a particle, or energy, but actually symbols. So to say the zero accurately and exhaustively describes a thing in the universe, the 1 also accurately and exhaustively describes a thing in the universe, and things like planets consist of these 1's 0's and other numbers and mathematical operators.
The fundamental meaning of science is then to copy, to make a model of things. In the one hand you have the piece of paper with the 0 on it, in your other hand you have the thing which is 0. And that is what science amounts to.
To explain mathematics is then also to explain the universe. In standard mathematics the 1 is arrived at by counting. Counting is the most fundamental mathematical function in most mathematical theory. But these scientists suggested another way to arrive at the 1, which way is to rewrite the 0 into a 1.
Rewriting is the principle used in computing much, for example information in RAM memory is rewritten to the harddisk. In RAM memory the information is made from uh.. electronvoltage or something, and on the harddisk the information is electro-magnetism. So you see the same information has a different form, it is rewritten.
So to rewrite the 0 as a 1, it means likewise that it is the same information in a different form.
That means the fundamental relationship between the 0 and the 1 is boolean, they are interchangeable. And ofcourse this boolean relationship would have a physical manifestation in the universe, that if you come across an object consisting of 0's and 1's, they would act in this boolean way.
So that is how you get something from nothing, how you get 1 from 0.
If you want to do away with the 0 also, if the intention is to do away with all artefacts, and then explain the artefacts being created, then according to creationist philosophy you are still left with the spiritual domain.
What acts in a free way can only be identified in a free way. The spirit chooses, therefore it acts in a free way, therefore it is a matter of opinion if it exists or not, because forming an opinion requires freedom.
The material objects can be measured. The evidence of it *forces* to the conclusion that it exists. Which means there is only ever 1 correct answer for matters of fact, which correct answer is an accurate and exhaustive model of something.Evidence cannot apply to what chooses, because evidence works by force, while what chooses acts in a free way.
Facts do not apply, but opinion does apply to the issue of what it is that chooses, because for an opinion there must be at least 2 correct answers available, either of which can be chosen. The painting is either beautiful, or ugly, the conclusion is obtained by expression of emotion with free will, thus by a way of choosing the answer.
So you can have nothing existing, not even 0, but still God does exist, if that is your opinion. You can also have no 0 existing, and no god existing, but instead spiritiual emptiness. The opinion that God exists, requires an alternative, because opinions can only be arrived at in freedom.
So you can say God created the universe, or you can say the universe was created out of emptiness, both are logically valid answers. Which says nothing about if or not they are morally acceptable answers.