[js1138]

Every modern cosmology acknowledges that there was a beginning...

Is that really true?

[Alamo-Girl]

Yes, that is "really true". The Big Bang, multi-verse, multi-worlds, cyclic universe, Ekpyrotic and imaginary time models all require a beginning. The steady state universe was abandoned in the 60's with the observation of the cosmic microwave background radiation. All of the multi-verse theories (etc.) only move the goalpost to prior events or branes which themselves have a beginning. I know of no seriously received theory which does not have a beginning.