On the understanding that we cannot "know" any ultimate, objective truth, I firmly believe (David will be amazed at such commitment!) that even if there were no humans, there would still be events going on in the universe, via a process of cause and effect, which would pass from a non-existent future through a present and into a non-existent past (e.g. the birth and death of stars). Do you or do you not share my belief? If you do, you believe in the reality of clockless time as I have defined it. That is as far as any of us can go.-Congratulations!! Your continuum goes back to First Cause!!! Or is there an infinity back there, infinite regression? Not possible if we rule out Multiverse. The Big Bang is an origin, as I believe Alex Vilenkin just told us that at Hawking's 70 B'day party. So get off your fence and recognize FC, thanks to Aristotle, refined by St. Tom.