Thoughts on Creation: Part 1 - The Big Bang

 

I wrote this up some time back in answer to some conversations I was having with skeptics.  This is why I write it in a conversational manner.

Chris asked the following question earlier:

 

Please, point out where the Bible talks about the Big Bang

 

In order to properly address this subject, I thought it appropriate to spend a bit of time on it, rather than just send off a rapid-fire email.  Below are my thoughts on this question.

 

I.                     The Creation of the Universe - Scientists Brought Along Kicking and Screaming

a.       Today, the term “Big Bang” is a pretty common concept understood, at least in a limited way, by most people.  The idea of a creation event has so thoroughly permeated our culture that to talk about the Big Bang is no different than describing the rising of the sun.  However, this was not always the case.

b.       Prior to the discovery of the Big Bang in the 20^th century (Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson are given formal credit for this discovery through detection of the Big Bang’s background radiation that is still hanging around today), the accepted belief within the scientific community was that the universe was eternal.  In fact, scientists laughed at “mythologies” such as Christianity which claimed that the universe had a finite past.

c.       As an example of this, in 1916 Albert Einstein came up with his field equations of general relativity.  He was dismayed when these equations implied that the universe was not eternal.  He was so disturbed by this fact that he introduced a “fudge factor” into his equations to yield a static model for the universe (Einstein later proclaimed this to be the greatest blunder of his scientific career).

d.       Arthur Eddington (who confirmed Einstein’s theory of relativity in 1919) said some things that demonstrate the scientific community’s resistance to the Big Bang:

                                                               i.      "Philosophically, the notion of a beginning to the present order is repugnant to me and I should like to find a genuine loophole."

                                                             ii.      "We must allow evolution an infinite amount of time to get started."

e.       Because of Einstein’s own equations which pointed to a creation event, Einstein grudgingly accepted the necessity of a beginning and eventually “the presence of a superior reasoning power.”

f.        Fredrick Burnham (a historian of science), speaking about the findings that proved the Big Bang, said "These findings, now available, make the idea that God created the universe a more respectable hypothesis today than at any time in the last 100 years."

g.       I offer all of these quotes to demonstrate how scientists were initially very unwilling to accept a creation event until the evidence was inescapable.  Why is this the case?  Because they knew that it strengthened the claims by theists that God created the universe.”

h.       Prior to the 20^th century, scientists laughed at Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth).  Today, they have had to change their replies.  Instead, they try to poke holes in the details of the creation event when previously they simply laughed at the fact of a creation event altogether.

i.         In the midst of all this joking and laughter, Christians quietly held fast to the idea that God created the universe.  In the 20^th century, we were proven correct, much to the dismay of the scientific community.

II.                   The Creation of the Universe - the Bible Taught it All Along

a.       Regarding the question asked above about the Bible talking about the Big Bang, it must be acknowledged that the Bible is not a science textbook.  Just like a history textbook might mention the Big Bang’s discovery by Penzias and Wilson, but not go into the specific mathematical proofs.  Likewise, the Bible’s purpose is to reveal God’s love for mankind and not give us a scientific lecture on the specifics of the Big Bang.  However, there are several interesting things about the Big Bang that are found in the Bible.

b.       One of the most interest interesting things found in the Bible is the repeated discussion of how God “stretched out” the universe.  This is reference at length in a quote from Hugh Ross’ article.  According to the article, there are numerous references in the Bible about the heavens being “stretched out”.  We now know through scientific analysis that the universe is, indeed, expanding.  There should have been no way that the ancients writing the Bible knew this, and yet it seems that they did.

c.       Also, several interesting verses provide insight to creation.  I have listed these below, along with comments:

                                                               i.      Genesis 1:1 - “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (there are multiple other verses that talk about God creating the universe, but I’ve not added these due to space.  If you’d like these additional verse listings, please ask me)

                                                             ii.      Isaiah 42:5 - “This is what God the Lord says - he who created the heavens and stretched them out” (this verse seems to speak to the expanding nature of the universe.  Something that certainly wasn’t known in ancient times.)

                                                           iii.      Hebrews 11:3 - “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible”  (seems to speak to the idea of matter itself being created)

                                                           iv.      Titus 1:2 - “a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time” (seems to speak to the idea that time was also created)

d.       Again, there are additional references to these, but a single verse is all I’m offering due to space concerns.  If you want additional references (from different authors written hundreds of years apart in most cases), please let me know.

III.                 Dismissing Biblical Creation due to Other Creation Stories

a.       The contention has been made that the Christian creation event is simply another myth as easily dismissed as other ancient creation myths. 

b.       The first point to be raised is to remind everyone that demonstrating one story to be false has nothing to do with another story.  If two people claim to have been at the inauguration of President Obama, and we can prove one of them was actually not there, does that prove the other person wasn’t there as well?  I think the logical weakness of this argument is self-evident.

c.       The question under discussion is not “is Norse Mythology true?” because this has nothing to do with Christian Theology.  The question is “did God create the universe?” and any discussion of this will stand or fall not by comparison to other belief systems, but on the evidence and arguments provided to support or defeat the current one.