I've always been fascinated by the Big Bang Theory of the origin of the universe and life itself. Can you imagine anything more fitting than the Word saying "Light" and the incredible explosion of creation? My brother was a physicist and he got hung up on the fact that the sun wasn't created until the fourth day. But really, the universe is filled with light; the sun wasn't the only heavenly body of fire.
Imagine a film maker showing the moment of creation and then having the light coalesce into the sun and the stars all over the universe. I wish some talented director would do that -- maybe in a recreation of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Fr. MacRae has a wonderful article on the Big Bang at Beyond These Stone Walls. Reading it made me want to do research on the priest scientists who have so influenced our world. They demonstrate the fact that there is no conflict between faith and science. Science is limited because it can only study what is measurable. Faith, on the other hand, takes science a step farther by illuminating on those things that are more important but unmeasurable: love, kindness, wisdom, beauty, integrity, etc.
Read the article. I hope you're as fascinated by it as I was.
Science and Faith and the Big Bang Theory of Creation
An atheist may shrug and contend it doesn’t matter, but neither do they have answers to the most important questions - 1) where did matter of the universe come from; 2) why is there something rather than nothing; 3) why is there order and physical laws rather than chaos; 4) why do our minds wish to pursue answers to scientific questions of discovery to begin with; 5) why do humans care about these deep questions, alone among every other form of sentient life; 6) what is the scientific answer to religious concepts like love and charity and self-sacrifice.
ReplyDeleteScience is a tool, and when it is not turned into a religion itself by empty souls without other purpose, the scientific method does fine with a systematic approach to discovering facts that are already there. But it is utterly inadequate to answer the deeper questions of an existential nature. It is a tool, not an answer. Philosophy will get you part way to an answer to deep questions, in a scientific approach to the meaning of things. But only the Divine revelation of Christian religion can lay the foundation for true understanding of first causes and meaning.
I’ve always felt that the “secular” Big Bang theory of creation is really further proof of God’s Divine revelation of the Genesis account of Creation - “And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” A simple little verse describing a massive miracle of creative moment. A dry old scientist might reduce that to “big bang”. A Christian can spend a lifetime in rhapsodic contemplation - preparing to meet the Author of such a miracle.
It’s embarrassing that my comment is longer than your article. You ask for short and I write a book.
DeleteSomeone told me once, in response to one of my meandering beast comments - “brevity is the soul of wit”.
I took it to heart … but still haven’t done anything about it. Apologies.
"Big Bang" is nothing but an atheist attempt to cut out God, though. It's all Hindu mysticism, just re-dressed in scientific language (as if someone well-versed in the old stories would not recognize this) - truly, the European Turanians returning to the vile religion of their ancestors...
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