[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.]
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Summary in 400 words or less:
Philosophically speaking there are only two choices when it comes to our universe; It had a beginning or it did not have a beginning. Thus the question arises, “Which choice is better supported by the scientific evidence?” There are a lot of people who think that science and religion are mutually exclusive. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Modern science actually supports the Biblical claim that the universe had a beginning. We are going to look at the scientific evidence that supports these claims. The acronym you need to remember is S.U.E.
Second Law of Thermodynamics— The universe is running down; it is running out of energy. The universe is analogous to your car. If you fill up your gas tank how far can you drive? A few hundred miles? Maybe a few hundred more if you own a prius. But nobody would say they could drive for infinity. That is because we all recognize our gas tanks hold a finite amount of gas. If the universe is running out of energy then it cannot have an infinite amount of energy. Therefore, the universe is finite.
Universe is Expanding— In 1929 Edwin Hubble discovered what is known as the “Red Shift”. This showed us that the universe is expanding. It isn’t expanding into something else; space itself is literally expanding. Thus scientists deduced if the universe were expanding like a balloon when it is filled with air then if they reverse the process the universe would collapse back on itself. It would recede to a literal point of nothingness. Nothing cannot cause itself!
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity—Einstein has become an idiom for “genius”. He made one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time. His theory of general relativity showed that space, time, and matter not only had a beginning but also are correlative. That is, one cannot exist without the other. Therefore, whatever causes space, time, and matter to come into being has to be spaceless, timeless, and immaterial.
I have given you three pieces of scientific evidence, which confirms the Biblical claim that the universe had a beginning. This evidence, along with other findings, has led world renown scientists (who aren’t Christians) to agree that the universe began to exist some time in the past. Atheistic physicist Stephen Hawking said, “Almost everyone now believes that the universe, and time itself, had a beginning at the Big Bang.” One of the most famous theoretical physicists in the world Alexander Vilenkin states, “With the proof now in place, cosmologists can no longer hide behind the possibility of a past-eternal universe. There is no escape, they have to face the problem of a cosmic beginning.” Therefore, the Christian stands on solid ground to believe in a cause of the universe that is spaceless, timeless, and immaterial.
Scripture for YouVersion:
Genesis 1-2; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16
Short audio/video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeKavDdRVIg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssnEzF596IY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub6vKrRWGYA
Three questions (1 fill-in-the-blank, 1 multiple choice, and one discussion question):
[1] What are the other theories given by scientists to answer the evidence presented here?
[2] How have these theories been shown to fail?
[3] How do the Bible and the Big Bang Cosmology actually coincide?
References for further reading:
Collaboration notes:
Collaborators: Billy Dyer
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