The Big Bang Query

"Our whole universe was in a hot dense state, when nearly fourteen billion years ago, expansion started..."

So begins the theme song to the hilarious show The Big Bang Theory. No, this post is not going to be a review of the show (in 2 words, "It's funny"), but this post is going to talk about Christians response to evolution, the Big Bang, and science in general. How many of us have been involved in the debate, or at least know about the debate from Christians (most of our parents probably), who think that not only should Creation be taught in schools, but evolution should not be taught at all in schools. They claim that the Big Bang, and evolution, are merely weak theories about the beginning of the world, and are insulted that they would teach them as fact. First of all, I can't speak for all schools, but my biology class, the teacher made it very clear that the Big Bang and evolution were theories, and not proven science. What I have the problem with, is Christians who view Creation as fact. Yes, i realize what I just said...hear me out here. Can we actually prove Creation? Can we do some experiment to make it scientific fact? Not that I am aware of. Don't get me wrong, I believe the biblical account of Creation, however I also understand that, while there may be more evidence of Creation, it still can't be 100% proven, just like evolution and the Big Bang. Personally, I'm glad they teach evolution and the Big Bang in schools. Now, I do think that perhaps they should mention other theories of the beginning of the world, such as Creation, but I think it is important, especially for Christian kids, to hear the other side of the debate. As churched kids, all we hear growing up is about "In the beginning God created the world", and that it took 1 week to do it, and he just spoke it into existence. We don't question it, because that would be wrong to question the Bible. Being taught the Big Bang in school allows us to hear both sides, and be able to make our own decisions and come to our own conclusions. It's like someone who grows up in an Amish colony, and that is all they know...and then they experience the other part of the world...and they can make a decision on what they want to do. I have no problem with evolution and the Big Bang being taught in schools. I find it wrong that our Christian parents think that all schools, both public and private, should cater to us...teach us what we already believe. We want the Lord's Prayer taught in school, the Christmas and Easter story, Halloween should be banned...all that kind of stuff. Yet as soon as a Muslim wants the Koran taught, or a Mormon wants the story of Joseph Smith, we get bent out of shape and can't believe that they would try to take over the schools. Just back off, relax, take a chill pill...it's ok!.
That was a bit of a rabbit trail there, sorry about that. Anyway, back on topic here...Many Christians believe that science contradicts the Bible. They fear that scientists are out to get them, and prove the Bible wrong, and show that God doesn't exist. This is just wrong, or at least blown way out of proportion. Yes, there are som Athiest scientists who attempt to disprove the bible and God...but there are also Christian scientists who go out of their way to explain things so that the bible won't be challenged. It's a two way street here. The main issue is, as Christians, we feel that it is our place to defend God, and defend the Bible. We don't need to do that. God is big enough to defend himself...and if we truly trust the Bible is the Word of God, why are we so concerned with Science...does that not show a lack of faith in our Holy Scriptures?
The main reason that Christians are concerned with the Big Bang, evolution and science, is because Christians take every word of the Bible literally, and think that "it can't possibly be an exageration or analogy". Now, I don't want to say that the Bible is a book of legends and tall tales, because I believe that the Bible is true...however I also know that, in the culture of the day, story telling was an important part of the day, and being 100% accurate with all details wasn't as vital. I find it funny that, generally (except for Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins), read Revelation as an analogy, and not literal accounts of what will happen...and yet the first part of Genesis is believed to be completely accurate in all details. Let's ask the question, for all you Bible scholars out there...who wrote Genesis?....anyone? Was it Adam or Eve? Cain? Abel? no....it was Moses. The Moses who was born while Israel was already in slavery in Egypt. How does he know exactly what happened in the beginning? Through story, most likely. Generation to generation, passed down from word of mouth. Likely, the story evolved a little bit over time. The important thing isn't that the Genesis account is a detailed, account of what happened...but that the main thing is true. Does it really matter if the world was created in exactly 7 days? (6 technically, as God 'rested') No, it doesn't matter if it was 7 literal days, or 7 figurative days (as a thousand years is like a day to God...so who's definition of a day is it anyway, God's or man's?), or if it was billions of years. Does it matter if the animals were created instantly, or through some sort of evolution process? Not really. Does it matter if the world just was, or if when God spoke a Big Bang cause the creation? No, it doesnt really matter. What does matter is only the first sentance of the creation accoung, "In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth". As long as God created everything, it doesnt really matter how it happened.
Science and Religion don't have to be so different, and they don't have to attack one another. God is Truth...and all truth comes from God. If we say that Science's "truth" is false...even though it is proven...then what are we saying about God? He created everything in his own way...no one knows exactly how it happened...because no one was there. It's not important how it happened frankly, it is just important that God did it. Is an earth that is thousands of years old vital to the Christian faith? Of course not...it doesnt matter if the old is a thousand years old, or 20 billion years old...God created it, and thats all we have to worry about. There's a lot of science that proves the Bible, actually...unfortunately too many Christians are focused on the hot button issue of The Big Bang, and of proving Darwin wrong, that we miss out on all the places that Science is actually proving God and the Bible. Stop focusing on the negative, and stop feeling that anything that contradicts what you were taught as a child has to be wrong.
All I'm trying to say is, that God is big enough to deal with all the "adversity" science can throw at him. It's not our job to defend him, he doesn't need us to do that.

As a side note, I just want to say that I used to be the kind of person who believed in the literal 7 day creation, and the 500 year old earth, and all of that sort of stuff. I saw evolution as a work of the devil and the Big Bang theory as evil. While I was at Bible school, I took a Genesis/Exodus class...and it pissed me off (at first). It mentioned all of the stuff that I wrote about in the blog. I thought that it was making light of the Bible. It took a long time before I stopped defending the Bible and my version of what happened, and before I could accept that perhaps there is some truth that the Genesis account might not include everything. So for all your doubters and defenders out there...I was where you are. I'm not saying you have to believe this, you can believe what you want, as long as God is at the centre of it. Just don't be so narrow minded that you can't even accept this viewpoint as a possibilty. In the words of Forest Gump...that's all I have to say about that.