Stealing Defeat from the Jaws of Victory

Tim

Stratton

(The FreeThinking Theist)

|

December 13, 2014

In a recent letter to the editor in the local newspaper, an author complained that the “big bang hypothesis” was being taught in public schools. He said that we need a better hypothesis. His answer: teach “Creationism!”

What this Christian doesn’t understand is the big bang model is actually evidence for creationism. The eminent cosmologist, Alexander Vilenkin, made it clear: “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.”

This raises questions science is impotent to discuss. Science is the study of nature, and we have scientific evidence for the beginning of nature. Thus, science demonstrates this is where science stops. Now we get into metaphysics.

It is intuitively obvious and constantly confirmed that everything that begins to exist has a cause, so if the space-time universe (all nature) had a beginning, what caused it to begin existing?

The big bang was the beginning of time; therefore, the cause must have been timeless. Thus, whatever the cause was would have had no beginning, because a beginning necessitates time to already be in existence. If the cause was beginningless, we can infer this cause had no cause of its own; therefore, it exists necessarily.

The big bang also marks the beginning of space. Thus, the cause of the universe also had to have been spaceless. Whatever it was, it was utterly immaterial.

Apart from time, things do not happen, therefore, nothing could cause this “cause” to do anything. Therefore, this cause has free will. Apart from anything abstract, only an unembodied mind (“soul”) could logically exist “in nothingness.” Persons are the only “things” that could possess minds with free will; therefore, we can decipher that the cause of the universe was personal. If it’s personal, then it’s Tim by the Biola Fountainlogically possible that “it” can have a personal relationship with other personal beings like humans. Therefore, it’s possible that we can have a personal relationship with the Cause of the universe.

I call the cause of the universe “God,” but one is free to call “it” whatever they’d like; however, “a rose by any other name smells just as sweet.”

A local physicist once told me, “A Christian rejecting the big bang theory is equivalent to stealing defeat from the jaws of victory!” I don’t reject the big bang, I just know who “banged it!”

Stay Reasonable (Philippians 4:5),

Tim Stratton

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About the Author

Tim

Stratton

(The FreeThinking Theist)

Timothy A. Stratton (PhD, North-West University) is a professor at Trinity College of the Bible and Theological Seminary. As a former youth pastor, he is now devoted to answering deep theological and philosophical questions he first encountered from inquisitive teens in his church youth group. Stratton is founder and president of FreeThinking Ministries, a web-based apologetics ministry. Stratton speaks on church and college campuses around the country and offers regular videos on FreeThinking Ministries’ YouTube channel.

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