101 Good Reasons to Believe

Reason 14: The Universe Had a Beginning
Cosmology is the branch of science involved with studying the origin, development and fate of the universe (or cosmos). The universe is commonly defined as the entirety of space-time, energy and matter that exists, including all planets, stars and galaxies.

Throughout recorded human history, the origin and state of the universe has been the subject of much debate. From Hindus in the fifteenth century BC, ancient Greek philosophers in the fourth century BC, to cosmologists in the early twentieth century, a common theory held was that the universe is eternal. However, this theory was undermined in 1929 after cosmologists Edwin Hubble and Milton Humason published their findings from research carried out at Mount Wilson Observatory, Los Angeles.

By carefully measuring the Doppler shift (redshifts of light showing increased wave lengths) of several galaxies, Hubble discovered the universe was rapidly expanding. As other scientists measured its rate of expansion, they were able to determine the age of the universe by calculating when all galaxies were condensed into one place. Hubble’s findings led to the discovery that the universe was not eternal, but had a beginning. This discovery formed the basis of the Big Bang theory—the idea that the universe began with an extreme eruption of energy at a single moment in time and has been expanding ever since.

In an attempt to refute the Big Bang, in the mid 1900s, physicists Hermann Bondi, Thomas Gold and Fred Hoyle developed an alternative theory called Steady State. This theory combined concepts of an eternal and expanding universe with matter maintaining a constant average density. Although Steady State theory attracted interest, its credibility began to diminish when astronomers discovered quasars, highly luminous cores of distant galaxies. These quasars showed the universe was not homogeneous (did not look the same at any given point in time), as Steady State predicted. The final death knell of Steady State theory came in 1964 by astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson. Using a large twenty-foot antenna they detected cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR), i.e., thermal radiation left over from the Big Bang.

Cosmological evidence strongly shows that the universe came into existence from a finite point in time, and nothing existed prior to its beginning. This evidence parallels the Biblical record of creation, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). If the universe were eternal, no cause for its existence would be necessary. But precisely because it has a beginning, the age old question remains: “Why is there something rather than nothing?” Even today, scientists have no evidence-based answers to this question.

Since the universe demands a cause beyond itself, the best explanation would be a timeless, metaphysical and supremely powerful cause. It so happens that the God of the Bible fits this description, for He is eternal, supernatural and all powerful.

Reason 15: The Big Bang—Evidence of Creation
The Big Bang denotes the beginning of the universe, and is the prevailing cosmological model among scientists today. According to this model, the universe began from a highly compressed point of extreme density and temperature, then rapidly expanded before cooling off. This process allowed nuclei to produce atoms (nucleosynthesis), which in turn coalesced to form stars and galaxies, etc.

Scientists claim that if the Big Bang occurred, there would be observable fluctuations in cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR). These fluctuations are small initial irregularities (finger-prints of creation), remnants of the early uniform universe that later developed into the cosmic structures we see today. Evidence of these fluctuations would by far, provide the most important confirmation of the Big Bang.

In 1989, NASA launched a satellite called COBE (cosmic background explorer) to search for evidence of these CMBR fluctuations. After more than two years of observation and analysis involving over 1000 researchers, findings showed the existence of precise fluctuations that enabled galaxies to form. These findings were so critical and spectacular, the NASA leader for COBE and Nobel Laureate, George Smoot remarked, “What we have found is evidence for the birth of the universe…If you’re religious, it’s like looking at God.” Smoot later said, “There is no doubt that a parallel exists between the Big Bang as an event and the Christian notion of creation from nothing.”

What adds further weight to the Big Bang model is Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which shows that gravity, space-time, energy and matter are inseparably linked. Although physicists believe Einstein’s theory is incomplete, results from many experiments and observations over the last century have shown it to be remarkably accurate. His general theory of relativity is highly suggestive of a cosmic singularity—a point of density and space-time curvature where time had a beginning.

When Einstein initially developed his theory in 1917, it predicted the universe was expanding. But because Einstein thought the universe was stable (the current thinking at the time), he added a “cosmological constant” (or fudge factor), forcing his equations to yield a static universe. Later, Einstein admitted that adding this constant was a mistake, calling it his “biggest blunder.” Before Einstein passed away in April 1955, he gave an interview where he stated, “I want to know how God created this world…I want to know his thoughts.” Although Einstein never claimed to be a Christian, he explicitly recognized God’s hand in creation.

Among the sacred manuscripts of all major religions, only the Bible describes what scientists have discovered. In the Old Testament, God says, “My own hands stretched out the heavens” (Isaiah 45:12). Notice the phrase “stretched out.” This verse, which denotes the concept of an expanding universe, was written nearly three thousand years before scientists like Einstein and Hubble discovered it. Now that is truly worth contemplating on.