Is the “Big Bang” Anti-Christian?

Many Christians hear the term “Big Bang”, and immediately dismiss it as a scientific alternative to God as an explanation for the beginning of the universe. However, this is an unnecessary reaction, as Big Bang cosmology actually supports the Biblical description of creation.

Genesis 1:1 says that “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. Among many important theological implications included in this opening verse, there is also a very important scientific statement, namely, that there was a beginning. Many Christians may not realize that the idea of a beginning of the universe is a fairly recent scientific discovery, gaining wider acceptance following the work of Edwin Hubble and Albert Einstein in the early 1900s.

In fact, up until the 20th century, the Bible stood alone as being the only book of science, philosophy, or theology that taught of a beginning to the universe. Prior to that time, scientists and philosophers believed that the universe was eternal. It may be a surprise to learn that many scientists initially opposed the Big Bang model because they did not like the metaphysical and theological implications that if there was a beginning, then there must be a beginner. To them, this sounded too familiar with the Genesis account of creation.

One important fact regarding Big Bang cosmology that Christians should understand is that it proposes that not only was all matter and energy created at the Big Bang, but all space and time as well. This has huge theological implications, because it means that if space and time had a beginning, then the cause must exist outside of space and time.

Scripture teaches that God indeed exists outside of space and time. It follows logically that the cause of all space, time, matter, and energy cannot be comprised out of those same elements. Therefore, the cause must be spaceless, timeless, and immaterial. When we further consider the incredible degree of fine-tuning of the universe that allows for life to exist, we are well within our right to believe that these extremely narrow parameters were the result of intelligent design.

So this intelligent cause must be incomprehensibly intelligent, indescribably powerful, as well as the aforementioned spaceless, timeless, and immaterial. These are all attributes that we ascribe to God. Rather than proving scripture to be in error, Big Bang cosmology actually strengthens and lends credence to the Christian teaching that “In the beginning”, meaning a finite time ago, God created the universe. Therefore, the answer to the question “is the Big Bang anti-Christian” is no!

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