Along with the doubt about human-caused global warming comes doubt in another accepted science axiom.
Consider this quote taken from the pages of the Seattle Times, specifically this article on skepticism of the Big Bang.
“Science ignorance is pervasive in our society, and these attitudes are reinforced when some of our leaders are openly antagonistic to established facts,” said 2013 Nobel Prize in medicine winner Randy Schekman of the University of California, Berkeley.
Part of the issue appears to extend from the relatively minute slice of time we humans are allotted in this universe. The comparison of 4.5 billion years with even 100 years is no comparison at all. The human life-span is insignificant at that scale.
But, there is a larger problem, that of religion as an excuse to turn a blind eye to science. Religious fundamentalists thump their Bibles and tell us how the world began. In the words of Ken Ham, “There’s a book…” (See Bill Nye vs Ken Ham debate.) A book isn’t proof, particularly when politicians (Roman Emperors, especially Constantine) held sway over which texts got to be included. It’s a weak excuse to claim faith in God as the vehicle for all things. It’s a cop-out.
There is no reason science and faith cannot go hand-in-hand. In the words of John Paul II, “faith and science, properly understood, can never be at odds.” See this article on the Galileo Affair.
Many of my writer colleagues are antagonistic against the Church, and some of the loudest voices against scientific theory are the focused faithful Bible literalists.
If God created the heavens and earth to appear to be 4.5 billion years old, then surely He is laughing at human science. At the same time, if the Bible is not the word of God but the word of Constantine, He is probably still laughing.
My point is, nobody has all the answers. Some place their faith in an unseen (but not necessarily unexperienced) deity. Others rely upon data and evidence. Very few are open-minded enough to allow both inside their lives. Some are trying. BioLogos is one organization trying to bridge that gap.
I’m not trying to convert scientists to the Word, nor am I trying to create a crisis in faith for anyone. I just ask for an open mind on all sides. Neither Atheist nor Faithful knows for sure how the universe began. Not even our best science can see time 0.
