The Big Bang and other theories

I am writing in response to the Horizon documentary screened on BBC 2, on Monday, October 11, 2010 entitled “What ever happened before the Big Bang.”

This documentary explored the theory that our universe may have been in existence before the Big Bang.

Several scientists, including a Stanford university professor, challenged the big bang theory, originally thought up by Georges Lemaître.

These scientists put forward their ideas, including the concept that our universe was created by a previous universe which collapsed in on itself.

I was not shocked to see the scientific community question the idea that the big bang is a theory, or that our universe was in existence before the event.

Theories can be challenged and the big bang has never been proven as fact.

What I found interesting was that despite all the advanced algorithms presented by the scientists throughout the program, none of the scientists participating could come to a definitive conclusion about how the universe was created.

The ideas the scientists were putting forward to replace the big bang were stabs in the dark at best and can be easily challenged by other members of the scientific community.

As Catholics, if we need a definition of what happened at the beginning of our universe we need look no further than the Book of Genesis. The Book of Genesis provides us with a clear narrative on how God created the world we live in. To accept this, even against the most convincing scientific hypothesis’ is an act of faith.

While watching the documentary, I could not help think about the parable of the Wise and Foolish builders (MT 7:2), in which Jesus says: “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed.”

The theories the scientists put forward are like the man who built his house on sand. They have no foundation and can be easily changed when new evidence is provided.

Scientific theories changes over time and with technology and the Bible has been around for longer than fifty years.

It is worth noting that the big bang theory has been taught in schools for over fifty years. Therefore, if any of these new theories are accepted by the scientific community, our history books will need to be rewritten. Perhaps in another fifty years time, someone else will come along and present a new set of ideas on the origins of the universe we live in and as Catholics we will still hold our faith in the teachings of the Book of Genesis.

Advancement of science has done great wonders for mankind over the past one hundred years. However, the scientific community should realise that our universe was created by an intelligence, whom we know as God, and to attempt to work out exactly how he did this with the use of science has and will always be a complex and unsolvable problem.