Reconciling Religious and Scientific Perspectives of...

Reconciling Religious and Scientific Perspectives of Creation â€Å"In the beginning was the big bang,†[i] writes John Polkinghorne, a physicist turned theologian. As the reader follows through the remainder of his cosmic creation story, the reader is intrigued at how mystical and religious the story sounds. â€Å"The space boiled, in the rapid expansion of the inflation era, blowing the universe apart with incredible rapidity in the much less than 10-30 seconds that it lasted. . . . The world suddenly became transparent and a universal sea of radiation was left to continue cooling on its own . . .†[ii] Then, the story unfolds to tell of the creation of hydrogen and helium and the creation of stars. The death of stars follow, which†¦show more content†¦He has scaled the mountains of ignorance, he is about to conquer the highest peak: as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.†[v] Though Jastrow treats the issue as settled and declares that scientists have finally been â€Å"defeated,† it is too early to reach any judgements on the implications the new cosmology has for both science and religion. Our image of the origin of the universe is not yet complete and further investigations must be conducted before the towel is thrown in. Science has still much to offer to help us understand how the universe came to be. Therefore, let us now attempt to solve the cosmic mystery of creation by referring to the great scientific minds as our guide. Let us now rewind the story of the big bang and look into the origins of the universe. The idea that the universe had an origin was a result of the discovery of the expansionary universe.[vi] The theoretical groundwork for the expansionary universe theory was conceived, ironically, by Albert Einstein (a firm believer in the infinite and unchanging universe) in his work concerning relativity.[vii] The expansionary universe theory was later confirmed by Edwin Hubble in the 1920’s when he showed through careful observation of theShow MoreRelatedReligion : Religion As A Culture2134 Words   |  9 PagesReligion in America has helped change and design the American landscape into a unique cultural experience. Early colonists came to America to avoid religious persecution. Many European countries had official religions. Those that wished to practice a religion other than the official religion were persecuted. The New World offered a place of religious freedom for people such as the Pilgrims. 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