Why is the Big Bang Theory of the Origin of the Universe Preferred by Christians?
The Question: “Can you please explain, in simple terms, why the ‘big bang’ theory of the origin of the universe tends to be preferred by Christians. I’m not sure that I understand.” My Reply: Okay. Basically, it is preferred not because believers accept that there was some sort of literal ‘big bang’ when the universe first appeared, but because the theory stresses a sudden creation of the universe. Actually no literal ‘big bang’ (like a nuclear explosion) is taught but the sudden expansion of time and space at a particular point in the past. It is now accepted that there has been no past eternity of matter; in other words, there was a time when matter did not exist. But let me just briefly fill in some of the background to this. In the early part of the 20th century the origin of the universe was an entirely open question. There were several ideas about it. But by about mid-way through the century, there were really only two major models: 1. The ‘Big Bang’ Theory (About which more late
