Politics

The Big Bang Theory (and not just the TV show)

Matt K. Lewis Senior Contributor
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The flap over vouchers for private schools (that teach creationism) is the latest reminder that we’ve burned too many calories arguing about this particular skirmish in the culture war.

Don’t get me wrong, the difference between a Christian worldview and a Godless one are miles apart — and it’s easy to understand how someone who subscribes to one value system wouldn’t want their children indoctrinated into the other.

But, as I have long contended, Christianity and evolution aren’t mutually exclusive. As far as I can tell, there is no contradiction between faith and science. Just the other week, for example, the Washington Post ran a story titled, A big-bang theory gets a big boost: Evidence that vast cosmos was created in split second.

It begins thusly: “In the beginning, the universe got very big very fast, transforming itself in a fraction of an instant from something almost infinitesimally small to something imponderably vast, a cosmos so huge that no one will ever be able to see it all.”

Aside from the words “transforming itself,” people of faith should find little to quibble with here. It seems pretty consistent with the notion of intelligent design.

Ideally, this is the starting point for parents to have a conversation with their children about faith.

Here’s why: Even the most brilliant men of science can’t explain what started it all.

As Stephen Hawking asked, “Why does the universe go to all the bother of existing? Is the unified theory so compelling it brings about its own existence? Or does it need a creator, and, if so, does he have any other effect on the universe? And who created him?”

Very good questions, indeed.