Why are some people opposed to the Big Bang Theory?
1 Answer
some people oppose the Big Bang because it postulates a beginning of the material universe which can be linked to the idea of creation by God.
Explanation:
Science in some forms has been linked to material realism ever since the French Enlightenment. Material realism postulates that matter and energy are al that have existed, can exist or will exist.
Matter sand energy are considered to be eternal and self existent.
Before the red shift was discovered by Hubble early in the 1900s, the universe was considered to be static in a steady state consistent with the philosophy of material realism. Hubble's Law made it clear that the present universe had a beginning. The implications of the empirical observations of an expanding universe lead to the development of the Big Bang Theory.
The idea that the universe had a beginning was consistent with the theistic position that " In the beginning God created. ". The feeling that the Big Bang Theory opened up the possibility of God or the supernatural being involved in the universe was repugnant to many scientists.
Stephen Hawkins in his book a Brief History of Time attempts to show that the scientific observations of an expanding universe can be explained without reference to an actual one point in time beginning. This explanation was consistent with Hawkins atheistic world view.
Material realism is the underlining philosophy of much of science. The Big Bang calls into question the nature of matter as being eternal and self existent. The idea of a beginning is consistent with the idea of God creating. Because of these philosophical positions some people oppose the idea of a beginning of the universe of Big Bang.
( Note The supernova experiments of 1997 indicate that the universe will also have an ending, further calling into question the idea that matter and energy are eternal and self existent.)
