-----Original Message-----
From: Glenn Morton [mailto:glenn.morton@btinternet.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 07, 2002 11:26 PM
To: Woodward Norm Civ WRALC/TIEDM
Cc: Asa
Subject: YECs and the Big Bang.
Hi Norm,
You wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: Woodward Norm Civ WRALC/TIEDM [mailto:Norm.Woodward@robins.af.mil]
Sent: Friday, April 05, 2002 1:30 PM
>I am surprised that everyone here seems to have forgotten (or never
learned)
>that throughout the period between the observation of the "red shift" in
the
>cosmos, and the confirmation of Gamow's predictions by the Bell Labs radio
>engineers, it was the Humanists who had resisted, and, to some extent,
continue
>to resist, the Big Bang Theory the strongest, due to the theological
>implications of a finite universe.
Many Christians have also 'resisted' the Big Bang.
Well, duh! Of course young-earthers could not accept such an event
occurring "...bilyuns and bilyons..." of years ago. But those of us who do
not need such a security blanket for our faith could openly grasp this
notion of an expanding universe with a singular origin.
<YEC snips>
"Hugh Ross has a 'Christian Ministry' he calls 'Reasons to
Believe.' What many do not know is that, as many 'accept the
Lord Jesus,' Ross 'accepted the Big Bang' and began evangelizing
for it when he was a teenager. Ross's pride apparently precludes
considering that he might have made a youthful mistake, as even
many atheist 'big bangers' have done, such as Britain's Sir Fred
Hoyle (a much more accomplished astronomer than Ross). Today, the
best description of Ross might be 'quasi-creationist, sounds-like
evolutionist-to-me, big banger." ~ Glenn Kailer and Tom Willis,
"Dr. Hugh Ross Magician Extraordinaire" CSA NEWS, 13:3, May/June
1996 p. 2
In a display of historical ignorance, Henry Morris claims:
<yadda yadda>
"Historical ignorance..." was more clearly displayed in the previous quote
from CSA NEWS: "...atheist 'big banger'...Britain's Sir Fred Hoyle..."
This it yet another fine example of spin doctoring. While it was
appropriate for the recent obits to laud Sir Fred's contribution to our
understanding that all heavier elements trace their origins to the
byproducts of aging stars, he was probably as well, if not better, known as
a chief opponent of the Big Bang Theory, which he had coined in derision, as
well as of the possibility of abiogenetic origins of life on Earth.
"While some non-Christian scientists, such as Sir Fred Hoyle of
England are openly acknowledging the serious contradictions
inherent in the Big Bang Theory, various Christian scientists
and philosophers (including the present leadership of the 2100-
member American Scientific Affiliation) are eloquently
promoting cosmic evolutionism." ~ John C. Whitcomb, The Early
Earth, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1986), p. 66
It should be mentioned that the battle lines may not be as simply drawn as
even shown in this attempt. Hoyle's backers among the Humanists included
many prominent Unitarians and Friends (Quakers.) BTW, I guess I would have
to able to identify YECs on sight to know the importance of Whitcomb's
statement. On the face of it, he seems to be backing my prime contention,
that BBT needs not be anti-Christian.
"Some Christians have wondered whether the big bang might be
the creation event described in Genesis. However, it is wrong
to confuse the postulated big bang with creation. It is a
philosophical mistake because the big bang explanation was
invented as a philosophical alternative to creation. It did
not come from a study of Scripture. The big bang is a
mechanistic or naturalistic explanation. It is an
antisupernatural explanation of origins." ~ Donald E. Chittick,
The Controversy: Roots of the Creation-Evolution
Conflict,(Creation Compass, 1984), p. 62
More "historical ignorance," I see.
"Well, the Big Bang has started to fizzle! Astronomer
Hoyle says that a 'sickly pall now hangs over the big bang
theory.' The Big Bang has fallen with a big bang! Eminent
scientists who reject the BBT include Nobel Prize winner Hannes
Alfven, astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle, astronomer Jayant Narlikar,
astronomer N. Chandra Wickramasinghe, astronomer Geoffrey
Burbidge, physicist Allen Allen, physicist Hermann bondi,
physicist Robert Oldershaw and physicist G. de Vaucouleurs." ~
Don Boys, Evolution: Fact, Fraud or Faith, (Largo, Fl: Freedom
Publications, 1994), p. 44-45
Wow...unfortunately I only recognize a few other names on the list,
including Hermann Bondi, of course, who was the other Humanist cheerleader
against the big bang. The fact that anyone would lead with such an opening
sentence and then follow up by listing BBT opponents that have fighting the
good fight for over forty years would seem a little misleading.
Rats, did I just admit that you can't trust YECs? Ooh, am I gonna get MY
knuckles beaten!
<more snipping>
But, what is interesting is that the Big Bang has started to "fizzle", at
least in the imagination its opponents.
(Q) Okay, if the big bang did occur, could it just be the latest of an
infinite series of explosions and implosions? (the so-called "oscillating
universe" theory)
(A)Well, no...there is not enough matter to cause the universe to slowdown
and collapse currently, and several laws of conservation would prohibit
earlier universes to have been less energetic, or more massive, than the
current.
(Q)Okay, How about if there is more mass in the universe than we can see?
(the so-call "dark matter" conjecture)
(A)Well, if so, then all this added mass would cause rapid localized
collapsing, such as in the galaxies we can see.
(Defense)Well, maybe this dark mass can produce a sort of anti-gravity. (so
call "dark energy fields.")
(Q)But wouldn't this prohibit the overall collapse of the universe?
( Deep Defense) Didn't I mention that this dark energy could switch itself
on and off at random? (Dark thinking.)
(Pure Diversion) Besides, I do not believe in the expansion of the universe
any way; localized conditions have been found (theorized) that could explain
those red shifts without the need for speed.
The scary part is that a lot of tax dollars are being spent in this trivial
pursuit.
Later,
Norm
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