Origins of the universe

Question 1

Big Bang Theory

Answer 1

• States that the universe began in a gigantic explosion about 14 billion years ago
• Before this there was absolutely nothing
• Something, even smaller than an atom, then exploded, for no particular reason
• From this explosion everything in the universe came into being

Question 2

Evolution

Answer 2

• Proposed by Charles Darwin
• States that the different species in the world hadn’t always exist in the way that we see them today
• They had gradually adapted to their environment over time (natural selection)

Question 3

Atheistic evolutionists

Answer 3

• The universe began with the ‘Big Bang’ about 14 billion years ago
• Animals and plants look like they have been designed due to natural selection, evolution has caused things to look designed
• There is no purpose of our existence, we are here by chance and have to make our own purpose
• In religion, belief is based on faith. In science, it is based on evidence

Question 4

Fundamentalists

Answer 4

• God created the world in 6 days, as told in Genesis. And the universe is 6000 years old
• The fossil records do not challenge the Biblical explanation of how the world was formed because fossils are the result of the flood in Noah’s time, where lots of animals died and became buried
• Believe that Adam and Eve were the first man and woman on Earth. Do not believe that humans evolved from apes
• Reject scientific theories about the origins of the world and do not think they need evidence. Faith itself is the evidence

Question 5

Theistic evolutionists

Answer 5

• Suggest the Big Bang started the world
• Believe the world was not started in 6 literal days but vast period of time
• Believe that God is behind everything that has happened and nothing happened by chance. They believe God is the designer. The Big Bang was how God made everything
• Alister McGrath suggests that although some questions can be answered by science, some, like the meaning of life can only be answered by religion
• The more scientists discover, the more amazing creation appears and the more likely it is that there is an intelligent design behind it all