It is only a matter of time before those interested or totally enthralled in Astronomy ask questions about the origin of the Cosmos. And nearly every time, religion gets intertwined into the discussion – a sometimes very heated discussion.
I wanted to keep this blog clear and concise, free of philosophy and dogma (I already contribute to another blog along those lines). My goal for the Celestial Chronicle was simple: A collection of personal astronomical observations, a record of scientific musings about the Universe as seen through my own eyes. Yet, thinking about where we come from and whether or not God created the Universe is a journey in observation itself. The origins of life are one of the grandest equations one could attempt to solve. With an open mind we must learn from both scripture and lore, coupled with understanding the most current scientific laws and theories. Ignorance is our biggest enemy and living with an open mind is our friend.
Western Christian biblical references Psalm 93:1, Psalm 96:10, and 1 Chronicles 16:30 include (depending on translation) text stating that "the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved." In the same tradition, Psalm 104:5 says, "the LORD set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved." Further, Ecclesiastes 1:5 states that "And the sun rises and sets and returns to its place, etc." The Vatican accepted the Ptolemaic view of the Earth as the center of the Universe for over two thousand years. So it is rather clear that the European Church and State weighed in on such ideas early on. Galileo Galilei, a famous astronomer in the 1600s, defended heliocentrism, and claimed it was not contrary to those Scripture passages. In regard to Scripture, he warned not to take every passage literally, particularly when the scripture in question is a book of poetry and songs, not a book of instructions or history. Galileo is just one of a handful of new age scientists famous for questioning the scientific authority of the church – a heated debate that raged for hundreds of years. On October 31st, 1992, Pope John Paul II expressed regret for how the Galileo affair was handled, and officially conceded that the Earth was not stationary, as the result of a study conducted by the Pontifical Council for Culture 350 years later!
It is clear now, that the Earth is not the center of the universe or even our own solar system. What is also clear is that our world was not made in 7 days. Yes the idea of seven days could be construed as an analogy for a longer period of time. Yet, based on the chronology of Genesis, that would mean that the Dinosaurs did not exist millions of years ago? Clearly fossil records prove otherwise. As you add up all of the dates, and accepting that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to Earth almost 2000 years ago, we come to the conclusion that the creation of the Earth and animals (including the dinosaurs) occurred only thousands of years ago (perhaps only 6000), not millions of years. Thus, if the Bible is right, dinosaurs must have lived within the past thousands of years with Humans? Clearly carbon dating, a proven science for determining the approximate age of a carbon based object like a fossil, proves otherwise. In fact, current science notes that the Earth is approximately 4 to 4.5 Billion years old. That is a huge spread as well and clearly science is still a young and expanding offering. Yet, it is amazing to me that we are still debating the Bible as if it were a piece of scientific literature that weighs in on the theories of Quantum Physics. Clearly, I am one of many to blame. We have come along way in understanding, but we have a long way to go.
It is clear now, that the Earth is not the center of the universe or even our own solar system. What is also clear is that our world was not made in 7 days. Yes the idea of seven days could be construed as an analogy for a longer period of time. Yet, based on the chronology of Genesis, that would mean that the Dinosaurs did not exist millions of years ago? Clearly fossil records prove otherwise. As you add up all of the dates, and accepting that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to Earth almost 2000 years ago, we come to the conclusion that the creation of the Earth and animals (including the dinosaurs) occurred only thousands of years ago (perhaps only 6000), not millions of years. Thus, if the Bible is right, dinosaurs must have lived within the past thousands of years with Humans? Clearly carbon dating, a proven science for determining the approximate age of a carbon based object like a fossil, proves otherwise. In fact, current science notes that the Earth is approximately 4 to 4.5 Billion years old. That is a huge spread as well and clearly science is still a young and expanding offering. Yet, it is amazing to me that we are still debating the Bible as if it were a piece of scientific literature that weighs in on the theories of Quantum Physics. Clearly, I am one of many to blame. We have come along way in understanding, but we have a long way to go.
What we do know is that the Universe is expanding. This has been proven by Red Shift and the Doppler Effect. Other Stars and Galaxies are moving outward from some undetermined center point. Also, we understand that the basic building blocks of life are Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, even Methanimine among other simple atoms and molecules. These sub-micron particles are the building blocks of life and are the main composition of Stars and all that exists in the Universe in its most rudimentary form. In the right environment coupled with a form of energy (I.E. lightning) which is also found in the Cosmos, life in the simplest form can spring forth. We have already made basic amino acids in a laboratory setting using basic cosmic ingredients including Hydrogen and a little energy in the form of electricity or lightning. Though basic, we have already created life as it may have flourished billions of years ago on Earth. Evolution, though still a theory does give very good evidence that we have evolved for Billions of years into the humans we are today. And we are still evolving!
Sure science is not perfect. Science has a large learning curve and it is certainly not cut and dry. We are continually updating theories and debunking others with new understanding. There are plenty of missing links in the evolution pattern and in general our combined knowledge of the universe. In regard to knowledge and understanding, look how far we have come since Galileo. Imagine how far science will progress the next 400 years.
The Universe is defined as everything that physically exists: the entirety of space and time, all forms of matter, energy and momentum, and the physical laws and constants that govern them. What ever was or is the source of the Universe is the answer to God – something humans can barely grasp. It will be well beyond my life that science and or faith can prove without a doubt the working mechanics of the Universe. We may never fully comprehend the entire picture. The immensity of the Cosmos points to the possibility of other life out there – possibly more intelligent life that could in turn find us. Possibly educate us? In the Universe, whether designed or not, Earth is incredibly unique. Just looking up into the stars at night, makes one wonder and amazed and you cant help feeling special. I know I do….
Sources from: From Wikipedia
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