Dismantling the Big Bang

The evolutionary theory (hypothesis would be a better term) and the idea of billions of years that accompany it can be likened to a three-legged stool. Adherents to the theory believe that their greatest support comes from the disciplines of biology, geology, and astronomy. Removal of any one of the three legs will result in collapse. For years, creationists have been very successful in knocking out the “legs” of biology and geology but have had a difficult time with astronomy. Since Dr. Russell Humphreys wrote Starlight and Time this third “leg” has begun to wobble. Dismantling the Big Bang: God’s Universe Rediscovered (DBB) has broken that final “leg.”[1]

DBB covers a vast array of topics related to the Big Bang and an old universe. The authors do an excellent job of making these complicated issues understandable. This does not necessarily make it an easy read. Some of the concepts are very difficult to grasp for those who are unaccustomed to astrophysics but even these readers should benefit a great deal from this book.

The book is divided into six major chapters with a few shorter chapters near the end. The major subjects covered are:

In the chapter entitled “The Big-Bang Model” the authors ably demonstrate how the “Big Bang” just does not fit the evidence that we have. This chapter traces the main events of the big-bang model and show that it fails at every single point. It also contains numerous quotes from non-creationist scientists who say essentially the same thing. Perhaps my favorite section was the discussion of Stephen W. Hawking’s so-called The Theory of Everything. In 2002, Hawking presented lectures in which he listed galaxy formation as one of the Big Bang’s unsolved problems. “However, it is still at the bottom – not at the top, where one would think it belonged. If one cannot explain the origin of a single galaxy, one can scarcely claim to have explained the origin of the universe.”[2]

For those unfamiliar with biblical creationism, the authors included an excellent chapter that provides an overview of the creationist model. The scoreboard chapter is also very helpful. After examining critical issues facing the Big Bang and the biblical worldview, a scoreboard is used to tally up the points on each side. The Big Bang received a score of 2 out of 19 while the biblical view scored 12 out of 13 (with the jury still out on the 13^th issue). When matched head-to-head, the biblical worldview adequately answers all twenty of the items on the list while the Big Bang can only successfully deal with four.

The authors set the record straight on several popular claims regarding the Big Bang, including dark matter, CMBR, origin of stars, planets, solar systems, galaxies, etc. The book is perfectly titled because it absolutely dismantles the Big Bang. It is amazing how many people cling to the Big Bang when it has been shown to contradict science and the only way to make it believable is to thrown in numerous ad hoc assumptions and fudged numbers. This is an excellent book and should be read by pastors, teachers, and laypersons throughout the world. Don’t be discouraged by some of the sections that are difficult to understand. Take your time and you should be able to comprehend the general concepts – even if you cannot grasp all of the details.

[1] We realize that many will disagree with this conclusion and will not abandon belief in the “Big Bang” based on this review or even by reading this book. Nonetheless, Williams’ and Hartnett’s “scoreboard” at the end of the book substantiates the fact that the biblical cosmogony is far better supported by the evidence than the “Big Bang.”

[2] Alex Williams and Dr. John Hartnett, Dismantling the Big Bang: God’s Universe Rediscovered (Master Books: Green Forest, AR 2005) p. 129.