For bible literalists: what about star formation?

Question

I don't intend to be insulting, I'm just trying to understand.

It's clear why those who take the bible literally have issues with the theory of evolution and the big bang theory. But what about the theory of star formation? This sub-field of astronomy is now fairly well developed, with considerable data on star and planetary systems in formation. It's pretty clear that planetary systems form over timescales of a few million years from dense interstellar clouds, and that the process is mediated by various natural physical processes. The implication is that the Sun and the Earth formed this way as well. What do you think of that? Was the formation of our solar system different from that of all other star systems, some of which are apparently older than our Sun, and some much younger, forming today?

It seems to me that the existence of ongoing star formation is difficult to deny outright, since the effects can be seen, for example in the Orion Nebula, using only binoculars.

Answer 1

Glad you brought that up.

For me, having once been an astronomy teacher, I am still quite amused that there's a little quirk in the star formation/collapse/reformation (and so on), that makes the creation/evolution controversy absolutely petty. Biblical literalists would have a field day here if they took the time and had the self disicipline to learn the relevent science and advanced math well enough to spot it. But then, if they did that, they would be in total awe of this universe, and they would see the Bible in a new light. As it is, they really have no clue, and they don't even know it. And, of course, learning science and math is a God given ability, so it is understandable why they lack it.

haha.... I always laugh when I think of how rich is the field they could mine in support of their own argument, if they only knew science and math well enough.

But they'll have to find out for themselves.

Answer 2

well, in the first place the bible in genesis states
"in the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth."

period..end of statement, the rest of genesis goes on to tell of creation on the earth, we have no idea what time allotment would have been given between the first passage to the story of creation, moses didn't write it down, God nor Moses never gave a time for how long it took for him to create the heavens and the earth, a possible reason could be that fact that he's not done, since we still have some star systems forming. and God never told us how he created them..for all we know the way they start to form could be from his hand.

as for creation on the earth, some bibles have the word day, some have the term "ages" we have no idea what moses meant by day, we have a clue in the bible where it says a 1 day to God is a 1000 years to us, but that may not be a literal statement, I think the author was just trying to put a number on the term meaning....a long time to us is a very short time to God. I am a christian, and I personally don't have a problem with evolution, or star formations etc....however, I don't believe all of this happened by chance...I just don't see how that would be possible, the human cell itself is so complicated and so articulate in its workings that, for it to happen by chance and then form into a human body...to me is a supernatural process..and has to have a thought behind it. nor do I believe we descended from apes, or from a one celled organism in the ocean....after all, where are all the squirmy looking things with human legs protruding from them? I believe each species was formed seperately, a dog may have evolved from how it used to look...but its still a dog, and an ape itself may have evolved from how it used to look...but its still and ape...and some species may have interbred to become new species...but thats not evolution as we are speaking of it....things change,,,,evolve, like the flu bug...it mutates..evolves...but its still the flu.

there are things in the bible that we will never fully understand, creation, the trinity, where is the garden of eden? etc....but there are alot of questions we have that don't get answered, for instance...I am not a science whiz..and I still really don't know how in the world my wireless universal remote control can send a signal to my tv and change the channel....but it does...and I have no problem picking it up and using it...because I've seen it happen, I've seen it work...in the same way the writers of the new testament...wrote what they saw and I'm not speaking of Luke or Paul, but of Mark, John, Matthew, Peter, .....they were all there, and they wrote their books 30-60 years after Jesus, and they died for what they didn't hear, or read..but what they say they "SAW" they didn't have an explanation for the things Jesus did, they didn't understand why, or how...but they Saw it, and they died for it....so if I had a remote...and it worked, and then someone came along and said...."that remote won't do anything for a tv"....but yet...I saw it work, but I can't explain it...(extreme here, but can't think of another way to put it) so now that person tells me to confess my sin to God, and tell the truth about the remote that its not real....it doesn't work, or I will be stoned...I am I going to keep proclaiming the remote works? hell no...I'm probably going to do whatever they tell me to do to save my life.....but these men, and not just them...but alot of them DIED for saying they believed in Jesus..why? not because they could explain it, not because hey knew how, or why....but because it was undeniable...they saw it...his teachings never should have made it past the day he died...he had a message that had nothing to do with the times...no one wanted to listen to him, he came during a time when there were 100s of other false messiahs....he only had 12 followers....he never should have made it past the 1st century...and yet....all over the world people know who he is...2000+ years later......,? to me, thats not possible, its unexplainable, it doesn't work....but its undeniable, and if its is undeniable, then something had to have happened, something extraordinary...and so to me...they are extraordinary circumstances, ones that we won't find the answers to, won't ever know what fully happened, but are undeniable, and so...I believe there is a God, I believe he did what he said he did, and believe that Jesus is our Savior.

Answer 3

I tend to believe that God works within the bounds of physics. He has the power to manipulate matter a good bit better than our understanding, but he follows the rules of the universe. Hence, truth is both science and religion. Pure true religion won't be in conflict with true science and vice-versa. I give him credit for arranging the patterns of all of the natural processes that take place in space, life, etc. Any conflict, is a result of man's misunderstanding of either religion or science.

Answer 4

I think that the theory of star formation is probably correct, but since we can not watch for millions of years as a star forms - I tend to conculde that the millions of years part is up to debate. Star formation does occur but the time frame is not something we can know for sure.

Answer 5

as you observe, them star fields have been around a long time, they predate man by millions of years. and yet, even in the bible these star clusters have modern names....

planetary history is accurate, its a matter of physics, not conjecture. however, the history of man, and mankind is less so.

those who can, lie about it. those with intelligence, think about it, and everyone else accepts what they're told...

in the abscence of contrary information, even lies are accepted as the truth.

Answer 6

Amo 5:8 [Seek him] that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night: that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD [is] his name:

Answer 7

"just because lots of solar systems form themselves in this way doesn't mean that "ours" did... we are special, god made ours by hand, and the devil is just testing our faith by giving us knowledge of this"

that seems to be the general answer i've gotten from the religious...

Answer 8

Its like new life springing up in the Amazon.
Doesn;t make any difference to me. I believe Genesis.

Answer 9

Your faith is weak. Gos word is infallibe and you can base you life upon it. Man has always tied to reason Gods creation.

Answer 10

Would you please quit trying to confuse people with your "thinking" and your "science" and whatnot...
This is not the place for it!