Hello, I am an astronomer. First of all, please pardon me to send this email to you without your permission. This message could be the most important one you will ever receive in your life. If you read this email thoroughly and understand it, I am sure that you might find the precious truth like a priceless treasure. My hope is that you are a thoughtful person who reads this letter to the end and understands what I intend to share.
It is generally accepted by most astrophysicists that our Universe began with the Big Bang.(i) The creation of the universe from the Big Bang was not well known until recently. Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle offered the premise is that there had to be a first cause (“A Prime Mover”) for an ultimate explanation of the existence and nature of the universe. Similarly, Thomas Aquinas, a famous theologian in the Middle ages, claimed that if we trace back to the beginning of the Universe, there must have been a First Efficient Cause, and he identifies this as the Creator God.(ii)
If we interpret their arguments from a modern astrophysical point of view, the source that created the universe by the Big Bang is the Creator God. Furthermore, if the Creator God exists, and if God reveals the truth through religious scriptures, the creation story in the scripture could be in accord with the findings of modern astrophysics in the big picture.
I have investigated this issue in various religions, and I have discovered the following. The scripture of Buddhism explains that Karma is the origin of the universe. In the beginning, there was the power of Karma of living beings in the universe. By the power of Karma, the wind started to blow in the sky and created the wind wheel. After that, the water wheel and the earth wheel were made. Here, Mount Sumeru is on the earth wheel. The four continents, nine mountains, and eight oceans were made around Mount Sumeru. People live in the southern Jambu-dvīpa continent among the other four continents. Mount Sumeru is located in the center of the universe, its half is underwater, and the other half above the water. The sun, moon, and stars revolve around Mountain Sumeru.
The narrative concerning the creation of the universe within the Buddhist scriptures mentions wind, water, land, mountains, and oceans on the Earth. This narrative account of creation is irreconcilable with what modern science has revealed to us. Further, in the Hindu teachings, the creation story of the universe closely parallels what Buddhism teaches. Confucianism says Tai Chi is the origin of everything in the universe. There is no specific reference about the creation of the universe in Islam’s Koran. Thus, we come to see that the creation stories in these religious scriptures are very different from the creation process revealed through modern astrophysics. Furthermore, these stories seem like mythical accounts that people wrote through their imaginations to explain the origins of the universe.
Now, let's turn our attention to the Bible. I have come to see that the creation story in Genesis chapters 1&2 of the Bible matches amazingly with the findings of modern astrophysics. The creation story of the universe is written in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This verse declares that God created the universe. The creation story continues in the Genesis 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” So, God began creating the universe by making light on the first day. This verse accords with the first event of the Big Bang. According to the Big Bang, our universe started a full of light (such as relativistic particles). This event matched with the first day of creation recorded in Genesis.
Moreover, another remarkable event occurs in the second day of creation, it is written in the Bible, “And God made the expanse.” (Genesis 1:7) Here, the expanse God created refers to space. This event is also closely related with the creation process of the Big Bang. After the creation of light from the Big Bang, our universe underwent an inflationary epoch that resulted in about a 10(50) increase of the size of space that forms the base of the sky we see today. The creation of expanse in the Bible refers to this event precisely.
It is a marvelous thing that the description of the Big Bang and Inflation theory was already recorded in the Genesis which God revealed to Moses 3500 years ago. After the Big Bang, the Bible says that God created the earth, sun and various living beings on the planet. Lastly, God made human beings in his image.(iii) The creation story recorded in the Bible is a clear evidence that the Bible is a special revelation from the Creator God.
God reveals Himself and God’s will for His creatures (including human beings) throughout the Bible in a variety of ways. The Bible foretold that the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9). We can learn the knowledge of God from the Bible. The Bible is known as the world's best-selling book. Records say that the Bible has been translated into 670 languages by 2017. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, said, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.”
We call the main message which God wants to communicate to us as the Gospel (the Good News). I will introduce what the Gospel is in a very simplified paragraph on next page. After you read this letter, please read the Bible itself. An online Bible can be found on the internet through the following links: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=NIV. As the Bible is a thick book that gathered many records written by God-inspired people, I recommend two books as a primer to you for reading. ‘The First Letter of Peter’ (1 Peter) and ‘The Gospel According to John’ (John). The book ‘1 Peter’(iv) is a short letter written by Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ to local churches, and the book ‘John’(v) is the story of Jesus' life and teachings written by John (also an apostle of Jesus). If you open your heart and read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will help you to understand.
Also, if there are Christian churches in your areas, I encourage you to go to the church and ask about the Bible. Among various Christian denominations, I recommend evangelical churches which are in accordance with mainstream Christianity in their biblical interpretations and teachings.
From an astronomer who believes the Bible is the Word of God
The Gospel (The Good News)
The only one true God made each person in God’s image to know him. But humans sinned and continue to sin, which cuts ourselves off from God, the creator God. In his great love, God already had a plan for salvation. It is to send a savior to us. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, being of one substance with the Father in the beginning born in the human body, Jesus became the only mediator between God and man. He lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, thus fulfilling the law himself and taking on himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever turn and trust in him. He rose again from the dead, showing that God accepted Christ’s sacrifice and that God’s wrath against us had been exhausted. He now calls us to repent of our sins and to trust in Christ alone for forgiveness of sins and salvation. If we repent of our sins and trust in Jesus Christ, we are born again into a new life, an eternal life with God.
Invitation to faith
As I see with the eye of an astronomer, the earth is an extraordinary planet. The Kepler Space Telescope has discovered thousands of exoplanets so far, but there are no planets with Earth-like conditions. As far as we know, there are living beings on Earth only. The Bible says that the earth is the field of God. God is calling out His children to dwell with Him forever as a farmer harvests grain (Matthew 13: 36-50). If our short life on earth is an opportunity for eternity, today is so precious. The God who made you in your mother’s womb is the God who determines the number of the stars and gives to all of them their names (Psalm 139: 13, 147: 4). This almighty God invites you. This moment you hear the solemn invitation of God is the time of God’s favor, and it is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). The names of those who have listened and believed the Gospel (the Good News) of this salvation by faith will be recorded in the book of life. They will live under the Lord’s special protection and guidance on earth. The Bible is clear about the destiny of our souls after death. The believers will be harvested like grains to dwell with God in heaven forever. However, those who reject this Gospel (the Good News) of salvation will be separated from God and dwelling in pain, they await the day of the final judgment of their lives. They will be judged on the final judgment day according to what they had done on earth (Luke 16: 19-31, Revelation 20: 11-15).
Repentance and Faith
The Lord commands all human beings to repent and believe in the Good News (Mark 1:15). As repentance and faith is the simultaneous response of the heart of the person who heard the Good News, it occurs in a believer’s heart with only the grace of the Lord.
Repentance is a change of mind accompanied by a change in life. It is an admittance that you have lived without acknowledging God, confessing your self-centered life was a sin, and now you are returning personally to follow Him (Isaiah 55: 7, Psalm 51, Luke 5: 8, 9: 23-25).
Faith is accepting the Good News of this salvation and believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and giving Him your life (Acts 16:31). You can express to God your heart of repentance and faith with a prayer (Romans 10: 9-10).
The Sinner's Prayer (Salvation Prayer)
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen.”
P.S
1. With this letter, I have explained to you why I think that the Bible is the Creator God’s word which was given to human beings, which also contains the truth of eternal life.
This information is the good news that all people should hear. If this message has spoken to you, please do not keep it to yourself.
Share this email with your family, friends, and acquaintances so that they too can have the opportunity to receive the amazing blessing God has for each person.
2. If you wish to know more about the Bible, God, and local churches, or if there are no churches in your area, please send a reply without hesitation to: gospeltoworld21@gmail.com
3. This website might be able to help you as a basic guider: www.startingwithgod.com
Footnote:
i) The Big Bang theory was predicted by Friedmann when he solved Einstein's gravitational equation in 1922 and was supported by Hubble's discovery of the expanding Universe from redshift of the galaxies. Inflation theory was first developed by Alan Guth in 1979 which explained why the universe appears to be the same in all directions (isotropy) and why the cosmic microwave background radiation is distributed evenly (homogeneity).
ii) Thomas Aquinas (1225－74）insists that the existence of God can be proved in five ways. (Article 3, Quest 2 in the first part of the Summa Theologica) There should be the first mover, the first efficient cause, the cause of the necessity of other things’ existence, the maximum in any genus, and the intelligent being who directs all natural things to their end. Thomas Aquinas says everyone understands these to be God.
iii) In addition to the creation of the cosmos, if we examine the size and the position of each planet in the solar system, the existence of an exceptional big moon, and the structure of the earth with astronomical knowledge. Through this knowledge, we have concluded that the Creator God who is intelligent exists, makes, and preserves all living beings on the earth with unsearchable wisdom, power, and knowledge.
iv) 1 Peter is addressed to churches under experiencing persecution. Peter reminds them of their heavenly hope and eternal inheritance so that they would be strengthened to persevere in the midst of their suffering.
v) John states the purpose of the book ‘John’ in 20:31, “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.”