big bang theory

i wrote this this evening for an english class, i hope its an interesting read....



Three Parts Meteor, Two Parts Space Dust



Two prevailing schools of thought, Creationism and The Big Bang Theory, attempt to offer explanations as to not only our origins but our destinations as well. Is Creationism, the belief that the entire universe -including us- was designed by a master deity with an expressed purpose a plausible theory based on our technological and scientific breakthroughs? Or are we merely the end sum of a cataclysmic universe-wide equation as the Big Bang Theory purports?

Neither theory can be proven or overwhelmingly refuted (thus the age old debate rolls on) but with an open mind I believe that one would be doing themselves a disservice by blindly accepting the Big Bang Theory as the primary explanation for our origin.

While this has been the primary explanation given to school children since it was hypothesized in 1914, this theory doesn’t hold much water when subjected to serious scientific scrutiny. Much like earlier theories - such as the earth being flat, the sun orbiting the earth, or even more recently, Pluto being a planet- our attempts at pinning down unexplained events could very well be proved to be completely false.

The B.B.T relies on a few key hypothesis’ to support the overall theory, Dark Matter, Inflation and Dark Energy. The theory states that the Universe was basically a small “kernel” of dark matter that was kept in a state of limbo within a black hole by dark energy. Eventually, and for an unexplained reason, the kernel’s dark matter reached critical mass, actually causing a reversal in the effects of the black hole, resulting in “Inflation”. This inflation has been equated to that of an empty balloon suddenly expanding to infinity. Miraculously, the densely packed dark matter is now allowed to also “Inflate”, and eventually coalesces into what are known today as planets. Thus our universe is born and everything is good, right?

Well, the biggest problem with the B.B.T theory is the fact the majority of it is based on assumptions. Despite a tremendous amount of cosmological, and astrological breakthroughs and advances, our scientists have yet to discover a single example of dark matter, dark energy, or even the popular black hole. Moreover, our entire cosmological “knowledge” is based on the flawed, hypothesis that is the Big Bang Theory.

In an open letter from 33 respected secular scientists to the scientific community supporting the Big Bang Theory, the following assertion was made:

“In no other field of physics would this continual recourse to new hypothetical objects be accepted as a way of bridging the gap between theory and observation. It would, at the least, raise serious questions about the validity of the underlying theory.” - An Open Letter to the Scientific Community*

While it may prove convenient to simply overlook flaws in a theory, scientists are bound to a code of legitimacy and accuracy. To perpetuate a theory despite obvious conflicts is unethical to say the least

Now it is relatively easy to disassemble the framework of the B.B.T, it is infinitely harder to prove Creationism. Creationism at it’s most fundamental level is based on a God initiating the birth of our universe and everything dwelling within it. As religion is faith-based, it is impossible to prove, but one can prove to a certain degree of accuracy that the Christian model for Creationism is a viable theory unlike the B.B.T as it lacks self-destructive characteristics and contradictions.

The book of Genesis in the Bible makes the claim that the universe was created by God himself in 7 days. As there is no way of proving or refuting this claim, I believe the best route would be to present arguments for the legitimacy of the Bible as a whole.

One common argument against the Christian Creationist belief is that assuming the Bible is divinely inspired, it has been passed thru so many hands that there is no way it could be as accurate as the original manuscript. This argument holds no weight as the Bible has been subjected to many historical literary tests and passed all with flying colors. Tests that compare historical, anthropological and literary data to determine authenticity. Based on one test in particular, Homer’s “Odyssey” and “The Iliad” had 4-5,000 corresponding historical documents from that time period to support that copies we have now are indeed the same as the original. The New Testament alone had over 27,000 corresponding texts to support it’s accuracy. That’s over five times the amount of support that two of the oldest literary works we have can claim.

Secondly, consider the multitudes of people who have given their lives, figuratively and literally, to God Himself. Millions have willingly been martyred because of faith in an omniscient creator.

Of the twelve Apostles of Jesus, only one - John, who was banished to the island of Patmos after surviving being boiled in oil - escaped a martyr’s death. The eleven remaining apostles all died either by crucifixion, stoning, sword or spear. This begs the question, “Who would die such a horrible painful death for something they knew to be a lie?” No one would willingly give themselves up to such barbaric deaths if they knew it was all in vain All twelve apostles were present at the Resurrection of Christ and truly believed that God Himself had risen, the lives they led and the sacrifices they made are a testimony to their unwavering faith in God’s sovereignty.

Lastly, the human eyeball, with it’s ability to focus, adjust it’s aperture instantaneously, track objects, and perceive color is an engineering giant unequaled even compared to modern day super-computers. Each individual eye is composed of millions upon millions of neurons, synapses, rod and cones, all working in concert to convert light into images. Christian scientists have said that the eyeball is irreducibly complex, that is, that it would be impossible for the eyeball to evolve over time due to the fact that all aspects of the eye need to work in perfect harmony for it to work at all. None of the individual parts of the human eye serve a singular purpose, thus those “mutations” would themselves have been phased out by the evolutionary process.


“ To suppose that the eye, with all it’s inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree.”

- Charles Darwin

What does all of this mean? It means that to examine the human eyeball and infer that it is merely the end-sum of a universal equation that started with space dust is mathematically improbable and borderline preposterous . To further claim that everything around us, plants, animals, skyscrapers, computers or jet planes are also the fruitions of the B.B.T is a leap of faith that makes faith in Creationism look like a walk in the park.

To confidently claim that we have figured out the glorious complexity of our universe based on a flawed theory is to slam the door in the face of human intellect and ingenuity.
But to refuse to entertain the Creationism theory based on prejudice or because it’s lack of quantitative data is to impede human progress to an incalculable extent.










*www.cosmologystatement.org

CD Review: Nothington - "All In"

Nothington - "All In"
(BYO Records, 2/13/2007)

Honestly, Nothington's "All In" was the first record in a long while about which I was actually excited. Thankfully, I was not disappointed in the least. Hailing from the East Bay, Nothington features Jay Northington and Gabe Lindeman, formerly of Tsunami Bomb, along with Chris Matulich (Enemy You) and Mike Hicks (Time Spent Driving). After the disbanding of Tsunami Bomb, Northington and Lindeman decided to get back to their southern roots, and Nothington was born. They recorded a demo that practically exploded through the underground scene after its online release, and were quickly signed by BYO Records. Their debut, "All In," follows a 7" from indie label Left Off the Dial.

Nothington is all about raw energy, and has managed with this full-length to create a collection of some great punk rock anthems. Nothington's songs bleed sincerity and frustration, and the melodies drag you through each song and leave you feeling emotionally drained. Their lyrics express typical punk rock subjects: broken hearts, sleepless nights, disillusionment, wasted time and missed opportunities. The vocals are gravelly, reminiscent of the rasp of Frankie Stubbs (Leatherface) and Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), and The Action Design's Emily Whitehurst (also a Tsunami Bomb alum) also lends her amazing voice for background vocals on two tracks. These elements combine to create music that is as intensely emotional as anything the emo community has to offer, but without all that whining.

"All In" will appeal to fans of Hot Water Music, Leatherface and Automatic 7; and anyone who enjoys a touch of country and rockabilly in their punk rock. Fans of the earlier, more punk-influenced Social Distortion records will definitely want to give this a listen, as well.

Rating: 4.5/5

Nothington (official site) • Nothington on MySpace

CD Review: Lifetime - "Lifetime"

Lifetime - "Lifetime"
(Decaydance, 2/6/07)

Over the past few years it's felt like another band announces a reunion every time I turn around, but few caused as much of a stir throughout the scene as Lifetime, when they made plans in 2005 to get back together for a set at that year's Hellfest. Due to legal problems, that festival ended up falling apart at the last minute, and what followed was a whirlwind of east coast promoters scurrying to set up shows for all of the bands that had already made the trip to the New Jersey area. Lifetime ended up playing three of those impromptu shows (Aug. 19 & 20, 2005 in Philadelphia, PA and Aug. 21 in Asbury Park, NJ), and announced a few months later that they would be officially reforming. In March of '06, the band signed to Decaydance (an imprint of Fueled By Ramen Records) and released a two-song single late that summer.

"Lifetime" is the band's first full-length in a full ten years. Honestly, I was a little anxious about the release of this album. I've come to expect the worse when it comes to band reunions, and I don't think—even had I hated it—that I could have, in good conscience, written a bad review about one of the most influential melodic hardcore bands of the 90s. Fortunately, Lifetime's latest offering doesn't disappoint, and I didn't have to resort to lying. In fact, I didn't have to try very hard at all to find nice things to say about this record. With eleven tracks clocking in at under 24 minutes, the band's self-titled album is something that old fans will love. Everything I've come to expect from—and love about—this band is present and accounted for. Melodic vocals delivered over speedy punk tempos? Check. Heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics? Check. Catchy hooks that deftly avoid sounding too "poppy"? Check. No songs longer than 2:45? Check. The only complaint that I can muster is that the production seems a little too polished for the old Lifetime that I'm used to. But now I'm just nitpicking...

For the most part, Lifetime fails to break any new ground with this album and in a way, it's somewhat disappointing that this new record sounds so much like their old material. Considering, however, the fact that Lifetime's past releases have been golden, I can't accuse them of making a mistake by sticking to the old adage: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Rating: 4.5/5

Lifetime (official web site) • Lifetime on MySpace

Peter Pan

So we all know the story Peter Pan right? right, okay. So think about it, you have these boys, the lost boys, lead by this other, Peter Pan, who run around this sorta dream world, Neverland. Here they run around getting into all sorts of adventures, the big thing is, they don't want to grow up. All they want to do is run around and have fun, and face meetings with Indians and mermaids, and most of all, they battle, with Pirates, who want to put an end to them. So we look at the story and as an adult we say eh its a children's story, a bunch of kids who don't want to accept responsibility. Well I think there's much more to it, i think it is, and can be, a story for adults. You see, its full of lots of elements that a believer can take from it, faith, perseverance, and most of all, how we should live. You see directly from the beginning, the only way to get to Neverland was to fly, for Neverland was in the Heavens, (2nd star to the right and straight on till morning). In order for the Fairy dust to work they had to have happy thoughts, and they had to trust them. You know salvation is a matter of one thing, our belief that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and that his death and Resurrection, and the confessing of that fact, basically trust in Him and that fact. Belief in that and our confession of that helps us get to his Kingdom in Heaven. But that's not the biggest thing i got from this story, you see i think the point of Peter Pan is us, all of us including society as a whole. I think we are being told don't forget what its like to be a kid. Not run from responsibility, but really saying hey we grow up, we forget the joy, the spirit, the fun of being a kid, and when we do, that's when we become a Pirate, an adult who has forgotten all of that, and has lost the joy of life. Think about it, we have a blast as a kid, we have faith and trust whatever is put before us, then some people out there, they get "old". They forget about what it was like for them to be a kid, and they start to condemn us. Think about it as being a punk or hardcore kid, society is always like, "when are these kids going to grow up", "when are they going to stop being losers and get real jobs, and take those silly piercings out, and stop tattooing". You know you've all heard it before, but really, we have a joy, we enjoy our youth, and we are actually doing something, we are standing up for our beliefs, trying to help our communities, making a stand. Peter Pan and his lost boys, they were doing something, they were trying to remind these Pirates, how to live, but making a stand, they rescued Wendy and her brothers, and gave them a fervor for youth back. Now okay so how does this make sense, well, think about Jesus Christ and his disciples, or better yet, his lost boys, they didn't fit the social order of things, they enjoyed themselves and they were making a difference. Likewise, they made a claim that is hidden deep with in the Peter Pan story, don't lose your youth! Jesus Christ often preached, have faith like that of a child, don't lose the youthfulness of your faith. For it is the one who has faith like that of a child whom the Kingdom of Heaven belongs. You see that place way up there 2nd star to the right and straight on til morning, belongs to those whose spirit is like that of a child, so i say as Jesus said, have faith like a child, don't forget your youth when it comes to being a believer. Likewise, never forget what its like to be a child, for when you do you become a grumpy old adult, a Pirate, looking down on everyone else rather than striving towards your goals. Likewise, may we seek and serve our Lord always, its the greatest adventure we will ever embark.

Sneak Peek: xLooking Forwardx Bonus DVD

Blood & Ink Records (Richmond, VA) will be re-releasing xLooking Forwardx's "What This Means to Me" this March. The reissue will include a special bonus DVD featuring footage of a live show and a short documentary, along with other bonus features. Here's a sneak preview, courtesy of Blood & Ink:

xLooking Forwardx Bonus DVD Trailer
xLooking Forwardx • Blood & Ink Records