A
science publication has reported that the speed of light is slowed by a
space-time curvature and if that is the case [1] then that puts the reliability of
measuring the distance between our planet, from which the speed of light is
measured, and celestial bodies such as our sun, moon, and the stars into
question. Granted that the reported delay of light by a strong space-time
curvature pertains to a pulsar star [2] in this case, but if the speed of light is
influenced by a space time-curvature around one celestial body, then it is bound
to be influenced by other space-time curvatures throughout the entire universe.
If
this is the case, then we really have no idea as to how fast light actually
travels; we just know that it travels very fast. Evolutionists have relied on calculating the
age of the universe by measuring how many light years there are between the
earth and the various celestial bodies, as they claim that we are merely
looking at the celestial bodies, not as they presently are, but as they
appeared some time during the past, but how can we really be sure that we are
looking at what a celestial body looked like in the past, if the speed of light
is being slowed down space-time curvatures?
We can’t. In fact we cannot
really know how old the universe is just by measuring how many so-called light
years there are between celestial bodies, including those between earth and the
most distant of galaxies. Therefore, if
true, then the latest discoveries have dealt a blow in the reliability of
assigning any trustworthy date for the universe on the basis measuring light
years between the earth and any given celestial object.
Admittedly,
the light-speed phenomena has been scientifically a tough challenge for Young
Earth Creationists who take the Genesis account of creation as actual history,
and for those interested in how the YECs approach this challenge, I have
included source links to that topic in my end notes section [3] but most of the
YEC attempted responses to this challenge have sadly proven to be
unsatisfying from a scientific perspective.
The
only satisfying response has been what is called the “White Hole” theory which
proposes that when the earth was created, instead of space being a black hole,
it was instead a white hole [4] which would, from a theological perspective, make
sense as the first thing that was spoken into existence was light (Gen. 1:3)
which conceivably may have enveloped as much as half of the universe and it
would also not be unreasonable to believe that the moon, sun, stars, and other
celestial bodies that were created on day four of creation (v. 15-19) to have been
derived from the light created on day one of creation and if such is the case,
then the light from all the stars and other celestial bodies would not have
needed to travel to earth because the light from which they were created was
already there but White Hole cosmology is not an appeal to science but to the
supernatural.
The
YEC community has undeniably succeeded to a certain extent in providing
theologically and scientifically sound arguments for the Genesis account of
creation as is presented in scripture:
They
have brilliantly succeeded in presenting logically and reasonably sound
arguments for the existence of a Creator.
They
have defeated all notion of there being any biological possibility of the
various forms of life, including man, from descending from single-celled
organisms.
They
have shown that it need not take long periods of time for geologic formations
and fossilization to take place.
They
have demonstrated as to how carbon and radiometric dating have proven to be
untrustworthy in assigning an accurate age for the earth.
And
they have shown from scripture as to how any attempt to render the Genesis
account of Creation as being anything other than what it says is theologically
and scripturally unsound and can even undermine confidence and faith in the
trustworthiness and authority of scripture and with that, faith in the saving
and redeeming Gospel of Jesus Christ.
But
the formidable light speed and time challenge has and should serve as a reminder that because
the creation of the universe was a supernatural act, there comes a point at
which even the most ardent defenders of the authority of the divinely inspired
scriptures (2 Tim. 3:16) by which the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord is
delivered must concede that that we cannot always provide a scientific answer to a scientific challenge when it comes to an act of the supernatural but in the case of the latest development regarding the lightspeed time doctrine mentioned earlier, the YEC community may now have a scientifically substantive response to a scientifically formidable challenge but it must be remembered that science was only meant to
explain things as they presently are as they pertain to the present workings of
the natural world. It was never intended
to explain the past to us, let alone the supernatural and therefore, we will not always have a scientific explanation or answer for everything, but just because science cannot explain an act of the supernatural, whether it be the Genesis account of creation, the ten plagues brought down upon Egypt, or the resurrection of Christ Jesus our Lord, that does not mean that these things did not take place and there comes a point where we must by faith believe that the things that scripture declares to have taken place have indeed taken place, and as for those demanding evidence of any sort for the testimony of scripture from the first verse in Genesis to the last verse in the book of Revelation, our God has been more than gracious to provide a reasonably and logically sound defense for His Word and many infallible evidences for its claims for those willing to receive that which is presented in defense of the faith that the Word of God preaches but the question is, is what sort of evidence would convince the doubter of truth of God's Word which preaches the Gospel of salvation found in Christ Jesus?
Supernatural
acts are not subject to the laws of nature; they defy them and the creation
process as described in the book of Genesis is no exception. Most professing Christians, including those
within the scientific and academic communities, will accept every divine intervention
or miraculous act without relying on science for proof of their
happenings. Why then should the Genesis
account of creation be treated any differently?
If
indeed God created the earth in six twenty-four hour days as the text of
Genesis shows, then it is not unreasonable to conclude that the present laws of
nature did not take full effect until after the creation was completed, but
even then, the world still was not as it is today since neither sin nor death
had yet entered into the world but when sin and death entered into the world,
that is when the world as we know it, came to be as the arrival of sin and
death, accompanied also by the curse upon all of creation (Rom. 8:19-22) likely
also influenced the formation of at least some of the present workings of the
laws of nature as well but when all things are restored, we will be under a
different set of natural laws since that coming new world will be nothing like
what our present world is today with its decay, miseries, wickedness, and
upheavals brought about by the disobedience of the parents of all mankind whom
we know to be Adam, being the first man, and his wife Eve, being the first
woman before whom was offered the choice of life and death in the form of two
certain trees planted in the midst of a garden designed to be their dwelling
place; the tree of life which would have enabled man to live forever and the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil from which Adam and Eve were told not to
eat from lest they should die (Gen. 2:16-17) but instead of choosing life, they
chose death and as a result, sin entered into them which then caused their
eventual death but not only did sin enter into them, it was then passed down to
all of mankind which is why all sin
(Rom. 5:12) and fall short of God’s standard of moral perfection (Rom. 3:23)
and why all die as a consequence (Rom. 6:23) but worse than that, because of
sin, we are all born estranged from our Maker, unable to have that direct
fellowship with Him as we otherwise would if sin did not dwell within us, and
along with the sentence of death upon man and estrangement from God, all of
creation was brought under a curse (Rom. 8:19-22) and a day is coming when all
that is sin will face judgment along with all who remain therein; that judgment
coming in the form of everlasting separation from the Creator; that separation
containing nothing more than everlasting darkness and torment beyond
comprehension and though it be necessary that God in His Holiness judge and
punish all sin, He is also a God of love and mercy and because He is full of
love and desires mercy for all of mankind, He is not willing that any should
perish but be granted everlasting life and salvation (2 Pet. 3:9) which He
offers through Christ Jesus, His only begotten Son, whom He sent to us to be
that needed and necessary perfect sacrifice to offer Himself up on our behalf;
the sinless Christ (2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 4:15) for sinful mankind and it is in His
death and resurrection that the demanded penalty for sin is satisfied, making
us justified before God in Him, if we will place our trust in Him alone for our
redemption and salvation and just as our souls are cleansed of their sins by
the blood of Jesus that was shed upon the cross, and reconciliation is made
with the Father above through Him, so one day, even our own bodies will be liberated
from death when they are changed from that which is corruptible in which sin
dwells into that which is incorruptible and which is free of sin (1 Cor.
15:51-55, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) and finally, creation itself will be liberated from
the curse afflicted upon it when it is made anew and in that creation there
shall be no sin, death, decay, or evil, misery, suffering, grief, or sorrow of
any kind but there shall only be goodness, light, purity, happiness, and joy
before the Lord who will make His dwelling among men, (Rev. 21-22) for when
this present world is done away with, so all of its evils and miseries be done
away with as well and as for any of you reading this who have yet to call upon
the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, if the promised new world to
come is one that you find yourself yearning to be a part of, then I urge you to
call upon the name of Jesus today and turn away from your sins so that you may
become a part of that new world vastly better than this present one in every
way and not be subject to the immensely terrible judgment to come upon all
things sinful and evil which also includes they who persist in their
unrepentance.
Therefore,
if you sense, even in the slightest, that call to repentance, do not hesitate
to do so. There is nothing in this
present life that is worth your soul and eternity because no one, regardless of
age, gender, lineage, nationality, ethnicity, economic, or social status, is
guaranteed another day. We are not even
guaranteed the next moment which is why it is written that now is the day of
salvation. (2 Cor. 6:2)
End
notes:
1. Eddie Gonzales Jr., “Challenging Einstein’s
Greatest Theory With Extreme Stars,” Message To Eagle, December 13, 2021;
information cited from Physical Review X
https://www.messagetoeagle.com/challenging-einsteins-greatest-theory-with-extreme-stars/
2. Ibid.
3. Search Answers In Genesis (Light Speed),
Answers In Genesis
https://answersingenesis.org/search/?q=light%20speed
4. Dr. Danny Faulkner, “A Proposal for a New
Solution to the Light Travel Time Problem,” Answers In Genesis; Answers
Research Journal, Answers Research Journal 6 (2013): 279–284. Published on July
24, 2013; last featured February 23, 2014
https://answersresearchjournal.org/solution-light-travel-time-problem/
Scripture
references:
1. Genesis 1:3
2. Genesis 1:15-19
3. 2 Timothy 3:16
4. Rom. 8:19-22
5. Genesis 2:16-17
6. Romans 5:12
7. Romans 3:23
8. Romans 6:23
9.
2 Peter 3:9
10. 2 Corinthians 5:21
11. Hebrews 4:15
12. 1 Corinthians 15:51-55
13. 1 Thessalonians 4;13-18
12. Revelation 21-22
13. 2 Corinthians 6:2
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