For example, Robert Jastrow, one of America’s foremost astronomers, wrote on the subject “Have Astronomers Found God?” Among other things, he stated: “Theologians are delighted that the astronomical evidence leads to a biblical view of Genesis​—but curiously, astronomers are upset.”

Interestingly, Jastrow presents three lines of evidence that point to the fact that some 20 billion years ago there occurred a great explosion resulting in galaxies being driven apart at tremendous speeds, some actually at the rate of 100 million miles an hour! Too, it has been determined that the farther out these galaxies are the faster they keep receding. He also reports that at first Einstein​—and not only Einstein—​was very skeptical regarding this “big bang” theory of the origin of the universe, making such observations as: “To admit such possibilities seems senseless to me.” “This circumstance of an expanding universe is irritating.”

However, to Einstein’s credit, later he did acknowledge that the theory made sense to him, even as it now does to ever so many other scientists. Such a view of the origin of the universe, as Jastrow noted, at least agree with the Bible’s statement that there was a beginning to the material universe: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”​—Gen. 1:1.