Couple of points:
I was born into a Christian household (mixed Anglican and Catholic), only becoming an atheist in my late 20s. Nowhere in my Christian schooling was the Big Bang ever presented as a faith based belief, nor something that ran counter to any of the beliefs of Christianity.
Each person has their own experiences and conclusions.. I could tell that what I was taught in school was directly opposite from what I heard in Sunday school and church services.
Secular =/= atheism.
The Big Bang hypothesis (actually, the explanation for the observed recession of galaxies) was first formed by a Jesuit priest Georges Lemaitre in the 1920s.
I suppose that exposure to that might be from your religious background. I have a Methodist background so I haven't heard that before.
It's the best explanation for the observed facts of nature. It appears to be compatible with the beliefs of a majority of Christians.
I am one of them. The universe is expanding. Like that of the tent curtain mentioned somewhere in the Bible. The expansion was known of by Jews and Christians before 1920. The concept of expansion is within the Jewish teaching of the Sefirot.. a.k.a. the tree of life. One of the elements is wisdom. Which is described in corresponding with a tiny existence like that of the English period (.). Another element is understanding. Which is described in corresponding with the expansion of the universe itself. The (.) wisdom is ever so tiny like a seed with promise of opening up and unfolding like a flower. It's no coincidence that it says "the entrance and unfolding of Your word o Lord is light (the . part) and understanding (the expansion part) to the simple." It's comparative to "the soul prospering", "increasing in the knowledge" of the Bible. The word "know" speaks of a personal inner experience.
"And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen and everyone his brother saying, 'know the Lord', for all shall know Me from the least to the greatest of them."
Nothing about the Big Bang violates "cause and effect".
On that point we will have to disagree.
What is states is that prior to the start of the inflationary period (ie, the beginning of the observable universe), the universe existed in a highly dense, near uniform, very hot state. Do we know what started the expansion? No.
Would I be wrong to think that you might mean that none has come up with a satisfactory scientific explanation. But I of course would say however simplistically, that God started it when He said "Light be."
Are people working on that question? Yes.
They at least say that the rate of expansion is according to the speed of light. In that case however long it took to realize that.. Jews and Christians had worked that out a lot sooner.
At the moment, I'm willing to comfortably admit I don't know why there is an observable universe, nor why it began a rapid expansion about 13.8 billion years ago.
I wouldn't say that it "the Bible tells us that" it happened only 6,000 years ago. The number is derived from adding up the Genesis generations of names. But they applied it to the wrong thing. The number is only to be applied to how long God has been dealing with mankind. The date of creation is said to be farther back in time.
Some years ago I'd heard from a creation based scientist who made his presentation for 10,000 years ago. That's all that I remember at this point without going back to refresh my memory on that teaching. I've even forgotten who said it.
However, nothing I've been taught, hear or read suggests that the Christian Genesis story is even remotely like a successful account of the formation of reality.
I've had different exposure of teachings that said that God is perfect and therefore created perfectly. Also saying that the imperfections occurred when Adam sinned. It effected everything that God had given him to have authority over.
I've heard plenty of evidence, its just that it has failed completely to overcome basic standards of evidentiary warrant and my own personal levels of skepticism. Whereas the Big Bang hypothesis has much better evidentiary support.
With me, if I didn't understand something I didn't struggle with it to the point of unbelief, but rather trusted in an eventuality of finding out at a later time. That way I kept my relationship open with God instead of closing the door against Him. I enjoyed our fellowship too much to just walk away just because I didn't have all the ducks in a row concerning everything I had questions about.
Sure. Belief is a binary (and I consider it involuntary).
From what I understand of the scriptures, belief is a matter of choice. Therefore very much voluntary. Faith comes by hearing the word of God. And using faith to shut down the opposing thoughts that are much like satan's temptations to Adam and Eve. Like Abraham, I chose to believe the Bible instead of siding with doubts or unbelief.
But its not 'God/No God', that's a false dichotomy. The null position is to hold off belief of either position until sufficient evidence is presented.
Well, as I pointed out, I did the opposite. So if it could be used in the reverse I'd say that what you did was a false dichotomy.
I believe that no-one has yet presented me with enough evidence to believe the claim "some god exists".
You might not be surprised to read this response. It's the Holy Spirit that leads and guides into all the truth which is God's word. Man only knows so much so it's wrong to rely on anyone who thinks they know. I realize that you could be thinking.. "you included FwGod."
I acknowleged that its possible some god does exist, but all of the specific god claims I've been presented with have failed to past muster to convince me to believe them.
I suppose since they are of higher ability in their Biblical knowledge that it would presumptuous of me to think that I could say anything helpful. And after all, you apparently are satisfied with where you are so I think that it's best for me not to reply any further. But, if I was stupid enough to try anyway.. I might say without intending to insult you.. that you could've listened with your heart and not your head.
Thank you for sharing what you did about yourself.