The question "What happened at the beginning of time" is one that has been marvelled over thoughout history both religiously and scientifically and one that has caused much conflict. Both science and religion seek an understanding of the universe in its entirity, however whilst science relies on hard fact religion uses faith, hence why conflict is inevitable.
From a religious view the belief is that God was and is the creator of the universe and, although science can describe how everything happened, religion is needed to describe the meaning of our existence. Creationism is an umbrella term for many different views, the two main branches being Young and Old Earth Creationism. Whilst Old Earth creationists accept that the bible, in particular the story of creation in Genesis 1, may be allegorical in its description of the world being created in "6 days", Young Earth creationists take the bible to be completely literal, thus why they reject scientific evaluations of the Earth's actual age. If the bible is believed to be a wholly inerrant doctrine from God then it can not be faulted, hence why Young Earth creationism is so unyeilding in its acceptance of science. Genesis 1 and 2 offer different perceptions of God and his role within the universe. Gap creationists recognise this divide and believe that the universe was created, "The Earth was shapeless and void" and then there was a "gap" whereby God intervened and the Earth began to take shape. Gap creationism therefore also recognises the flexibility of the timeframe stated in the bible and like Old Earth creationism is more willing to accept science.
Whilst these versions of creationism vary they share one common factor; namely God, and that he made the universe and everything in it from nothing.
Science has, up until recently, always been parallel with religion and accepted God. Indeed in medieval times scholars and scientists were theologians first and foremost and therefore explored science with God at the forefront of their understanding. Today there still seems no reason to completely reject the idea that God "Lit the blue touch paper" as Stephen Hawking stated. Throughout history scientists have observed the sky. The works of Aristotle up to Galileo have developed the idea of a geocentric universe into a heliocentric, revolving around the sun. Newton developed a reflecting telescope that essentially enabled the birth of all modern scientific principles such as testing and experimenting. With Hubble and Gamow's discovery of red shift, cosmic waves can be traced back to their origin - the primeval atom -showing not only the Earth's true age but also that the universe is exapnding from one point. If then we can trace back to this point we are mere milliseconds away from determining the beginning of everything. Although Stephen Hawking is the most prominent scientist to collaborate these ideas, scientist from throughout history have aided the Big Bang Theory, the idea that everything may be traced back to one spot.
The remaining question is then, what initiated the Big Bang and, though arguably just the God of the Gaps theory, God remains a possible candidate.
Whilst the idea of God starting everything cannot as of yet be disproved the contrast between religion and science is the scientific belief that the universe and everything in it was created at the same moment in time and now mattwer what ahppened next, life on earth is a form of chance. This statement completely changes the view of the relationship humans have with God as believed by religious people. The idea of chance shows possibilites of other life forms, proving humans to not be unique and undermining the idea that God had a predetermined plan.
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