But the comfort level of the major theistic religions is somewhat variable. The idea of a finite beginning of the universe is not entirely resonant with Buddhism, where an oscillating universe would be more compatible. But the theistic branches of Hinduism encounter no major conflict with the Big Bang. Neither do most (but not all) interpreters of Islam. For the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the opening words of Genesis (“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”) are entirely compatible with the Big Bang. In one notable example, Pope Pius XII of the Roman Catholic Church was a
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