---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Of course, Jastrow's comment is…"
description: "\"Of course, Jastrow's comment is exaggerated at best; theologians hardly predicted the Big Bang. If our universe turns out to be closed, hence with an e..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/taner-edis-39828_apocalyptic_of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerat_202411.jpg"
---

#  Of course, Jastrow's comment is exaggerated at best…

![“Of course, Jastrow's comment is exaggerated at best; theologians hardly predicted the Big Bang. If our universe turns out to be closed, hence with an end, this does not mean apocalyptic visions of the end of the world were on target. And even if a beginning for the universe is a successful…” quote by Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/taner-edis-39828_apocalyptic_of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerat_202411.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/taner-edis-39828_apocalyptic_of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerat_202411.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/taner-edis-39828_apocalyptic_of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerat_202411.jpg)

> “Of course, Jastrow's comment is exaggerated at best; theologians hardly predicted the Big Bang. If our universe turns out to be closed, hence with an end, this does not mean apocalyptic visions of the end of the world were on target. And even if a beginning for the universe is a successful prediction of one version of theism, this is still not that impressive. After all, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. The Big Bang becomes strong support for God only with an argument showing that such a beginning requires a Creator.”

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Predicting a cosmic beginning does not prove a creator; even a stopped clock is right twice.

**In simple terms:** Cosmic predictions don’t guarantee divine proof.

Key Takeaway

Question the link between scientific theory and theology.

Themes

science theology philosophy skepticism cosmology

Mood

critical inquisitive skeptical

Type

analytical philosophical debate

When to use this quote

- debates on creation
- education
- public discourse
- philosophical inquiry

Key Concepts

argument from ignorance burden of proof scientific limits

Questions to Reflect On

- What evidence would convincingly link a beginning to a creator?
- How do we differentiate metaphorical from literal interpretations?

A Different Perspective

The analogy may ignore nuanced theological arguments.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Apocalyptic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apocalyptic/) [Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/argument/) [Bangs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bangs/) [Big bang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-bang/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clock/) [Comment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comment/) [Courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courses/) [Creator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creator/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [End of the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-world/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Exaggerated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exaggerated/) [God Argument](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-argument-697506/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Impressive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impressive/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Predictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predictions/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Stopped clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stopped-clock-178379/) [Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong/) [Strong support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-support/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Target](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/target/) [Theism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theism/) [Theism Impressive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theism-impressive-2111162/) [Theologian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theologian/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Version Theism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/version-theism-2111163/) [Versions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/versions/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [“The Babel fish,” said The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy quietly, “is small, yellow and leechlike, and probably the oddest thing in the Universe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-babel-fish-said-the-hitchhiker-s-guide-to-the-galaxy-quietly-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Even a stopped clock is right twice every day. After some years, it can boast of a long series of successes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/even-a-stopped-clock-is-right-twice-every-day-after-some-years-it-can/)

[Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/)

> [Why do people argue? Even the wisest of men have not found God through argument! Is God a subject for argument?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarada-devi/why-do-people-argue-even-the-wisest-of-men-have-not-found-god-through/)

[Sarada Devi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarada-devi/)

> [Old Lights include the resurgent fundamentalists in every religion who put a freeze on history and fortify their adherents against the "new dark age"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/old-lights-include-the-resurgent-fundamentalists-in-every-religion/)

[Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/)

> [“Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so mind-bogglingly useful could have evolved purely by chance that some thinkers have chosen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/now-it-is-such-a-bizarrely-improbable-coincidence-that-anything-so/)

[Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/)

> [As for Hitler, his professed religion unhesitatingly juxtaposed the God-Providence and Valhalla. Actually his god was an argument at a political meeting and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/as-for-hitler-his-professed-religion-unhesitatingly-juxtaposed-the/)

[Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/)

> [“Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong, my dear', said her father, looking at the clock. 'Even a stopped clock is right twice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/nothing-in-the-world-is-ever-completely-wrong-my-dear-said-her-father/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [The least Anararchic person in that conversation is the person saying 'you can't be an anarchist if you believe in god.' Because that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-molyneux/the-least-anararchic-person-in-that-conversation-is-the-person-saying/)

[Stefan Molyneux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-molyneux/)

> [As set forth by theologians, the idea of 'God' is an argument that assumes its own conclusions, and proves nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-most/as-set-forth-by-theologians-the-idea-of-god-is-an-argument-that/)

[Johann Most](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-most/)

> [“The Babel fish," said The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy quietly, "is small, yellow and leech-like, and probably the oddest thing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-babel-fish-said-the-hitch-hiker-s-guide-to-the-galaxy-quietly-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Nothing in the world is never completely wrong. even a stopped clock is right twice a day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/nothing-in-the-world-is-never-completely-wrong-even-a-stopped-clock/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [“Even a stopped clock gives the right time twice a day”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-a-stopped-clock-gives-the-right-time-twice-a-day/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/even-a-stopped-clock-is-right-twice-a-day/)

[Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/)

> [Nothing in the world is ever completely wrong. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/nothing-in-the-world-is-ever-completely-wrong-even-a-stopped-clock-is/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [“Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so mind-bogglingly useful could have evolved purely by chance that some thinkers have chosen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/now-it-is-such-a-bizarrely-improbable-coincidence-that-anything-so-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Taner Edis

> [Asking about a time before the beginning of our spherical spacetime is like asking what lies north of the North Pole. There is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/asking-about-a-time-before-the-beginning-of-our-spherical-spacetime/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

> [In the popular imagination, the Big Bang is a great explosion; at one time there was nothing, then matter erupted into previously empty space.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/in-the-popular-imagination-the-big-bang-is-a-great-explosion-at-one/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

> [Attaching a Creator to the boundary is metaphysical skullduggery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/attaching-a-creator-to-the-boundary-is-metaphysical-skullduggery/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

> [Physicists use 'God' as a metaphor more often than other scientists-- especially in popular writing, but in the technical literature as well. Of course,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/physicists-use-god-as-a-metaphor-more-often-than-other-scientists/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

> [To talk intelligibly about modern physics, we have to admit the possibility of uncaused events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/to-talk-intelligibly-about-modern-physics-we-have-to-admit-the/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

> [Creation out of absolute nothing is a metaphysical quagmire for theists anyway, since nothing must at least have the potentiality for becoming something. Since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/creation-out-of-absolute-nothing-is-a-metaphysical-quagmire-for/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

> [Which is better: to achieve Nirvana, or become a Boddhissatva?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/which-is-better-to-achieve-nirvana-or-become-a-boddhissatva/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

> [When confronted with a demand that the universe have a cause, infidels have usually pointed out that God was not much of an explanation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/when-confronted-with-a-demand-that-the-universe-have-a-cause-infidels/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

> [Quantum events have a way of just happening, without any cause, as when a radioactive atom decays at a random time. Even the quantum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/quantum-events-have-a-way-of-just-happening-without-any-cause-as-when/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

> [Quantum mechanics is so counter-intuitive, physicists have never been able to come up with a comfortable picture of how it works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/quantum-mechanics-is-so-counter-intuitive-physicists-have-never-been/)

[Taner Edis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

[Explore all 11 Taner Edis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/)

## More Apocalyptic quotes

> [Texting is apocalyptic on some level. It's a reduction of things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cave/texting-is-apocalyptic-on-some-level-it-s-a-reduction-of-things/)

[Nick Cave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cave/)

> [What until recently seemed to be only the apocalyptic fantasies of the Christian faith has today entered the sphere of the soberest scientific calculations;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-brunner/what-until-recently-seemed-to-be-only-the-apocalyptic-fantasies-of/)

[Emil Brunner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-brunner/)

> [America has always had an apocalyptic strain. Yet it also seems to believe that if, or when, The End comes, it will still come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/america-has-always-had-an-apocalyptic-strain-yet-it-also-seems-to/)

[Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/)

> [When forced to survive in an apocalyptic world, there are some characters that embrace their higher selves with some emerging as natural born leaders,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/when-forced-to-survive-in-an-apocalyptic-world-there-are-some/)

[Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/)

> [I oppose preserving civilization because I have a better chance of getting laid in a post-apocalyptic world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-oppose-preserving-civilization-because-i-have-a-better-chance-of/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Strange, how in all those apocalyptic movies, when their society breaks down into lawlessness and anarchy, Canada is always the haven of safety, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenifer-mohammed/strange-how-in-all-those-apocalyptic-movies-when-their-society-breaks/)

[Jenifer Mohammed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenifer-mohammed/)

> [ I am glad it's \[California novel\] resonated with people because, for me, most apocalyptic novels aren't scary, because they feel so very far off. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edan-lepucki/i-am-glad-it-s-california-novel-resonated-with-people-because-for-me/)

[Edan Lepucki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edan-lepucki/)

> [I'm not a peak oil person. I'm not a biohazard apocalyptic kind of freak. I don't have a supply of weapons or gold bars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hecker/i-m-not-a-peak-oil-person-i-m-not-a-biohazard-apocalyptic-kind-of/)

[Tim Hecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hecker/)

> [It is fashionable to wax apocalyptic about the threat to humanity posed by the AIDS virus, "mad cow" disease, and many others, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/it-is-fashionable-to-wax-apocalyptic-about-the-threat-to-humanity/)

[Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/)

> [Todayart is moving in a direction of which our fathers would never even have dreamed.We stand before the new pictures as in a dream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-marc/todayart-is-moving-in-a-direction-of-which-our-fathers-would-never/)

[Franz Marc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-marc/)

> [In the event of a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic dystopia, people with supplies of food and water could become warlords or chieftains in the social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nish-kumar/in-the-event-of-a-mad-max-style-post-apocalyptic-dystopia-people-with/)

[Nish Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nish-kumar/)

> [Post-apocalyptic novels tell you that in the future there is some great war. I would tell you that most cops say that it's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-gardner/post-apocalyptic-novels-tell-you-that-in-the-future-there-is-some/)

[Lisa Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-gardner/)

> [Today's mom watches her every child-rearing step lest she commit some egregious and apocalyptic parenting faux pas that will certainly doom her child to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rosemond/today-s-mom-watches-her-every-child-rearing-step-lest-she-commit-some/)

[John Rosemond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rosemond/)

> [People are hungry in these communities. They don't know how they are going to get food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keiji-fukuda/people-are-hungry-in-these-communities-they-don-t-know-how-they-are/)

[Keiji Fukuda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keiji-fukuda/)

> [“In my view, the gospels are true, not historically, but theologically, or, as I would argue, prophetically! What we have is, the Messiah’s history…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-of-kittim/in-my-view-the-gospels-are-true-not-historically-but-theologically-or/)

[Eli Of Kittim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-of-kittim/)

[Browse all 225 Apocalyptic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apocalyptic/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Of course, Jastrow's comment is exaggerated at best; theologians hardly predicted the Big Bang. If our universe turns out to be closed, hence with an end, this does not mean apocalyptic visions of the end of the world were on target. And even if a beginning for the universe is a successful prediction of one version of theism, this is still not that impressive. After all, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. The Big Bang becomes strong support for God only with an argument showing that such a beginning requires a Creator.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Taner Edis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerated-at-best-theologians-hardly/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Apocalyptic"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerated-at-best-theologians-hardly/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/taner-edis-39828_apocalyptic_of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerat_202411.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/taner-edis-39828_apocalyptic_of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerat_202411.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f36/taner-edis-39828_apocalyptic_of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerat_202411.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Of course, Jastrow's comment is exaggerated at best; theologians hardly predicted the Big Bang. If our…” — Taner Edis",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Taner Edis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taner-edis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Of course, Jastrow's comment is exaggerated...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerated-at-best-theologians-hardly/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taner-edis/of-course-jastrow-s-comment-is-exaggerated-at-best-theologians-hardly/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
