How does cosmology effect religion?

For example, read about the Vatican Observatory. An intriguing fact is that, to some extent, "religion effected cosmology" in that the (Catholic) church has had a particular interest in astronomy and sponsored it to a substantial extent.

There have been several other areas where cosmology and religion have diverged, such as when attempting to harmonize "religious" creation stories with scientific data and theories.

For example, if someone actively denies or devalues scientific models that estimate Earth's age at about 4.6 billion years, it could be because they believe, due to their religious beliefs, that the Earth was created 6000 years ago or more.

However, if someone was raised with these views and later comes to accept that these scientific models may be a good approximation of the truth regarding the universe's age, size, and other details, their understanding of creation stories will likely be significantly altered.

There are, for instance, a number of "less literal" interpretations of the Bible's Genesis creation story that permit longer time spans. For example, some of these interpretations could link Genesis's "Let there be light" and "there was light" to the Big Bang.

Should we even attempt to evaluate these pre-scientific accounts as modern cosmology? Other approaches seek to interpret the religious texts in the context of their pre-scientific origins, expressing truths through that lens.

Saying that science usually answers the "How?" questions and religion answers the "Why?" questions is a clumsy and fallacious method of attempting to balance science and religion.

Cosmology can impact religion by influencing beliefs about the origin, nature, and purpose of the universe. For example, scientific cosmology can challenge religious creation stories, leading to reinterpretation of religious texts or beliefs. Conversely, some religious interpretations may harmonize with scientific cosmological theories, reinforcing faith in a higher power. Ultimately, the relationship between cosmology and religion varies, with some seeing them as conflicting and others finding compatibility.