For the purpose of this course, the cosmological constant models provide instructive alternatives. There are reasons why this alternative model is interesting. These reasons are discussed in Chapter 15. Furthermore, some new data are tending to indicate the presence of a cosmological constant, which reveals itself as an acceleration, rather than a deceleration, of the rate of expansion of the universe. It is rationally impossible to accept the literal reading of the Bible as well as the modern cosmological theory.
Most modern religions regard the creation stories in the Bible as allegorical.
The Pope has declared that there is no conflict between modern cosmological theory and Church teaching. However, humans are not always completely rational. It is entirely possible for a human to believe two mutually exclusive things at the same time, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a strict Bible-literal fundamentalist astronomer. After all, one could carry out the mechanics of astronomy, take observations, solve the equations, etc. Most creationist scientists of whom I have heard tend to be engineers, or programmers, or in some such specialty wherein they narrow the focus of their learning sufficiently to avoid the huge conflict between reality and literal creationism.