A Christian view of ....

Science

Boa Constrictors

&

Warthogs

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

Creation

Jesus is the source and sustainer

of creation

It is good ... very good

Humans are the image bearers of God

Develop the potential within creation

Law/ Word/Norms

Fall

Affects all of lifeSomething created

becomes a god

Science

The Science of .....

Fall

Affects all of lifeSomething created

becomes a god

Science

Demonised Divinised

STRUCTURE & DIRECTION

Creation

Cosmic in scope - all things are restored

Restoration and renewal of the original creation

All of life redeemed

Fall

Redemption

-conciliation-newal-generation-creationRe

Redemption is for the world

it is not to

Redeem individuals out of the world

1. Fred Hoyle - a British scientist.

2. Stanley Jaki - a Hungarian Catholic priest and scientist

3. Henry Morris - an American Christian and engineer

B. The big bang B. The big bang theory is wrong theory is wrong

because it because it supports the supports the

idea of a divine idea of a divine creationcreation

A. The big A. The big bang is bang is

correct. It correct. It supports the supports the Christian idea Christian idea of a creationof a creation

C. The big C. The big bang theory bang theory

is wrong is wrong because it because it contradicts contradicts the Biblethe Bible

1. Fred Hoyle - a British scientist. He is an atheist

2. Stanley Jaki - a Hungarian Catholic priest and scientist 3. Henry Morris -

an American Christian and engineer

A. The big A. The big bang is bang is

correct. It correct. It supports the supports the Christian idea Christian idea of a creationof a creation

B. The big bang B. The big bang theory is wrong theory is wrong

because it because it supports the idea supports the idea

of a divine of a divine creationcreation

C. The big C. The big bang theory bang theory

is wrong is wrong because it because it contradicts contradicts the Biblethe Bible

1. We all have a worldview

2. A worldview is the product of faith, shaped by religious commitments

3. All human activity is shaped by worldviews

4. Science is a human activity

Therefore

5. Science is shaped by worldviews

ASBO Jesus #

(c) Jon Birch

1859

(c) Stanley Harris

1. Is the earth old?

2. Do we have a common ancestor?

Creation and evolution: some options

Age of the Earth?

Young Old

Common ancestor?

Yes No

Recent creationism

Apparent Actual

Ideal time (Omphalos)

Gap theory

Progressive creationism Age day

revelatory day

Neo-Darwinism

AtheisticTheistic

naturalismevolution

True or false?Darwin originated the idea of

organic evolution

Darwin coined the term ‘survival of the fittest’

Darwin once considered being ordained

Darwin claimed humans were descended from monkeys

True or FalseDarwin originated the idea of

organic evolution

Darwin coined the term ‘survival of the fittest’

Darwin once considered being ordained

Darwin claimed humans were descended from monkeys

False

False

False

True

True or False?

Darwin made a death bed confession of faith

Darwin made it intellectually respectable to be an atheist

Darwinism is atheism

Darwin became an atheistFalse

False

False

True

True or False?

Most Christians at the time were against natural selection

Perhaps - but certainly not all

True or False?

Most Christians at the time were against natural selection

(Arch)Bishop Fredrick Temple

Charles Kingsley

God made God made things to things to

make make themselvesthemselves

True or False?

Most Christians at the time were against natural selection

Asa Gray James Orr

True or False?

Most Christians at the time were against natural selection

B B Warfield

I do not think that there is any general statement in the Bible or any part of the account of creation, either as given in Genesis 1 and 2 or elsewhere alluded to, that need be opposed to evolution

• Something is true only if it can be tested by the scientific method

• Science is the most valuable, most important and authoritative sector of human learning

• There are no truths apart from scientific truths

• There can be other truths apart from scientific truths

• Theology is not a subject at all

• Conversation between science and theology is a monologue

• Self-refuting: it is a philosophical claim not a scientific one

Neither form can support the presuppositions that are essential to the practice of science!

Scientism

Strong Weak

(c) Stanley Harris

Evolution and creation

Richard Dawkins once leaned across an Oxford dinner table and said to Alfred Ayer:

‘..although atheism might have been logically tenable before Darwin, Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.’

Zoologist G G Simpson when asked what is man? answered ‘The point I want to make now is that all attempts to answer the question before 1859 are worthless and that we will be better off if we ignore them completely.’

• Belief in a material world

• Belief that the world is orderly

• Belief that understanding the world is a valuable exercise

• Belief that the world and its order can be known

• Belief that science works

Copernicus

Science tells Science tells us how us how

heaven goes, heaven goes, but theology but theology how to go to how to go to

heavenheaven

Galileo

Science is Science is ‘thinking ‘thinking

God’s God’s thoughts after thoughts after

him’ him’

Johannes Kepler

When I wrote my treatise about our System I had an eye upon such Principles as might work with considering men for the belief of a Deity and nothing can rejoice me more than to find it useful for that purpose.

Sir Isaac Newton

...the two great ...the two great

books, of nature books, of nature

and of scripture, and of scripture,

have the same have the same

author, so the author, so the

latter does not latter does not

hinder at all an hinder at all an

inquisitive man’s inquisitive man’s

delight in the delight in the

study of the study of the former former

Robert Boyle 1627-1691

I believe that the I believe that the

more thoroughly more thoroughly

science is studied science is studied

the further does it the further does it

take us from take us from anything anything

comparable to comparable to

atheismatheism

Lord [William Thomson] Kelvin 1824-1907

Michael Faraday

And therefore, brethren, we ought to value the privilege of knowing God's truth far beyond anything we can have in this world. The more we see the perfection of God's law fulfilled in Christ, the more we ought to thank God for His unspeakable gift.

Sir, (a+b^n)/ n = x,

hence God exists - reply!

Leonhard Euler 1707-1783

The only desire which The only desire which I can have is like I can have is like

David to serve my David to serve my own generation by own generation by the will of God, and the will of God, and

then fall asleep then fall asleep

James Clerk Maxwell 1831-1879

In the distance tower In the distance tower still higher [scientific] still higher [scientific] peaks which will yield peaks which will yield to those who ascend to those who ascend

them still wider them still wider prospects and deepen prospects and deepen

the feelings whose the feelings whose truth is emphasised by truth is emphasised by

every advance in every advance in science, that are great science, that are great the works of the Lordthe works of the Lord

J J Thompson

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

Complementarity

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencSciencee

ReligiReligionon

A tale of two circles:

SciencScienceses

ReligiReligionon

Theology

Physical science

The design argument

Chance?

Yes No

No challenge to God’s sovereignty or divine providence

Caused By God?

Yes NoChallenge to providence and sovereignty of God.