"Do you have to
flush your brain
down the loo to be a
Christian?"
Rev Rob Brennan M. Sc., B. Sc., B. Th., B. A.(Hon).
NO!
Session Outline
1. Science and Christianity in
conflict, or is this just a myth?
2. How do they really?
3. Laws of Nature or Acts of God
4. How do I respond
3. Creation and evolution
1. Science and Christianity in
conflict, or is this just a myth?
What are your reactions to
the idea of conflict?
White and Draper
Columbus vs the world was flat
Wrong: all serious scholars
believed world was round.
How big was the question
Galileo subjected to the
inquisition for saying the
earth goes around the sun.
Wrong: for insulting the
pope.
Darwin lost his faith because of
his evolutionary theory.
Wrong: followed death of
father daughter Annie.
Science and religion then and now
< 18thC religion = personal faith
By 19th Religion = body of beliefs.
Science and religion then and now
Science first called science mid
th
19 century.
Before natural philosophy.
Differences:
Astronomy, Mathematics Music
together in Galileos day.
Biology merely farming
3. Laws of Nature or Acts of God
Middle ages: how the world works
is a mystery known to God.
Nature was there to teach us about
God or to worship God.
Renaissance:
many
illustrations handed down were
wrong
Reformation:
Calvin and two books of revelation.
Bible and Nature.
Both revealing Gods nature.
Both ordered and reliable.
Both books read and interpreted in
similar fashion.
Nature an aid to understand God.
Most natural philosophers clergy
Newton:
Natural world follows
predictable laws .
Laws of God in Nature sustained
by God at all times.
Later natural law and then laws of
nature.
Post Newton: Laws of God in Nature to Laws of Nature.
God getting left out of discussion of nature.
If God is the perfect architect then the laws in creation
can be no less than perfect or God would not be God.
(Whoops we will just forget about the incarnation for a
while)
Pre-Darwin:
If God is perfect and the perfect
Creator then species will be perfected
adapted to their environments. No
changes, no extinctions no problems.
(Whoops, fossils. dinosaurs
extinct and tropical animal
remains in non-tropical UK. )
Darwin:
Change does occur. Confusion
follows in some circles. Darwin
was actually worried about the
confusion.
Turn back to the incarnation
Does God always choose to be
perfect?
What definition of perfection
are you going to use.
God created the world and we
are told it was good, but that it
is no longer that way.
Turn back to the incarnation
God acts in the world in Jesus
for our benefit.
Being perfect in action is
subject to God acting to save
us so that we might know God.
Our response:
Have a genuine desire to
seek the truth.
Be open and aware of
criticism and humbly
respond
Be aware of peoples
assumptions.
ISSUES: (Cont.)
Be aware of the history.
Scientists not taught
Christians often unaware
interpretation of Genesis. Augustine and
Origen
Be aware of limitations
to theories.
Seek the Truth
5. Creation and Evolution
ROUGHLY 6 CURRENT POSITIONS
1.Extreme creationism (In 6 days)
Bible says it, that settles it
2.Moderate creationism Evolution
not possible, open to enquiry, In
six days a possibility, Most physical
Scientists (80-90%), St Augustine
3. Creation with God using EvolutionMany
theologians. Many Life Scientists with faith.
4. Neo-Darwinian Evolution Gould, most life
Sciences
5. Extreme Neo-Darwinism No God - Dawkins,
Denett
6. Beats me!
All positions are being seriously argued for at this stage. (eg;
CTNS Conf 2000)
80-90% of physical scientists do
have doubts about evolution.
1. Standard scientific theories disagree
Geology Earth 4.5 billion yo
Universe 12-14 Billion yrs.
Big Bang theory 1st draft
1.5-2.5 Billion yrs. (Whoops)
Formation of the solar system
4-5 billion year mark
asteroid impact wipe outs until a million
years ago. (Whoops)
Evolution requires change over
millions or billions of years the longer
the better.
2. Gaps in Fossil Record - Transitional
forms for complex animals dont exist.
3. Absence of good mutations
4. Not testable
MOST IMPORTANT
The world was created for Gods
pleasure and we are designed to
enjoy it.
God acts in the world in Jesus for
our benefit.
Gods action is subject to God
acting to save us so that we might
know God.
