Lecture 6: Apologetics and Evolution Flashcards
What did Charles Lyell assert?
That gradual processes across huge spans of time that continue today could account for the geological phenomenon we observe.
What did Darwin believe with respect to creatures’ innate ability to reach perfection over time?
He rejected the idea.
Who challenged the Biblical understanding of the age of the earth?
Charles Lyell, in his Principles of Geology.
Describe Paley’s watchmaker argument.
A watch would not function if any part were missing or misshapen, and this speaks to its origin with a creator. Organisms give evidence for a designer and only an omnipotent God could accomplish this design.
Define Lamarkianism.
Organisms evolve from lower to higher forms, innately improving over time in a process that was predestined to lead to humanity. Characteristics are inherited based on use or disuse.
How does Paley explain organs for which we know no function?
Our understanding is limited, and given the overall goodness shown in the design, these should not trouble us.
What does Todd say natural selection requires?
Predation
