Quiz 2 Flashcards
Memorize the Moral Argument for God’s existence
P. If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist.
P. Objective moral values and duties do not exist.
C. Therefore, God exists.
Know the difference between an objective moral value and a subjective moral value.
Objective moral values are moral values that are true independent of the belief of human beings. For this reason, philosophers who affirm the existence of objective moral values sometimes speak about them as moral facts.
Subjective morality is where moral laws are based on personal feelings and thoughts, and therefore without any humans there would be no morality.
Be able to tell me what “specism” is.
Human intolerance or discrimination on the basis of species, especially as manifested by cruelty to or exploitation of animals.
Know what the Euthyphro Dilemma is and know how to answer the objection it presents to the moral argument for God’s existence.
The Euthyphro dilemma is found in Plato’s dialogue Euthyphro, in which Socrates asks Euthyphro, “Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?”
The dilemma has had a major effect on the philosophical theism of the monotheistic religions, but in a modified form: “Is what is morally good commanded by God because it is morally good, or is it morally good because it is commanded by God?”
Know why our moral experience is valid in arguing for objective moral values
My senses are not infallible, but that doesn’t lead us to think that there is no external world around us. In absence of some reason to distrust moral experience, we accept what it tell us, that something’s are objectively good or evil, right or wrong.
Know what evolution is and why it is important to be familiar with it for apologetic reasons
The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
It is important to be familiar with this definition and evolution itself so we can discus and share why we believe creation is true and evolution cannot be fully proved.
Know the four basic traits of real science.
- Observation
- Testing
- Repetition
- Falsifiable
Know the basic assumptions of evolutionary theory and the core beliefs of the system.
Basic assumptions:
1. Uniformitarianism
2. Autonomy and superiority
3. Naturalism
Core Beliefs:
1. All life descended from one original proto-cell
2. Species are not immutable, they change.
3. These changes are acted upon by “natural selection” or survival of the fittest.
Know the difference between macro and micro evolution.
Macroevolution: Macroevolution is evolution on a grand scale — what we see when we look at the over-arching history of life: stability, change, lineages arising, and extinction.
Microevolution: House sparrows have adapted to the climate of North America, mosquitoes have evolved in response to global warming, and insects have evolved resistance to our pesticides. These are all examples of microevolution — evolution on a small scale.
Know the basic points in Mayr’s defense of evolutionary theory.
Evolution is based on and established by HISTORICAL, not scientific methods
Evolution is INFERRED not observed or proven
He assumes what he is trying to prove, and has admitted that scientific evidence doesn’t support the theory.
Know why evolutionists point to Archaeopteryx as a missing link and why it is probably not a missing link.
if evolutionists claim that all of life is related through a single huge family tree extending from the present day back millions of years to a single point of origin, we should find fossils that are midway between established groups.
Know what punctuated equilibrium and the hopeful monster are
The concept of punctuated equilibrium was, to some, a radical new idea when it was first proposed by Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge in 1972. Now it is widely recognized as a useful model for one kind of evolutionary change.
Hopeful monster also known as the hopeful monsters hypothesis is a biological theory which suggests that major evolutionary transformations have occurred in large leaps between species due to macro-mutations.
Know what stasis and saltation are in the fossil record.
Stasis: Stability, stays the same, little change.
Saltation: Sudden appearance or disappearance of new species in the fossil record.
Be able to name at least one way in which evolutionary theory has influenced our culture outside the realm of science.
The evolutionary theory has influences our culture in religion, the church used to be a huge part of people’s lives and yet it is now skewed in a big way thanks to the evolutionary theory. Like morman leader Bruce McConkie said “That exaltation which the saints of all ages have so devoutly sought is godhead itself, you’ve got to learn you how to be gods yourself.” This is a skewed statement and a false statement. There is only one God.
Know the basic assumptions of creation science theory and how these differ from the basic assumptions of evolution and intelligent design.
- The God of the Bible is the creator of the universe.
- It has precommitment to the truth of the Bible.
- Scientific data must be interpreted within the framework of biblical revelation.
