Religion and Science Flashcards
Religious creation accounts
Creation Ex nihilo - Creation from nothing
Oscillating universe theory - Model that combines big bang/crunch - cyclical event
Trimurti - 3 main Hindu G-ds - Brahman, vishnu,shiva
In Hinduism - cycle of evolution, destruction, and recreation - Big bang could be how universe is recreated after recreation
Hindu Creation Story
- no time/space just endless ocean
- vishnu lay asleep on cobra
- Humming sound fill silence
- Water shakes and vishnu
- Light enters darkness
- lotus flower grows out of vishnu-sits Brahman
- Vishnu tells brahman to create the world
- Brahman divides into 3 heaven/sky/earth
- Made vegetation and life in sea and earth
- Belief that universe created/destroyed in cycle
Medieval world views
- Believed to live on earth centred universe
- Science based on bibles accounts - G-d placed earth at centre of his creation
- Church taught that life was about getting into heaven -little interest in finding out about world
- Church said:nothing happened unless G-d commanded,Humans placed on the 6th day, moon travelled in perfect circe around earth
- All knowledge subject to church’s control
Nicholas Copernicus 1473 - 1543
- Astronomer
- Employed by church to produce accurate calendar
- He said Sun is centre of universe - Focus point of first ever cosmological revolution
- Through maths observations of planets he concluded the earth went round sun along with other planets
Cosmological Revolution
Towards end of middle ages:
- Attitudes to learning changed
- Things no longer accepted because thats how it had been
- Church’s control on ideas breaking down
- New interest in astronomy and science > leads to findings that divide science and religion
Challenges to Cosmo Revolution
1) If sun is centre then G-d didnt put humans at centre of everything - Just a tiny place - Challenges special relationship
2) Science no longer referred to G-d as cause - no need for Christian findings
3) Religion just becomes explanation for things science can’t explain
4) G-d no longer regarded as immanent or supreme controller > G-ds creation only a machine that worked itself
Origins of life
Evolution - Theory that life forms have developed over millennia, from simple to complex creatures
Natural Selection - The animals or plants best suited to environment survive - they reproduce with those characteristics. Those that don’t adapt die
Theistic Evolution - View that some or all classical religious teachings about G-d and creation are compatible with some or all scientific theory - especially evolution
Evolution Chain
Bacterium > Fish > Reptile > mammal >Ape >Human
Darwin observed that organisms that produce more offspring survive as they vary - some variety will help offspring survive better than others
Survivors produce offspring with that variant and so that variation will increase in numbers
- Helps species survive over time > Called Natural Selection
Jean Maptisle lamarck (1744 - 1829)
- Organsims change to meet needs according to changing environment
- Bottom of evolutionary chain = simple micro organisms
- More and more complex life forms develop until top of chain (humans) reached
Major Conclusions
Organs that life from uses more will get better/stronger - non useful organs shrink and disappear
Useful change are inherited by offspring e.g long necks on giraffes from years of stretching to eat high up leaves
G-d and the scientists
Creationism - A view that only accepts G-d as creator of the universe
At time of Charles Darwin, the common view of the origin of life was G-d - Sole creator 5000 years ago
Buddhism doesn’t challenge/conflict with Darwinism as they dont believe in a G-d - Plausible for them that Darwin is correct
Can Science/Creation Stories mix
- Religious Believers can accept both Evolution/creation story as correct if genesis is not taken literally
- If genesis account is accepted as a myth - story with religious truth, then it can be compatible with theory of evolution
- Evolution=may be G-ds plan for development
- Life both appears in sea and final life form is humans
- Many scientists who are also religious and accept both evolution/genesis
Accepting/Rejecting Darwinism
Accepting Darwinism:
- Evolution is the process through which G-d’s creation took place
- Evolution shows power of G-d and G-d’s design for human development
- No problem accepting both as huge sudden jumps in evolution > results in unexplained changes > Shows its part of G-d’s plan
Rejecting Darwinism
1) Genesis account says humans made in image of G-d - Therefore would not have evolved from other species
2) Gaps in fossil records - no conclusive evidence that evolution took place
3) Not 100% clear fossil evidence of link between apes and monkeys
4) Humans have spiritual soul that distinguishes them from animals - cant evolve that
5) N.S random > higher form = careful selection
Darwins challenge on the christian understanding of the origins of life
1) Darwin showed how living things developed in small steps and this could be by chance - demonstrates that animals and forms were not in their final form by the 6th day of creation
2) If natural selection occurs by random chance then this negates the work of a designer
3) Evolution showed that things changed to fit the environment- The environment was not shaped for their needs - This conflicts with Bible account that G-d created the environment for the benefit of living creatures
The synthesis of Science/Religion
Intelligent Design - The claim that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause not an undirected process such as natural selection
George lemaitre - formulated modern big bang theory - realised there was a primal atom - accepts it as its Einsteins proven theory - origin of universe can never be prove as lack of evidence - A theist priest can accept B.B.T
Combining sikh/scientific views
-Sikhs see no disagreement between their beliefs and science - idea that universe evolves over long periods
-Sikhs believe universe is still expanding
-Guru nanak calls the universe “ever becoming” and explained its development:
“There are plants, solar systems and galaxies. If no one speaks of them, there is no limit, no end. There are worlds upon world of his creation - As he commands they exist”
Deism
= natural religion
- Diests believe G-d exists as creator but doesn’t intervene - makes world then moves on
- Dont rely on revealed Religion - religious authority or holy texts
- Believe everything must have been created and that creator is G-d
What it challenges
Christian views: Diests against Omnipotent/omnibenevolant/Omniscient/immanent > Diests are against this
Science: Scientists believe we came from big bang but they believe it was G-ds religion
- Science is strongly Atheist whereas Diests oppose Atheism as they believe in G-d
