Religion And Science Flashcards
What does Genesis say on the creation of the world?
God made the Earth ‘ex nihilo’ in 6 days and rested on the 7th
He did this by speaking, hence the repetition of ‘and God said…’ e.g. “And God said ‘let there be light’”
What do fundamentalists believe about Genesis?
Every word is true because it is the word of God and God is infallible.
Some even believe the ‘Young Earth Theory’ which is the belief that the earth is only about 4,000 years old. This was worked out using the dates and times mentioned in the Bible
What do Liberal Christians believe about Genesis?
That it is a myth that contains spiritual truth but is not scientifically or historically true
What spiritual truths do Liberal Christians believe Genesis contains?
It demonstrates the power of God and of His Word, hence the repetition of ‘and God said…’
God loves all: ‘and God saw that it was good’
All life was God’s intention
What do Liberal Christians believe about the Big Bang?
It was caused by God - God is the ‘uncaused cause’ (St. Aquinas)
What is the Big Bang?
The beginning of the universe - a giant explosion of gasses 11-18 billion years ago which cooled to form planets and stars. This is proved by Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation.
What do fundamentalists believe about the Big Bang?
It is incorrect and any evidence e.g. CMBR is a test of faith
Do religion and science have to clash?
No but they often do
How would a fundamentalist Christian see science?
As completely inaccurate as it contradicts the Bible, the Word of God, and God infallible
How would a fundamentalist scientist see religion?
It is wrong - a ‘Bronze Age myth (Dawkins) - due to the lack of empirical evidence
Why do some believe science and religion can be reconciled?
They believe they ask different questions (science: ‘how’; religion: ‘why’)
Liberals is a myth and only contains spiritual truth and not scientific fact
God caused the Big Band (First Cause) and designed evolution
Why would Christians care for the environment?
Worship
Interdependence
Stewardship
What does Psalm 8 say on stewardship?
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” - we should look after creation for God
What does worship mean?
Earth is God’s creation and should be celebrated - this is very important for Christian worship
E.g. Praying and singing at harvest festivals
What is interdependence?
All of creation is intertwined so any damage done to nature will eventually damage humans - Global Warming
