Science Flashcards
who belief that science is compatible with christianity
John Polkinghorne
what are Polkinghorne 5 arguments
- explanation is needed for the fact of the world is intelligible
- idea of providence is at heart of Gods relationship with the world and human kind
- both religion and science concerned with understanding and making sense of experience
- bible gives evidence for christian claims about Jesus which can be rationally examined
- claims that there is a god seems to many to be one that can be made on the basis of evidence and as such can be treated in the same way as a scientific claim
- explanation is needed for the fact of the world is intelligible
purely sciatific view on universe doesn’t satisfy need to understand the very intelligibility of the world - opens to scientific inquiry science is unable to penetrate sees it as Gods plan
version of anthropic Principe - existence of life a fact of interest calling for an explanation.
demises Humes as speculation as he dismisses multiverse no evidence filed argument against there being a god
- idea of providence is at heart of Gods relationship with the world and human kind
argues God creates sustains cares for human life allows purpose hicks epistemic distance
- both religion and science concerned with understanding and making sense of experience
religious experience don’t require consideration - rejects Humes argument argues differences are due to cultural conditioning
- bible gives evidence for christian claims about Jesus which can be rationally examined
NT Wright necessity of Jesus’ resurrection as a historical event
- claims that there is a god seems to many to be one that can be made on the basis of evidence and as such can be treated in the same way as a scientific claim
insists that religion and science are compatible as different ways of understanding reality
give facts on genetic engineering - 3
- treatments for incurable diseases - genetic energinnering
- choose to modify DNA - greater intelligence - genetic enhancement therapy
- modified animals have been created
christian responses to enhancement therapy
social rather than medical purpose - creates superior human race - rejected by church
interferes with being made in image of God
two tier society those who can afford and can’t
christian responses to somatic cell therapy
therapeutic genetic engineering correct genetic disorders welcomed loving and responsible use of God given skills - as long as benefits outweigh costs
christian responses to xenotransplantation
animal diseases potentially being transmitted to human don’t like
christian responses to genetically modified crops
poorest countries suffer the most in terms of global climate change and hunger concern about reducing biodiversty unwon consequences of its use
some support
medieval times
happy relationship
God ordered universe using natural law
renaissance
period in European history - transition from Middle Ages to modernity
new thinking let to progress in art, politics science etc
enlightenment
intellectual philosophical movement dominated world of ideas. emerges out of renaissance humanism and preceded by scientific revolution
deism
popular in negligent - a diety set things of no longer involved in workings - as laws are set in place most reject - incompatible with church teachings e.g. religious experience
existentialism
humans define own meaning in life - existence entirely about choices that make them what they are
no clash between religion and science concerned with meaning and purpose of life
view faith as personal commitment
Darwin evolution
noticed how animals differed from another on different islands
different conditions = adaptions
survival of forest only strongest survived
contraversal, competitive, blind
What were the 4 main assumptions that Darwins theory challenged
- separate creation - gen 1 - god gave life
Darwin - Natural process have common ancestor - instant creation - gen 1 - 6 day create
Darwin been a struggle/ vast timespan - providential creation - bible creation Gods goodness
darwin - theory heartless result of natural forces rather than guiding hand - uniqueness of humanity - gen 1 man in image of God
darwin - humans no more animal than child of God
19th century christian responses to Darwins theory
initial responses were defensive and dismissive evolution was seen as an affront on the Bible
Church of England ridiculed the theory
fundamentalists disagreed - bible couldn’t be wrong
some lost faith in God
liberals allowed theory
creationists
fundamentalists - once one belief undermined all collapses
scripture inspired and true
evolution - theory - may be proved wrong science can only support scripture
young earth creationism
genesis literally true 100,000 years ago
old earth creationism
accepts earth 4 million years old - allows evolution God created it
god of the gaps
doesn’t need to explain everything.. god fills in gaps as we understand more science God gave out
steady state theory
Hoyle - matter and energy are constant throughout universe - continuous creation
what is the Big Bang
many rejected too theistic
cosmic explosion of dense matter, cooled down chemical reactions took place - creating life. can calculate age by how far away we are due to rotations
others believes the multiverses theory adds on doesn’t give answer for galaxies being created
what are the christian response to the Big Bang - 3
- Catholic Church - accept gen 1 myth
- deism - God was cause of Big Bang - God is uninvolved
- creationism - young earth - reject. Big Bang age is wrong
old earth - gen 1 compatible
challenge to religion - 2
- carbon dating - accepted showing unverse to be old
- Bertrand Russell - universe brute fact
who created the intelligent design argument
behe
intelligent design - 7
- claims to be scientificic theory
- evolution doesn’t explain origin development of universe
- point to discoveries of DNA
- irreducible complexity - refers to complexity of biological systems
- behe analogy mouse trap removal of any piece would destroy function
- natural selection couldn’t create irreducibly complex systems
- irreducibly complex biological mechanisms include cilia and adaptive immune system challegenes idea of them evolving from simples forms - argues need for designer
what does Behe think abut intelligent designer
behe refused to identify the intelligent designer
certain foundations and assumptions with Darwins theory are now dismissed
Doesn’t reject is altogether can’t alone account for development of complex organisms
Most christians reject no conflict in accepting natural selection God created. Catholics reject harmful to both
