Topic 29 Causation, Science & Design

Question 1

What 3 factors lead to belief in god?

Answer 1

1. Answered prayers
2. Beauty in nature (not just purely functional)
3. Family + upbringing

Question 2

What is the cosmological argument?

Answer 2

1. Chain of cause and effect
2. Traced back to Big Bang, but something must have caused Big Bang
3. Un-caused cause = God (aquinas)

Question 3

Why can causation lead to belief in god?

Answer 3

1. Aquinas’ first 3 proofs (cosmological arguments) -> from observing world = must have been god who caused universe
2. Big Bang theory = insufficient (needs a cause)
3. God transcendent + outside time, does not need beginning or end -> does not need to be caused himself
4. Augustine’s view of beauty (causation has forethought, from god)

Question 4

What are arguments against the causation argument?

Answer 4

1. Infinite regress (no need for first cause)
2. Big Bang could be first uncaused cause eg energy cannot be created or destroyed, no need for a God
3. What caused god
4. Quantum fluctuation led to Big Bang not god (subatomic fluctuations that produce matter out of nothing)

Question 5

What is the liberal christian response to the Big Bang?

Answer 5

• anthropic principle/fine tuning argument (only god could have made exact conditions for Big Bang)
• only god could have made exact gases react for human life etc

Question 6

What is the conservative christian response to the Big Bang?

Answer 6

• list theory, days could be millions of years
• precise conditions
• something can’t come out of nothing
• how can order come out of a chaotic explosion

Question 7

What are Christian responses to evolution?

Answer 7

1. Liberals : have emotions, create beautiful things -> product of intelligent mind which directs evolution
2. Fundamentalist: deny evolution, young earth instead
3. Evolution is a THEORY -> no complete evidence (cannot empirically test evolution)

Question 8

Why does the existence of the world not lead to belief in God?

Answer 8

• scientific explanation more tangible than spiritual interpretation (empirical > spiritual)
• quantum fluctuation
• red shift = evidence NO EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT A GOD

Question 9

Why does evolution not lead to a belief in God?

Answer 9

• no mention in bible
• mechanical process, doesnt require god to start it
• why would benevolent god create system that incorporates suffering, pain + waste
• random (arguable)

Question 10

What is the Aquinas argument from design?

Answer 10

• teleological argument
• so well ordered (same way each time, regular eg seasons) + interlinked (part of system to fulfil purpose) must have been created with design in mind

Eg DNA unique to each person, natural beauty

Eg sunflower turning towards the sun

Designer = god

Question 11

William paley’s design argument

Answer 11

If you found a watch in an uninhabited place, you wouldn’t say it was put there by chance

Watch needs a watch maker, universe needs a universe maker, which is God

Question 12

What are problems with the teleological argument?

Answer 12

1. Hume -> criticised paley’s analogy, cannot compare something man made with an organic object (just cos we have a mum doesnt mean world has one too)
2. John Stuart Mill -> nature = cruel, much suffering (God would not design such a world, eg earthquakes due to plate tectonics)
3. Everything evolved to fulfil functions to survive