Creation And Evolution Session 6

Creation and Evolution Creation and Evolution #6 #6

Human Origins Human Origins (cont.)(cont.)

Intelligent DesignIntelligent Design

• According to evolutionary theory, According to evolutionary theory, animalsanimals have died, have died, speciesspecies have become extinct, long have become extinct, long

before before homohomo sapienssapiens appeared on the earth. appeared on the earth. • If Adam and Eve lived 10,000 years ago, what If Adam and Eve lived 10,000 years ago, what

do we make of fossil records of earlier do we make of fossil records of earlier hominids who obviously died? hominids who obviously died? • We Christians have always assumed that We Christians have always assumed that death is a death is a consequenceconsequence of Adam & Eve’s of Adam & Eve’s sinsin..

When did death become a When did death become a reality?reality?

Animal death:Animal death: • Scripture passages that discuss death as a Scripture passages that discuss death as a

consequence of sin consequence of sin (Gen. 2:16-17; Gen. 3:19, 22; (Gen. 2:16-17; Gen. 3:19, 22;

1 Corinthians 15; Romans 5:12-21)1 Corinthians 15; Romans 5:12-21) clearly refer to clearly refer to humans;humans; it is unclear if they refer to it is unclear if they refer to

animalsanimals..• For many, this For many, this uncertainty,uncertainty, plus the plus the scientific scientific evidenceevidence for an old earth, indicates that for an old earth, indicates that

“death had existed in the vegetable and “death had existed in the vegetable and animal kingdoms from the animal kingdoms from the beginning.” beginning.”

--John StottJohn Stott


Human death:Human death: two viewstwo views

1.1. Those Scripture passages refer only to Those Scripture passages refer only to spiritualspiritual death. Adam and Eve did not death. Adam and Eve did not

die die immediately, but as sinners were immediately, but as sinners were separated from God. separated from God. Human deathHuman death

was was always part of our original created always part of our original created nature.nature.GenesisGenesis: very goodvery good badbad

EvolutionEvolution: bad (?)bad (?) betterbetter


2.2. Both Both physicalphysical and and spiritualspiritual death are the death are the consequences of Adam & Eve’s sin.consequences of Adam & Eve’s sin.• Just as sin entered the world through one Just as sin entered the world through one

man, and death through sin... man, and death through sin... Rom. 5:12Rom. 5:12

• As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive…. The last enemy to be made alive…. The last enemy to be

destroyed is death.destroyed is death. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 261 Corinthians 15:22, 26


a.a. Were Adam and Eve created Were Adam and Eve created immortal?immortal? • If so, they would have had bodies that did If so, they would have had bodies that did not age, resisted diseases, repaired not age, resisted diseases, repaired

themselves when injured, etc. themselves when injured, etc. • The The perishableperishable must clothe itself with the must clothe itself with the

imperishableimperishable, the , the mortalmortal with with immortalityimmortality. . Did the opposite occur at the beginning?Did the opposite occur at the beginning?


b.b. Were Adam and Eve created Were Adam and Eve created mortalmortal but but with the potential to become with the potential to become immortalimmortal??

• They would then have had bodies similar They would then have had bodies similar to ours that, if they had obeyed God, to ours that, if they had obeyed God, would have become would have become immortalimmortal..

• The presence of the The presence of the tree of lifetree of life makes makes sense sense if Adam and Eve were mortal and if Adam and Eve were mortal and needed needed something to make them something to make them immortal. (Did immortal. (Did they regularly eat of they regularly eat of that tree, or were they that tree, or were they going to be given an going to be given an opportunity to eat of it opportunity to eat of it once—to determine once—to determine the length of their the length of their lives?) lives?)


An added word evolution:An added word evolution:1.1. The temptation to The temptation to transfertransfer accepted truths of accepted truths of

biological evolution to other arenas (e.g. biological evolution to other arenas (e.g. social, racial, religious arenas), must be social, racial, religious arenas), must be resisted.resisted.2.2. The fact that we are beings open to God The fact that we are beings open to God (regardless of how that happened) means (regardless of how that happened) means that our that our moral livesmoral lives are not to be determined are not to be determined by our genetic makeup but by his will. by our genetic makeup but by his will.

An added word on evolution:An added word on evolution:3.3. Many of Jesus’ Many of Jesus’ directivesdirectives run counter to dictates run counter to dictates

of evolutionary survival: of evolutionary survival: • Come to me, all you who are weary and Come to me, all you who are weary and

burdened and I will give you rest.burdened and I will give you rest.

• Love your enemies. Pray for those who Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.persecute you.

• Don’t worry about your life, what you shall eat Don’t worry about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink.or what you shall drink.

• Greater love has no one than this, that you Greater love has no one than this, that you lay down your life for your friend. lay down your life for your friend.

PaulPaul: : If your enemy is hungry, feed him…If your enemy is hungry, feed him…

Intelligent DesignIntelligent DesignThe following is largely based on a talk givenThe following is largely based on a talk givenby by Loren Haarsma, (Assistant Professor of Loren Haarsma, (Assistant Professor of Physics Physics and Astronomy, Calvin College) titled, and Astronomy, Calvin College) titled, “Is “Is Intelligent Design Intelligent Design ‘Scientific’?” ‘Scientific’?” and his and and his and

his his wife’s book,wife’s book, Origins: A Reformed Look at Origins: A Reformed Look at Creation, Design, & Evolution.Creation, Design, & Evolution.


Preliminary observations:Preliminary observations:

1. In discussions about Intelligent Design 1. In discussions about Intelligent Design theory and evolution we are often offered a theory and evolution we are often offered a false choice: false choice: eithereither modern life forms modern life forms

evolvedevolved or they were or they were designeddesigned. . We Christians believe that God designed life We Christians believe that God designed life forms whether he used natural evolutionary forms whether he used natural evolutionary processes or intervened at particular processes or intervened at particular

points.points.


2. A distinction should be made between 2. A distinction should be made between designingdesigning something (purposeful planning) something (purposeful planning) and and assemblingassembling it (construction, actualizing) it (construction, actualizing) what was designed. what was designed.

God’s God’s designdesign for life is not in question for life is not in question among among Christians who discuss the merits of Christians who discuss the merits of ID. ID. How God chose to How God chose to assembleassemble life, is. life, is.


Bag ABag A contains all the unassembled parts of a contains all the unassembled parts of a mechanical music box. You could shake the mechanical music box. You could shake the bag for years but the music box would never bag for years but the music box would never reassemble. For a music box to assemble, reassemble. For a music box to assemble, • all of the pieces would have to be carefully all of the pieces would have to be carefully designeddesigned. . • someonesomeone must must put the pieces put the pieces together.together.

Once that is done, the finished product is clearly Once that is done, the finished product is clearly a a designed object.designed object.

Intelligent DesignIntelligent DesignBag BBag B is similar to the is similar to the Bag ABag A except that all except that all the the pieces in it are pieces in it are designeddesigned to latch onto to latch onto each each other is specific ways, such that when other is specific ways, such that when any any two parts that belong together happen to two parts that belong together happen to

collide, they connect and stay connected.collide, they connect and stay connected.

The more you shake this bag, the more the The more you shake this bag, the more the pieces come together in the right way, and pieces come together in the right way, and eventually the music box will eventually the music box will self-assemble.self-assemble.

It would still be a It would still be a designeddesigned object but its object but its assemblyassembly would happen differently. would happen differently.

1.1. The fundamental laws of nature appear to be The fundamental laws of nature appear to be finely tuned for lifefinely tuned for life (the (the anthropicanthropic principleprinciple). ).

This can be broken into three claims This can be broken into three claims ((OriginsOrigins, 182), 182)

Intelligent Design theory rests on two assertions:Intelligent Design theory rests on two assertions:

Scientific:Scientific: the fundamental laws of physics the fundamental laws of physics and the basic parameters of the universe fall and the basic parameters of the universe fall

within a narrow range of parameters that within a narrow range of parameters that allow life to exist. allow life to exist. Cf.Cf. John Leslie’s John Leslie’s Firing SquadFiring Squad


Philosophical: Philosophical: No natural explanation exists for No natural explanation exists for why the laws and parameters are tuned for why the laws and parameters are tuned for

life. Lucky? The most reasonable explanation life. Lucky? The most reasonable explanation is that the parameters of this universe were is that the parameters of this universe were designed to support life. designed to support life. Eg. Eg. Scrabble board w/ 19 letters “Can we play a game today?”Scrabble board w/ 19 letters “Can we play a game today?”


Religious:Religious: the best explanation is that God, the the best explanation is that God, the Creator, designed these parameters from the Creator, designed these parameters from the beginning in order to bring about life. beginning in order to bring about life.

The The scientificscientific claim is accepted by nearly all scientists. claim is accepted by nearly all scientists.

The The philosophicalphilosophical and and religiousreligious claims are disputed. claims are disputed.


Most Christians agree that, while fine-tuning Most Christians agree that, while fine-tuning might not might not proveprove that God exists, that is the that God exists, that is the best explanation for fine-tuning.best explanation for fine-tuning.

Atheists sometimes refer to the Atheists sometimes refer to the multi-versemulti-verse hypothesis to explain fine-tuning.hypothesis to explain fine-tuning.

2.2. Biological life is irreducibly complex, Biological life is irreducibly complex, tootoo complexcomplex to be explained by natural to be explained by natural evolutionary mechanisms alone.evolutionary mechanisms alone.

That complexity is best explained in That complexity is best explained in terms of the actions of an terms of the actions of an intelligent intelligent agent.agent.



This, too, can be broken into 3 claims:This, too, can be broken into 3 claims:

Scientific:Scientific: It is very improbable that complex It is very improbable that complex biological features such as the bacteria biological features such as the bacteria flagellum flagellum could have evolved via the could have evolved via the mechanism of mechanism of evolution. It is very improbable evolution. It is very improbable that a living that a living cell could self-assemble out of cell could self-assemble out of chemicals. chemicals.


Philosophical:Philosophical: If biological complexity could not If biological complexity could not have evolved and the complexity has an have evolved and the complexity has an

obvious function, then we should conclude obvious function, then we should conclude that some sort of intelligent being intervened that some sort of intelligent being intervened in the history of lifein the history of life to create the complexity.to create the complexity.


Religious:Religious: the best explanation is that God, the best explanation is that God, the the Creator revealed through Scripture, Creator revealed through Scripture, intervened miraculously in the history of life intervened miraculously in the history of life

to create biological complexity.to create biological complexity.


The The scientificscientific claim is disputed. claim is disputed.

Progressive creationistsProgressive creationists accept it; accept it; evolutionary creationistsevolutionary creationists do do not.not.

The majority of biologists believe that the The majority of biologists believe that the general weight of evidence (genetic and fossil general weight of evidence (genetic and fossil and a few specific examples where complex and a few specific examples where complex evolution is understood) weighs against the evolution is understood) weighs against the claim. But not enough data to decide fully.claim. But not enough data to decide fully.

Horizontal gene transfer, exaptations, chromosome shufflingHorizontal gene transfer, exaptations, chromosome shuffling


Some critics of ID say that the Some critics of ID say that the philosophicalphilosophical claim is simple the claim is simple the religiousreligious claim in disguise. claim in disguise.

ID proponents say that the ID proponents say that the philosophicalphilosophical claim claim is religiously neutral and is based on scientific is religiously neutral and is based on scientific data and therefore can properly be discussed data and therefore can properly be discussed in a science classroom.in a science classroom.


• Is it reasonable to believe that an intelligent Is it reasonable to believe that an intelligent being would want to intervene during the being would want to intervene during the

history of life to create these complex history of life to create these complex biological patterns. biological patterns.

Perhaps, but is that a Perhaps, but is that a scientificscientific statement? statement?

And does it lend itself to a And does it lend itself to a God-of-the-gapsGod-of-the-gaps situation?situation?


1. 1. The basis for science:The basis for science: Can we discover new Can we discover new truths about nature? How? Why can we?truths about nature? How? Why can we?

A broad picture of science includes:A broad picture of science includes:

2. 2. The processes of science:The processes of science: What are effective What are effective scientific methods for learning about nature?scientific methods for learning about nature?

3. 3. The discoveries of science:The discoveries of science: What do we learn What do we learn about nature when we apply these methods?about nature when we apply these methods?


4. 4. The inferences of science:The inferences of science: Do scientific Do scientific discoveries have implications for society, discoveries have implications for society, philosophy, religion?philosophy, religion?

5. 5. The human aspect of science:The human aspect of science: What are our What are our motives, ethics, and goals for doing science?motives, ethics, and goals for doing science?


While all 5 should contribute to a broad under- While all 5 should contribute to a broad under- standing of science, scientists assert that only standing of science, scientists assert that only #2#2 & & #3#3 speak directly to the narrower speak directly to the narrower scientificscientific enterprise: the construction of enterprise: the construction of explanatory models that explain natural explanatory models that explain natural events. The others are events. The others are philosophicalphilosophical or or religiousreligious concerns that should be addressed in concerns that should be addressed in philosophy or religion classes.philosophy or religion classes.


Natural events are Natural events are explainable by known natural laws, explainable by known natural laws,

partially explainable them, or partially explainable them, or unexplainable by known natural laws. unexplainable by known natural laws.

Christians Agree and Disagree

Christians in agreement:• God created, sustains, and governs this universe.

• The God who created this world also reveals himself to humanity.

• The God who created this world is also our Redeemer.


Christians in agreement:• The Bible is authoritative and sufficient for salvation.

• God is sovereign over all realms of human endeavor and God has given human beings special abilities and responsibilities.


Christians in disagreement:• As we study God’s wordword, what is the best way to understand passages that talk about God’s acts of creation?

• As we study God’s worldworld, what can we reliably conclude that it tells us about its history?

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Creation And Evolution Session 6

Spiritual

animal death

intelligent designtheory

added word evolution

good bad evolution

aconsequenceof adam

human origins

godsdesignfor life

music box willself