The Power of Creation

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ ConferenceOctober 14-15, 2013

What the Culture Says

Fundamental Questions

We can discover the answers to the central questions of life.

• “From where have we come?” • “Why are we here?” • “What does the future hold?”

Four Goals• If you are an Old-Earther, to persuade

you to a Scriptural presupposition • If you hold to the Scriptural

Presuppositions, to strengthen your resolve

• To provide principles for conversation with others about Creation

• To provide resources for continued reading and research

Five Sessions1. What the Culture says.2. What the Scripture says. 3. What the Church says.4. What the Evidence says.5. What the Mission says.

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ Conference

Evolution Logic

All things came into existence as a result of random chance processes. This means:

• Truth is relative• Purpose in life is transient• Death is final• Morals & Ethics are relative• All life is valued equally

London Zoo 2005

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ Conference

“Macro-Evolution Is Fact”

The word “theory” can be used to mean something speculative and tentative. In everyday speech it probably usually is used in that sense. Scientists very often use it in a much more positive sense. I think the easiest way is to use the ordinary language word “fact”. In the ordinary language sense of the word fact, evolution is a fact.

Interview with Richard Dawkins, October 21, 2009

Very Large Array

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ Conference

Biblical Proposition

In the Beginning God spoke all things into existence out of nothing over the course of six, ordinary, 24 hour days.

The Biblical Logic

• Truth is absolute• Life has purpose• Death in not final• Morals & Ethics are standardized• There is a distinction between Mankind

and Creation.

Comparing ViewsCreation

• Truth is absolute• Life has purpose• Death is not final• Morals & Ethics are

standardized• There is a distinction

between Mankind and Creation.

Evolution• Truth is relative• Purpose in life is

transient• Death is final• Morals & Ethics are

relative• All life is valued equally

An Old View

“The fortuitous and ever-changing combination of eternally existing atoms with the Void is the explanation for all things.”

- Democratis (died 380 BC)

The Nature of the Universe

“Nothing can ever be created by divine power out of nothing … the theory that they (the gods) deliberately created the world in all its natural splendor for the sake of man ....This theory ... with all its attendant fictions is sheer nonsense!”

- Lucretius (1st century B.C.)

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ Conference

Attempts to Synchronize• Theistic Evolution• Progressive Creation• Intelligent Design• Framework Hypothesis• Divine Accommodation• The Gap Theory & Day-Age

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ Conference

The Scientific Method - History

• Aristotle• Luther

The Scientific Method - Luther

God did not ‘wind up’ the world and let it run on its own. He is always personally involved, the highest expression of His personal, daily involvement in His creation being found in His grace in Christ.

L.W., Vol. 22, pp. 28-29

The Scientific Method - History

• Aristotle• Luther• Galileo• Francisco Redi• Earnst Mach

The Scientific Method

1) Observe; 2) Hypothesize; 3) Predict the outcome; 4) Experiment; 5) #3-4 are repeatable.

The DifficultyNot Cosmology (the study of space-observation)Rather, the difficulty is Cosmogony. 1 - any scientific theory concerning the coming

into existence (or origin) of either the  cosmos  (or universe), or the so-called reality of sentient  beings.

2 - Developing a complete theoretical model that has implications in both the philosophy of science  and epistemology.

In other words, the explanation of what is observed.

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ Conference

Epistemology

1) The Scientific Method 2) Logic If you start in the wrong place, you will

end up in the wrong place, even though your logic that brought you there is perfect.

3) Senses4) Authority

The only way that we can know truth absolutely is to

submit to absolute authority.

The Power of Creation

Oklahoma Pastors’ ConferenceOctober 14-15, 2013