(Genesis 1:1, 31) "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

Transcription

1 George Sayour

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3 (Genesis 1:1, 31) "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

4 But There s a Debate About this

5 God s Providence Primary & Secondary Causes In Him we live and move and have our being Acts 17:28 In Him all things hold together - Col 1:17 He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. - Psalm 148 You Knit me together - Psalm 139

6 Historic Theistic Scientists Nicholas Copernicus Sir Francis Bacon Johannes Kepler Galileo Galilei Rene Descartes Blaise Pascal Sir Isaac Newton Robert Boyle Michael Faraday Gregor Mendel William T. Kelvin Max Planck

7 Sir Isaac Newton "The most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being. (Principia, 2 nd ed.)

8 So What Happened? Charles Darwin No, not Darwin Enlightenment Thinking -The Rise of Modernity Romans 1 It s the Human Condition

9 The Church and Science Galileo & the Church: Geocentric vs. Heliocentric The Columbus Flat Earth Hoax Bible - Literal / Figurative? Phenomenological Language What Science Questions does the Bible Answer?

10 Wisdom of the World Romans 1: Cor 1:19 30 :: see Is 29:14, Is 19:12, Is 33:18, 1 Cor 3: see Job 5:13, Psalm 94:11

11 Naturalism Methodological Naturalism Scientific inquiry is limited to the natural realm The Scientific Method Not concerned with Metaphysical / what exists outside of nature Ontological Naturalism (ie. Naturalism) Ontology Philosophical study of the nature of being/existence The natural order & physical realm is all there is.

12 Ontological Naturalism It is a Worldview & a Philosophy No Transcendental, No MetaPhysical, No SuperNatural No God, No Soul, No Miracles, No Afterlife Closely related to : Materialism, Reductionism, Darwinian Evolution, Big Bang Cosmology In Search of a TOE Theory of Everything

13 Ontological Naturalism The natural order & physical realm is all there is. All knowledge in the universe comes through Scientific Inquiry / Scientific Method There are only natural and empirical causes for everything in the Universe Questions that can t be answered scientific inquiry are meaningless & irrational

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15 Course Outline Intro / The Debate Genesis 1 & 2 / Bible The Theory of Evolution Fossil Record & The Flood Age of Earth & Dating Methods Big Bang Cosmology/ Anthropic Principle Genetics, DNA, Design Technology & Bioethics The Environment & Global Warming Summary Class

16 Genesis 1

17 Survey Results: Origin of Life Fiat Creation of Kinds? Darwinian Evolution unguided, random? Theistic Evolution directed by Personal God? Theistic Evolution - by Impersonal God

18 Survey Results: Age of Universe 8 12 Young 6,000-10,000 years old Old Billions of Years Don t know 1 (Don t really care)

19 Origin and Nature of Universe ? Big Bang Theory and all it entails? Steady State (meant Static)? Expanding Universe? Multi-verse Other God s Word, God Spoke, God Created Not Sure

20 ? Micro Evolution? Macro Evolution Natural Selection Intelligent Design? Irreducible Complexity I don t know

21 Genesis 1 & 2 13 The Accounts are Compatible? 2 Separate Stories that Conflict Genesis 1 is Poetry Genesis 1 represents 6 Literal Days Genesis 1 : 6 Symbolic / Framework days Not mentioned was the Day- Age or Gap Theories

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23 Genesis 1: Pattern & Repetition Then God Said. Let there be ( Fiat ) And it was so And God Saw.That it was good So the Evening and the morning were the _ day After their own kind / According to its kind

24 Genesis 1: Order and Progression 7 Days sets the course of our week Exodus 20:8-11 God Said used 10 times in Chapter 1 vs: 1,3,6,9,11,14, 20,24,26, 28, 29 Brings Natural Order out of Chaos It is.good 10 times in Chapters 1 & 2

25 Genesis 1 Verse 1 In the Beginning TIME Sets of 3s Past, Present, Future God Created The Heavens And the Earth ELOHIM SPACE MATTER Father, Son, Spirit 3 Physical Dimensions Solid, Liquid, Gas

26 Genesis 1 Literary Structure Forming / Separating Day 1: Light / Darkness Day 2: Waters / Sky Day 3: Land / Vegetation Filling Day 4: Sun, Moon, Stars Day 5: Fish, Birds Day 6: Animals, MAN

27 Worldviews Biblical (Gen 1-3) vs. Naturalistic God is creator, infinite, and personal Life created according to kinds Humans in God s Image given Dominion Universe was designed for man, With purpose and originally GOOD Matter/Cosmos is all there is and is infinite Animals & Humans result of Random Chance processes & are = Universe came into being in Chaos, is hostile toward man Death, Decay, Entropy is result of the Fall and sin Death brings Heaven or Hell Only a Redeemer can make There is no sin, No cohesive view of history Death brings end to existence Science & Technology can cure the ills of society

28 Genesis 1 Chronological Views 24 Hour Day View Mature Creation & Flood Geology answer Science Day Age Theory Chronological but days are actually long ages Gap Theory Long gap in between vs 1 and 2 ( 24 hour days) Intermittent Day Theory 24 hour days w/ long periods between them

29 Gen. 1: NonChronological Views Framework View Gen 1 is a literary framework to explain the truths about God in the context of creation Analogical View Serves as an analogy for 6 days of work 1 day of rest Revelatory Day Theory God revealed this to Moses in 6-24 hr days Religion Only View Gen 1 is only meant to teach Spiritual truths

30 Read Genesis 2 What Does it Teach? How does it harmonize with Genesis 1? What are the literary difficulties? What are the scientific difficulties? Other Questions?

31 Read Genesis 3 What Does it Teach? What are the scientific difficulties? What are the Theological difficulties? What other questions do you have?

32 Homework Read the Flood Narrative Found in Genesis Chapters 6 9 What is it teaching? Compare to the Creation Account What difficulties do you have with it?