Transcript christian apologetics the universe

CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS
THE UNIVERSE
Christian Apologetics
• but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as
holy, always being prepared to make a defense
to anyone who asks you for a reason for the
hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness
and respect, 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
Christian Apologetics
• We destroy arguments and every lofty
opinion raised against the knowledge of God,
and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
2 Cor 10:5 (ESV)
Types of Defense - Arguments
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Scriptural – God’s Word
Pragmatic – Your life
Experiential – Your testimony
Presuppositional – Transcendental
Evidential – Classical
• Always base your argument on Scripture
• Anything else is used to confirm Scripture, not
replace it
6 Basic Worldview Components
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Prime Reality
Universe
People
History
Knowledge
Moral Values, Moral Duties & Aesthetics
Science
• Operational Science
– Observe facts
– Scientific method
– Conclusions are testable & falsifiable
• Historical/Origins Science
– Observe facts
– Interpret facts based on your worldview
– Different worldviews - different interpretations
– Conclusions are not testable or falsifiable
Universe Origin Questions
• Cosmological Question:
– Why is the universe here and how did it get here?
• Teleological – Design Questions:
– Why is the universe so ordered and how did it get
so ordered?
– Why are there living things and how did life begin?
Universe Origin Options
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Created – Christian Worldview
Self-existent – Naturalism Worldview
Self-created – Naturalism Worldview
Illusion – irrelevant
Naturalism Worldview
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Nothing supernatural
Matter
Energy
Time
Space
Random, non-purposive processes
– Natural Selection: disasters, violence, disease, death
– Mutations: adds new helpful information
Christian Worldview
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One Holy Triune God
Created the universe from nothing
Sustains the universe
Originally good: no disasters, violence, disease
or death
• The Fall: disasters, violence, disease, death
• One day will re-create the universe with no
disasters, violence, disease or death
Cosmological Facts
• First Law of Thermodynamics
– Law of Conservation
– Energy-Matter is neither created nor destroyed
• Law of Cause and Effect
– Every effect has a cause
– Every cause is greater than its effect
Cosmological Argument
• Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
• The universe began to exist.
• Therefore the universe has a cause.
Naturalism Cosmos Interpretation
• The universe caused itself. Stephen Hawking
• The universe is self-existent. Richard Dawkins
• The cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever
will be. Carl Sagan
Biblical Cosmos Truth
• God created the universe from nothing
• In the beginning, God created the heavens
and the earth. Gen 1:1 (ESV)
• For in six days the LORD made heaven and
earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and
rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD
blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Ex
20:11 (ESV)
Universe Teleological – Design Facts
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Disorder does not produce order: 2nd Thermodynamics
Ratio of electrons to protons
Strong nuclear force
Gravity/electromagnetic force
Expansion rate of the universe
Size of the sun
Distance from the sun
Atmosphere of the earth
Tilt, rotation and orbit of the earth
The earth’s moon
Jupiter and Saturn: earth’s protectors
Naturalism Universe Design
Interpretation
• The emergence of the complex structures
capable of supporting intelligent observers seems
to be very fragile. The laws of nature form a
system that is extremely fine-tuned. As recent
advances in cosmology suggest, the laws of
gravity and quantum theory allow universes to
appear spontaneously from nothing.
Spontaneous creation is the reason there is
something rather than nothing, why the universe
exists, why we exist. Stephen Hawking
Naturalism Universe Design
Interpretation
• The universe we observe has precisely the properties
we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no
purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless
indifference.
Richard Dawkins
• The only watchmaker is the blind forces of physics.
Richard Dawkins
• The atom provides a natural terminator to the
Crumboblios Cutlets type of regress. It is by no means
clear that God provides a natural terminator to the
regresses of Aquinas. Richard Dawkins
Biblical Universe Design Truth
• For by him all things were created, in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible…all things were created
through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things,
and in him all things hold together. Col 1:16-17 (ESV)
• By faith we understand that the universe was created
by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made
out of things that are visible. Heb 11:3 (ESV)
• While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold
and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not
cease.” Gen 8:22 (ESV)
Life Teleological-Design Facts
• Simplest life
– Maintain itself: metabolism & growth
– Repair itself
– Reproduce itself
• One celled organism: irreducible complexity
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DNA
RNA
Proteins
Lipids
• Life only comes from life
• Matter does not generate information
• Only a mental source can generate new information
Naturalism Life Design Interpretation
• Inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, amino
acids, nucleotides, proteins, DNA, RNA, a cell
• Mutations can produce new complex information
• Time is in fact the hero of the plot..given so much
time the impossible becomes possible, the
possible probable and the probable virtually
certain. One only has to wait: time itself
performs miracles. George Wald
• Life on earth from extraterrestrial life. Francis
Crick
Biblical Life Design Truth
• And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation,
plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit
in which is their seed, each according to its kind,
on the earth.” And it was so. Gen 1:11 (ESV)
• So God created the great sea creatures and every
living creature that moves, with which the waters
swarm, according to their kinds, and every
winged bird according to its kind. Gen 1:21 (ESV)
Biblical Life Design Truth
• And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living
creatures according to their kinds—livestock
and creeping things and beasts of the earth
according to their kinds.” And it was so. Gen
1:24 (ESV)
• So God created man in his own image, in the
image of God he created him; male and
female he created them. Gen 1:27 (ESV)
Importance
• The Christian Worldview is not in conflict with
observable facts
• Only the Christian Worldview has a
justification for “intelligent observers” to do
science.
• And without faith it is impossible to please
him, for whoever would draw near to God
must believe that he exists and that he
rewards those who seek him. Heb 11:6 (ESV)