Transcript The Bible, Science and Creation

Science & The New Atheists
Dr. Heinz Lycklama
[email protected]
www.osta.com/messages
“Religion has run out of justifications.
Thanks to the telescope and the
microscope, it no longer offers an
explanation of anything important.”
“… is the apparent grand design of our
universe evidence of a benevolent
creator who set things in motion – or
does science offer another explanation?”
Christopher Hitchens
The Grand Design
Science and The New Atheists
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The New Atheism
Science and Knowledge
Creation, Evolution, and
Intelligent Design (ID)
Darwin, Dawkins & Design:
Dawkins’ Claims
Telling If Something Is Designed
Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design
In Conclusion
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
2
1. The New Atheism
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Atheist writers of the 21st century
Religion
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Religion should:
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Is based on blind faith
Poisons everything
Not be tolerated
Be countered and criticized
Be exposed by rational arguments
Recent scientific advancements
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Less accommodating attitude toward
religion, superstition, religious fanaticism
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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The Books
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By The New Atheists
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The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins
The Greatest Show on Earth, Dawkins
The Grand Design, Stephen Hawking
By Christian Apologists
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God’s Undertaker, John Lennox
Gunning For God, John Lennox
The Greatest Hoax on Earth, Jonathan Sarfati
God and Stephen Hawking, John Lennox
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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2. Science and Knowledge
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Evolution explains everything
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There is no need for God
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Origin of the universe
Origin of first life
Complex life forms
No scientific evidence for God
Richard Dawkins
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“God almost certainly does not exist”
Darwinian natural selection explains the
“illusion of design” in living things
Multi-verse theory explains our universe
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Limitations of Science
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Science the only way to find truth?
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Science presupposes truth is real
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Use of the five senses
Presupposes reliability of 5 senses
Assumes that a real world exists
Honesty is a moral virtue
Science limited in scope
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Moral laws
Concept of truth
Meaning in life
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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More on Dawkins’ Arguments
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All explanations must be physical/natural
No non-physical or supernatural explanations
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Ruled out a priori
Scientism biased against supernatural
Validity of human reason required for
our knowledge, otherwise can’t trust
the conclusions drawn by our reason
If naturalism is true
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No way to know it is true
Reason is by chance
No basis for faith in human reason
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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3. Creation, Evolution and ID
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Creation
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Evolution
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God created the universe and
all life according to its kinds
Macro-Evolution
Molecules -> man
Common descent
“A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating
and balancing the facts and arguments on both
sides of each question.” Charles Darwin
Intelligent Design (ID)
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Information implies an intelligent designer
Irreducible complexity
Specified complexity
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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The Meaning of Evolution
1.
Artificial Selection
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2.
Change
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3.
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Small variation within prescribed limits of complexity
e.g., finch beaks by mutation and natural selection
Macro-Evolution
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5.
Evolution of a coastline (random)
Evolution of a car (designed)
Micro-Evolution
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4.
Plant and animal breeding
Only 1, 2 and 3
have been observed
4 never observed!
Particles -> people
Molecular Evolution
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5 is impossible!
Origin of life – assumes a mutating replicator
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Evolution Mechanisms
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Natural Selection
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Selection of genes/mutations for survival of
the fittest
An observable process that supposedly
underlies the mechanism of unobservable
molecules-to-man evolution
Requires a directional change
Mutations
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Result of random copying errors/changes in
genes (DNA)
Supposedly source of new traits for Evolution
Genetic information is lost/sorted
Requires predominantly beneficial mutations
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Natural Selection
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Selecting information that already exists
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Natural Selection Can
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Decrease genetic
information
Allow organisms to
survive better in a given
environment
Act as a “selector”
Support Creation’s
“orchard” of life
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Natural Selection Cannot
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@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
Increase or generate new
genetic information
Allow organisms to
evolve from molecules to
man
Act as an “originator”
Support evolutionary
“tree of life”
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Chance, Necessity (Law) or Design?
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Chance, Necessity or Design?
Scratches on cave wall
Human genome
3B
Base
Pairs
20T
Cells
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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The Evolutionists’ Response?
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“Even if all the data point to an intelligent designer,
such a hypothesis is excluded from science because
it is not naturalistic.”
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“Biology is the study of complicated things that
have the appearance of having been designed for a
purpose.”
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S.C. Todd, Kansas State University Professor
Richard Dawkins, Oxford Univ. Atheist Biologist
“Biologists must constantly keep
in mind that what they see was
not designed, but rather evolved.”
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Francis Crick, Co-discoverer of DNA
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Present +
Repeatable +
Observable =
SCIENCE
Past +
Non-Repeatable +
Eyewitness Account =
HISTORY
Past +
Non-Repeatable +
No Eyewitnesses =
BELIEF
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Science – Operation & Origin
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“Operation” Science
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“Origins” Science
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Postulate theory -> make observations ->
prove/falsify theory
Using the Scientific Method
“Forensic” science
Were you there at the beginning?
Model of Creation
Model of Evolution
Use principles of analogy and causality to
determine if a model is plausible
Good science follows the evidence
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Scientific Tests
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What we can test scientifically
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Observable/repeatable processes
Trends/tendencies in nature
Processes/events that left evidence
What we cannot test scientifically
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Identity/motivation of who/whatever brought
the universe and life into existence
Historical events
Morality
Meaning
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Origins Can’t Be Tested or Proved
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Creation cannot be “proved”
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Not taking place now (completed)
Not accessible to use of scientific method
Can’t devise experiment to describe Creation process
Evolution cannot be “proved”
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If it is taking place, operates too slowly to measure
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Transmutation would take millions of years
The scientific method cannot be used to measure it
Small variations in organisms (observed today) are
not relevant
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Can’t be used to distinguish between Creation & Evolution
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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More on Origin Science
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Origin Science uses:
 Principle of Analogy posits same kind of cause
for a similar effect in the past
 Principle of Causality posits that every event
much have an adequate cause
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Origin science issues:
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Origin of the universe & First Cause
Origin of first life & law of biogenesis
Origin of new life forms & fossil record
Chance and natural laws are inadequate causes
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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4. Darwin, Dawkins & Design:
Dawkins’ Claims
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Science can answer all life’s questions
Natural Selection accounts for design
Evolution must be true
Origin of life due to “stroke of luck”
Origin of the cell due to “stroke of luck”
Consciousness due to “stroke of luck”
God’s existence is disproved by science
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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1. Science Can Answer All Life’s Questions
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The assumption of Scientism
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2.
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All knowledge comes through science
No place for supernatural explanation
The truth is:
Scientism is self-defeating
1.
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e.g. “there are no absolutes”
(an absolute statement!)
“Science is the only way to arrive at truth”
2.
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Does Dawkins know this by scientific method?
No, it is a philosophical statement
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Science, Philosophy, Religion Overlap
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What you believe in one area relates
to foundational ideas in other areas
Overlapping realms of knowledge
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Science answers certain questions
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Philosophy answer other questions
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What does this orange weigh?
What chemical components make up this?
Why is there something rather than nothing?
Does God exist?
Religion answers some other questions
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What is God like?
How can we relate to God?
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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2. Natural Selection Accounts for Design
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Dawkins’ claim:
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Natural selection accounts for the
“apparent design” in life
“Consider it climbed”
The reality is:
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Dawkins substitutes stories for facts
Climbing Mount Improbable,
one small step at a time
Natural selection is a
cumulative process
Consider the human eye …
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Real Story is Much More Complicated
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Research in genetics, cell biology,
biochemistry has shown
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Darwin’s Black Box by Michael Behe
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Sophistication and astounding
level of detail now known
Sight requires irreducible complexity
All parts must work together
Dawkins’ explanation too simplistic
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Focuses on gross anatomy of the eye
Does not explain nuts and bolts of sight
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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3. Evolution Must Be True
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“Evolution is a fact”
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It must be true because we are here
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Circular reasoning
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“However improbable the origin of life
might be, we know it happened on
Earth because we are here”
“We know we are here because we are here”
The truth is:
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Life only comes from pre-existing life
The Law of Biogenesis never disproven
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Louis Pasteur in 1860
Miller’s experiment in 1953
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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4. “Origin of Life” Claim
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Dawkins claims a stroke of luck!
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“We can deal with the unique origin of life
by postulating a very large number of
planetary opportunities. Once that initial
stroke of luck has been granted – and the
anthropic principle most decisively grants it
to us – natural selection takes over.”
Appeal to ignorance or pure speculation
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“Stroke of luck” isn’t scientific
Dawkins postulates a large number
of earth-like planets
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An assertion not scientifically verified
“Given enough changes, anything can happen.”
Not a valid claim – some things will never happen!
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Earth Unique As a Home For Life
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Anthropic principle
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Just Six Numbers, Martin Rees
100+ unique physical constants
The Privileged Planet,
Gonzales & Richards
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Earth uniquely situated to sustain complex life
Earth uniquely situated to observe the universe
The multiverse as an explanation?
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There Is a God, Antony Flew
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“So multiverse or not, we still have
to come to terms with the origin of
the laws of nature. And the only
viable explanation here is the divine Mind.”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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5. “Origin of the Cell” Claim
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Another stroke of luck!
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“Nevertheless, it may be that the origin of life is not the
only major gap in the evolutionary story that is bridged
by sheer luck, anthropically justified … The origin of
the eukaryotic cell … was an even more momentous,
difficult and statistically improbable step than
the origin of life.” Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
Another appeal to ignorance
The truth – DNA is a biotic message
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“I love Pat” written in the sand takes
an intelligent source, not wind and waves
“The problem of how meaningful or semantic information
can emerge spontaneously from a collection of mindless
molecules subject to blind and purposeless forces presents
a deep conceptual challenge.” Paul Davies
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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6. “Origin of Consciousness” Claim
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Another stroke of luck!
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Another appeal to ignorance
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“The origin of consciousness might be another major gap
whose bridging was of the same order of improbability.
… And of these a yet smaller fraction managed to cross
the later Rubicon to consciousness.”
No idea how consciousness could come from
unconscious molecules – sure lucky it did!
The truth
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You can’t get mind from mindless molecules
Mindless molecules do not produce a rational mind
You can’t get something (mind) from nothing (no mind)
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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7. “Science Disproves God” Claim
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Dawkins argues from naturalism
“ … the existence of God is a scientific hypothesis
like any other … God’s existence or nonexistence is a scientific fact about the universe,
discoverable in principle if not in practice.”
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An appeal to reductionism
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Everything in the universe can be reduced to
laws of physics and chemistry
No reason to assume that our minds
accurately reflect the external world
You are simply an arrangement
of molecules in motion
Our thoughts are just chemical reactions
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Reductionism Destroys Rationality
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Charles Darwin, Origin of Species
“With me, the horrid doubt always arises whether the
convictions of man’s mind, which has been developed
from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or
at all trustworthy.”
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John Polkinghorne, British particle physicist
and theologian
“Reductionism destroys rationality. Thought is replaced
by electro-chemical neural events. Two such events
cannot confront each other in rational discourse. They
are neither right or wrong. They simply happen … The
world of rational discourse dissolves into the absurd
chatter of firing synapses. Quite frankly, that cannot be
right and none of us believes it to be so.”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Christianity & Modern Science
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Modern science originated in Christianity
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Universe is governed by laws -> Lawgiver
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Belief system that supported the scientific method
Isaac Newton: “This most beautiful system of sun,
planets and comets could only proceed from the counsel
and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.”
The universe is knowable to our minds ->
Rational Mind
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Johannes Kepler: “The chief aim of all
investigations of the external world should
be to discover the rational order that has
been imposed on it by God.”
“Thinking God’s thoughts after Him.”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Knowledge and Science
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Definition of science depends
on philosophical assumptions
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Science depends on
philosophy/worldview
Should we interpret scientific
observations only through the
dogma of naturalism?
Use scientific method to detect design?
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Yes, for sciences that infer intelligent
causes – Archaeology, Forensic
science, SETI project
Scientific inferences, e.g. atoms
(not seen) inferred from observations
that we do see
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Complexity In Nature
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Richard Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker
“Biology is the study of complicated things that give
the appearance of having been designed for a
purpose.”
“The physicist’s problem is the problem of ultimate
origins and ultimate natural laws. The biologist’s
problem is the problem of complexity.”
“We animals are the most complicated things in the
known universe.”
Can natural laws/processes/reactions account for
the intricate complexity displayed in all living
organisms?
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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5. Telling If Something Is Designed
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Irreducible complexity
shows design
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Mouse trap, with its 5 parts
Molecular machines,
“all or nothing” functionality,
e.g. bacterium flagellum
Specified complexity
shows design
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Information demands intelligence
DNA
Inner workings of the cell
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Design Inference
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Inference of design -> intelligent
source
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Our experience tells us all manmade
information systems and complex
machines have an intelligent origin
Therefore we infer that biological
systems also require an intelligent
source
Following where the evidence leads
requires a designer to account for:
1.
2.
3.
Biological information
Irreducible complexity
Specified complexity
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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6. Stephen Hawking’s Grand Design
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New answers to the ultimate questions
of life offered by Hawking & Mlodinow
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How can we understand our world?
How does the universe behave?
What is the nature of reality?
Where did all this come from?
Does the universe need a creator?
Hawking’s “why” questions
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Why is there something rather
than nothing?
Why do we exist?
Why this particular set of laws
and not some other?
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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The Grand Design
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
The Mystery of Being
The Rule of Law
What is Reality?
Alternative Histories
The Theory of Everything
Choosing Our Universe
The Apparent Miracle
The Grand Design
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Hawking’s Conjectures
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Philosophy is dead
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New answers suggested by recent
discoveries
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Modern science has bypassed it
Recent advances in theoretical physics
New picture of the universe and our place in it
Very different from the traditional picture
Hawking invokes M-theory
(Theory of Everything)
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Multiple universes arise naturally
from physical law
They are a prediction of science
Only a few universes can support life
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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God and Stephen Hawking
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Book by John Lennox
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Stephen Hawking
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The big questions
God or the laws of nature?
God or the multiverse?
Whose design is it anyway?
Science and rationality
The laws of physics themselves
brought the universe into being
John Lennox
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Hawking’s arguments make a Creator
God’s existence all the more probable
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Answering Hawking
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Hawking has an inadequate view of
philosophy, of God, and of science
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“Philosophy is dead” – logically incoherent
Confuses God with “the gods” and
thus rejects both
Regards atheism as a prerequisite for science
God is not a “God of the gaps” but
the author of the whole show
Hawking substitutes multiverse for
powerful evidence of design
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Laws of physics brought universe
into existence
Rejects Anthropic Principle
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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Hawking’s Confusion
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Between physical law and personal agent
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Between 4 different causes/explanations:
(Aristotle’s 4 “levels of explanations”)
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A choice between false alternatives
God is the personal agent (Creator)
Physical laws are descriptive and predictive,
but they do not create
Material – the raw material
Formal – concept, plan, blueprint
Efficient – designer, engineer
Ultimate purpose – travel faster
God is excluded from the explanation by
Hawking’s worldview, not by science
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
42
Science and Rationality
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Christianity’s theme
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Hawking’s & Crick’s thinking
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The universe was built according
to a rational, intelligent design
“ …we human beings are nothing but mere
collections of fundamental particles of nature.”
There is a deep conflict between science & religion
Darwin’s Doubt
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“ … whether the convictions of man’s mind, which
has been developed from the mind of the lower
animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy.”
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
43
Rational Intelligent Faith
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Based on cumulative evidence of science:
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Laws of nature (normal), fine-tuned constants
of nature, rational intelligibility of universe
Miracles (not normal) performed by God,
the Lawgiver, are recognized as abnormal
Established by “inductive inference”
Based on cumulative evidence of :
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History, e.g. Christ’s resurrection
Scripture, e.g. confirmed by archaeology,
prophecy, history, geography
Personal experience, e.g. morality, conscience
Established by “abductive inference”,
i.e. inference to the best explanation
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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7. In Conclusion
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Science is possible because of the laws of nature
Origin of the universe requires a Designer
Origin of first life form requires a Designer
Origin of new life forms requires a Designer
Intelligent Design (ID) is science
Universe was built according to a rational design
Our faith is based on the cumulative evidence of
scripture, science, history, and personal experience
God is the Grand Designer
The New Atheists Don’t Have a Case!
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
45
The New Atheists Don’t Have a Case!
Thank you
for your
attention!
“One of the fundamental
themes of Christianity is
that the universe was built
according to a rational,
intelligent design.”
John Lennox
Dr. Heinz Lycklama
[email protected]
www.osta.com
www.osta.com/messages
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
46
Some Reference Books
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God Is Not Great. How Religion Poisons Everything, Christopher Hitchens
God Is. How Christianity Explains Everything, Douglas Wilson
Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris
Letter from a Christian Citizen, Douglas Wilson
The God Delusion, Dr. Richard Dawkins
The Deluded Atheist, Douglas Wilson
The Atheist Delusion, Phil Fernandes
The Return of the Village Atheist, Joel McDurmon
Gunning For God. Why The New Atheists Are Missing The Target, Dr. John Lennox
More Than a Carpenter, Josh & Sean McDowell
The Grand Design, Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow
God and Stephen Hawking, Dr. John Lennox
@ Dr. Heinz Lycklama
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