Beyond the

1
BeyondtheEvolution vs. CreationDebate

• Denis O. Lamoureux
• Associate Professor of Science Religion
• St. Josephs College, University of Alberta

2
Thomas Henry Huxley
1859
3
T.H. Huxley
Extinguished theologians lie about the cradle of
every science as the strangled snakes of Hercules
. . .
4
T.H. Huxley
And history records that whenever science and
orthodoxy have been fairly opposed, the latter
has been forced to retire from the lists,
bleeding and crushed if not annihilated
scotched, if not slain.
5
TheProblem
6
DICHOTOMY
Science
Religion
7
Julian Huxley
The earth was not created, it evolved.
So did all the animals and
plants that inhabit it, including our human
selves, mind and soul as well as brain and body.
So did religion.
8
Julian Huxley
The truth will set us free.
Evolutionary truth frees us from subservient fear
of the unknown and supernatural, and exhorts us
to face this new freedom. It shows us our
destiny and our duty.
9
Julian Huxley
Evolutionary man can no longer take refuge from
his loneliness in the arms of a divinized father
figure whom he has himself created, nor escape
from the responsibility of making decisions by
sheltering under the umbrella of Divine Authority.
10
Julian Huxley
Finally, the evolutionary vision is enabling us
to discern, however incompletely, the outline of
the new religion that we can be sure will arise
to serve the needs of the coming era.
11
DICHOTOMY
Science Evolution No God Humanist Ethics
Religion
Scientism Science Secular WV CONFLATION
12
Henry Morris
There are only two basic world views
The God-centred world view and the man-centred
world view, creation or evolution.
13
Henry Morris
There is no proven scientific evidence that the
earth is old. There is no evidence whatever that
evolution of one kind of organism into a more
complex organism has ever occurred.
14
Henry Morris
Divine revelation from the Creator of the world
states that He did it all in six days several
thousand years ago. The Bible contains all the
basic principles upon which TRUE science is built.
The Bible is a book of science!
15
Henry Morris
There is a personal Creator behind the origin of
all things and we urgently need to know Him and
to order our lives according to His will as
revealed in the Bible.
Satan himself is the originator of the concept of
evolution.
16
DICHOTOMY
Religion Creation God Biblical Ethics
Science Evolution No God Humanist Ethics
Scientism Science Secular WV CONFLATION
Fundamentalism Christianity 6 Days CONFLATION
17
DICHOTOMY
?
Religion Creation God Biblical Ethics
Science Evolution No God Humanist Ethics
Scientism Science Secular WV CONFLATION
Fundamentalism Christianity 6 Days CONFLATION
18
Moving BeyondtheDichotomy
19
Scientists Are Still Keeping the Faith
Ed Larson Larry Witham
Nature 3 Apr 97
20
I believe in a God in intellectual and emotional
communication with humankind, i.e. a God to whom
one may pray in expectation of receiving an
answer. By answer I mean more than the
subjective psychological effect of prayer.
?
40
?
I believe in continuation of the person after
death into another world.
21
Science and God A Warming Trend?
Gregg Easterbrook
Science 15 Aug 97
22
Gregg Easterbrook
The National Academy of Sciences and the American
Association for the Advancement of Science have
launched projects to promote a dialogue between
science and religion.
23
Gregg Easterbrook
New institutions aimed at bridging the gap have
been formed, including the Chicago Center for
Religion and Science, and the Center for Theology
and Natural Sciences in Berkeley, California.
Universities such as Cambridge and Princeton also
have established professorships or lectureships
on the reconciliation of the two camps.
24
Pope John Paul II
New knowledge leads to the recognition of the
theory of evolution as more than a hypothesis.
25
Pope John Paul II
The Bible speaks of the origin of the universe
NOT to provide a scientific treatise, but to
state the correct relationships of humanity with
God and with the universe.
26
Pope John Paul II
Sacred Scripture simply declares that the world
was created by God, and it expresses this truth
in the terms of the cosmology science in use at
the time of the writer.
27
Billy Graham
The Bible is NOT a book of science.
The Bible is a book of Redemption, and of course
I accept
the Creation story. I believe that God did
create the universe.
28
Billy Graham
I believe God created humanity.
Whether it came by an evolutionary process and at
a certain point He took this person or being and
made him a living soul or not, does not change
the fact that God did create humanity.
29
Billy Graham
Whichever way God did it makes no difference as
to what men and women are their relationship to
God.
30
X
DICHOTOMY
X
X
Science
Religion
Science 40 Believe in a Personal
God Science-Religion Dialogue Religion Pope
John Paul II Accepts Evolution Billy Graham Open
to Evolution
31
TowardaSolution
32
Dysteleology
Teleology
Creation
Evolution
33
Dysteleology
Teleology
?
ist
ist
Creation
Evolution
34
(No Transcript)
35
ID a DeIusion Dysteleology
ID Real Teleology
STANDARD CELL 1/1000 inch 1 yard of
DNA Information 30 vols
Intelligent Design
Belief that beauty, complexity functionality in
nature point to an Intelligent Designer
36
Instructional Tool
37
Christian Bias
Mix Match
38
Young Earth Creation Creationist Position
Creation Science
39
Young Earth Creation
Teleology Intelligent Design Age of the
Universe Biological Evolution
Yes Yes 6000 yrs Rejects Macro-
evolution Accepts Micro- evolution
40
Young Earth Creation
Gods Activity in the Origin of Universe Life
Gods Activity in the Lives of Men Women
YES Direct Interventions over 6 days
YES Personal God Dramatic Subtle
41
Young Earth Creation
Nature of Bible Interpretation of Genesis
1-11 Origin of Humanity
Word of God Inspired by Holy Spirit Strict
Literalism Creation Days 24 hrs Global flood
Adam Eve Accepts Image of God human sin
42
Young Earth Creation
Theology or Philosophy Ethics Examples

Conservative Christianity Accepts Incarnation
Resurrection Biblical
Institute for Creation Research Henry Morris,
Duane Gish
Answers in Genesis Ken Ham
43
Progressive Creation Old Earth Creation
Day-Age Theory
44
Progressive Creation
Teleology Intelligent Design Age of the
Universe Biological Evolution
Yes Yes 10-15 billion yrs Rejects
Macro- evolution Accepts Micro- evolution
45
Progressive Creation
Gods Activity in the Origin of Universe
Life Gods Activity in the Lives of
Men Women
YES 1. Direct for basic kinds of
life interventions over billion yrs 2. Indirect
for inanimate universe Ordained
Sustained Natural Processes YES Personal
God Dramatic Subtle
46
Progressive Creation
Nature of Bible Interpretation of Genesis
1-11 Origin of Humanity
Word of God Inspired by Holy Spirit General
Literalism Days Geologic Ages Local flood
Adam Eve Accepts Image of God human sin
47
(No Transcript)
48
Progressive Creation
Nature of Bible Interpretation of Genesis
1-11 Origin of Humanity
Word of God Inspired by Holy Spirit General
Literalism Days Geologic Ages Local flood
Adam Eve Accepts Image of God Accepts sin
49
Progressive Creation
Theology or Philosophy Ethics
Examples
Conservative Christianity Accepts Incarnation
Resurrection Biblical Reasons To Believe
Hugh Ross Intelligent Design Theory
50
Evolutionary Creation Theistic Evolution
51
Evolutionary Creation
Teleology Intelligent Design Age of the
Universe Biological Evolution
Yes Yes 10-15 billion yrs Accepts
Macro- evolution
52
Evolutionary Creation
Gods Activity in the Origin of Universe Life
Gods Activity in the Lives of Men Women
YES Indirect Ordained Sustained Natural
Processes YES Personal God Dramatic Subtle
53
Embryology- Evolution Analogy
54
Evolutionary Creation
Gods Activity in the Origin of Universe Life
Gods Activity in the Lives of Men Women
YES Indirect Ordained Sustained Natural
Processes YES Personal God Dramatic Subtle
55
Evolutionary Creation
Nature of Bible Interpretation of Genesis
1-11 Origin of Humanity
Word of God Inspired by Holy Spirit 1.
Divine Theology 2. Ancient Science 3.
Ancient Poetry Humanity evolved Accepts Image
of God human sin
56
1. Divine Theology
? God created the world.
? The world is very good.
? Humans bear Gods Image.
? Humans fallen into sin.
? God judges humans for sin.
57
2. Ancient Science
3-Tier Universe
58
Ancient Science
59
Ancient Science
Babylonian World Map 6th Century BC/E
60
Ancient Science
Ur
?
Is 418
61
Ancient Science
Matt 1242 Jesus
Sheba
?
62
3. Ancient Poetry
Flood Account Chiasm Gen 6-9
History?
63
Ancient Poetry
Creation Account Panels Gen 1
Science?
64
Evolutionary Creation
Nature of Bible Interpretation of Genesis
1-11 Origin of Humanity
Word of God Inspired by Holy Spirit 1.
Divine Theology 2. Ancient Science 3.
Ancient Poetry Humanity evolved Accepts Image
of God Accepts sin
65
Evolutionary Creation
Theology or Philosophy Ethics Examples
Conservative Christianity Accepts Incarnation
Resurrection Biblical Roman Catholicism
Some Evangelical Protestants Francis Collins
66
Deistic Evolution God-of-the-PhilosophersTheist
ic Evolution
67
Deistic Evolution
Teleology Intelligent Design Age of the
Universe Biological Evolution
Yes Yes 10-15 billion yrs Accepts
Macro- evolution
68
Deistic Evolution
Gods Activity in the Origin of Universe Life
Gods Activity in the Lives of Men Women
YES Indirect Ordained Natural Processes
NO Impersonal God God never enters the world
69
Deistic Evolution
Nature of Bible Interpretation of Genesis
1-11 Origin of Humanity
Human beliefs about God Rejects Divine
revelation God never enters world Irrelevant
origins myth Humanity evolved Rejects
Image of God human sin
70
Deistic Evolution
Theology or Philosophy Ethics Examples

Deism Liberal Christianity Rejects Incarnation
Resurrection Humanism Charles
Darwin Michael Denton Anthony Flew
71
Dysteleological Evolution Evolutionist
PositionAtheistic Evolution
72
Dysteleological Evolution
No Plan purpose a delusion No Design a
delusion 10-15 billion yrs
Accepts Macro- evolution
Teleology Intelligent Design Age of the
Universe Biological Evolution
73
Dysteleological Evolution
Gods Activity in the Origin of Universe Life
Gods Activity in the Lives of Men Women
No Blind Chance Natural Processes God a delusion
No No God God an delusion
74
Dysteleological Evolution
Nature of Bible Interpretation of Genesis
1-11 Origin of Humanity
Human superstitions Rejects Divine revelation God
a delusion Irrelevant origins myth
Humanity evolved Rejects Image of God human sin
75
Dysteleological Evolution
Theology or Philosophy Ethics Examples
Atheism Rejects Incarnation Resurrection
Humanism Richard Dawkins Christopher
Hitchens Daniel Dennett
76
Summary
77
5
78
(No Transcript)
79
(No Transcript)
80
Conclusions
81
Conclusions
? Define Terms Concepts
? Recognize the Faith Jump
FALSE DICHOTOMY
? Move Beyond the Evolution vs.
Creation Debate
Consider Two Books Model
82
Sir Francis Bacon
Let no woman or man, out of conceit or laziness,
think or believe that anyone can search too far
or be too well informed in the Book of Gods
Works or the Book of Gods Words Science or
Religion.
Instead, let everyone endlessly improve their
understanding of both.