1. Science and worldviews
Review from last week …
Resource list
Specific topics of interest
Larry’s summary of the lesson

2. What is a worldview? Basic philosophy that explains:
Why the world/universe is the way it is
The place, purpose, and value of other people in the world
My own place in the world
A religion is just a worldview based on god/gods, an ideal, or on the spiritual

3. What is a worldview?
Based on this definition of religion, what are some examples of various worldviews?
What worldview do we believe in?
Acts 17:24-28
Galatians 4:4-5

4. Implications of a worldview
WORLDVIEW DIAGRAM
Artifacts – What are the material possessions?
Behavior – What are the actions?
Confession – What is the summation of beliefs?
Values – What is important?
Beliefs – What is true?
Center – What is here?

5. What is science?
Study and conclusions of how and why the physical world works
i.e., cause and effect
Based on observation
Cannot answer the question of the first cause
Two categories of science
Repeatable science (testable)
Historical science (non-testable or hypothetical)

6. God and science Science is not the enemy
What the Bible tells us about God’s creation
Colossians 1:17
First sentence of the Nicene Creed
Genesis 1:4-5
Acts 14:17
Psalm 104: 1-5
Job 38:31-33

7. Examples of types of science
Testable science
Can be tested over and over
E.g., Theory of gravity, chemical reactions, human behavior
Hypothetical science
Tells a story based on already existing facts
E.g., Theory of evolution, paleontology, origin of life
Both can overlap a great deal
i.e., much testable science is couched in theories based on historical sciences

8. The Peppered Moth Interpretation:
19th century England
Smoke from factories coated trees
Result: fewer white moths and more black moths survived
Interpretation:
Evolutionists: Proof of rapid evolution to suit an environment
Creationist: Proof of a God who designed his creatures with enough genetic variation to adapt to new conditions

9. Not a conflict between science and religion, but rather a conflict between the center of one’s worldview

10. Implications of a worldview
WORLDVIEW DIAGRAM
Artifacts - What are the material possessions? Icythus vs. a Darwin fish on your car
Behavior – What are the actions? Living for our beliefs,
e.g., understanding how the world works
Confession- What is the sum of beliefs? Christ crucified vs. on our own
Values- What is important? God’s commands vs whatever works
Beliefs – What is true? God’s word vs. man’s reason
Center – What is here? God vs. ME

11. Challenging a worldview
Why do evolutions get so upset when Christians reject evolution?
Why should we as Christians sometimes be more upset than we are about the doctrine of evolution?

12. Why do people reject God?
Romans 2:15
Two reasons
1. explaining the suffering in our fallen world
2. being held accountable for one’s actions

13. Suffering
“That sort of thing is revolting because it passes our human understanding. But perhaps we should love what we cannot understand.” Rieux straightened up slowly. He gazed at Paneloux, summoning to his gaze all the strength and fervor he could muster against his weariness. Then he shook his head. “No, father. I’ve a very different idea of love. And until my dying day I shall refuse to love a scheme of things in which children are put to torture.”
– The Plague by Albert Camus

14. Answering to God
“We affirm that moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational, needing no theological or ideological sanction.”
- Humanist Manifesto II

15. How do we respond? Why is it hard for an atheist to maintain faith?
Romans 1:20
What is the basis of a Christian’s testimony to others?
1 Corinthians 1:18-25

16. Witnessing
True conflict between evolution and creation is the conflict between worldviews
In order to combat evolution, you have to start at the center: the worldview
We must learn what, how, and why an evolutionist believes in order to effectively witness to him or her