Examples of design… The mixture of gases usually found in the atmosphere not contaminated by human pollution is perfect for life. If it were much different (e.g. 17 percent instead of 21 percent oxygen), life would cease to exist on earth.

If the earth orbited the sun any faster or slower life would cease to exist If the earth moved farther away from, or closer to, all life would cease to exist on earth. The earth's 365-days, 6-hours, 49- minutes and 9.54-seconds trip around the sun (the sidereal year) is consistent to over a thousandth of a second.

If the moon was much larger or nearer to the earth, the huge tides that would result would overflow onto the lowlands and erode the mountains. If the continents were levelled, it is estimated that water would cover the entire surface to the depth of over a mile

If the earth was not tilted 23° on its axis, we would not have four seasons. Without seasons, life would soon not be able to exist on earth The poles would lie in eternal twilight. In time, huge continents of snow and ice would pile up in the polar regions, leaving most of the earth a dry desert. The oceans would eventually disappear, and rainfall would cease. The accumulated weight of ice at the poles would cause the equator to bulge, and, as a result, the earth's rotation would drastically change.

If our atmosphere were much thinner, many of the millions of meteors that now are burned up would reach the earth's surface, causing death, destruction, and fires everywhere.

Just a ‘little’ change (in the perspective of the universe) would render the earth unsuitable to support any life. Is this the result of accidental randomness, or purposeful intent?

Anthropic Argument Anthropo = humanity This is the view that the earth was made specifically to sustain human life People who hold this view argue that the earth is ideally suited to sustain human life, and so must have been designed.

Discussion Point What are the strengths of the Teleological argument???

Strengths 1.It supports the Bible account 2.It is reasonable to assume that all of this order didn't just 'happen by chance' 3.The conditions we have in planet earth are perfect for our existence (anthropic argument) 4.These conditions would have been unlikely had it not been for an intelligent designer 5.It is only logical to presume that a God could have done such a thing

Discussion Point What are the weaknesses of this argument???

Criticisms These criticisms come mainly from David Hume’s book Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion 1. His first argument that any analogical argument is weak – to say something is LIKE something else, is not proof. The universe is not like a watch! (One is mechanical and ‘set’, the other is organic, changing and growing).

Criticisms Continued 2. If the universe was designed, it is not necessarily by the Christian God 3. Nature is NOT perfect, beautiful and harmonious. There is just as much chaos and disorder as there is order and beauty (disease, disaster, war, etc) 4. If there is design in nature, nature may be providing it ‘herself’: “For all we know, matter may contain the source or spring of order naturally within itself.”

Read and complete p58-59 from the purple book