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The Power of Creation Oklahoma Pastors Conference October 14-15, 2013 What the Culture Says Slide 2 Fundamental Questions We can discover the answers to the central questions of life. From where have we come? Why are we here? What does the future hold? Slide 3 Slide 4 Four Goals If you are an Old-Earther, to persuade you to a Scriptural presupposition If you hold to the Scriptural Presuppositions, to strengthen your resolve To provide principles for conversation with others about Creation To provide resources for continued reading and research Slide 5 Five Sessions 1.What the Culture says. 2.What the Scripture says. 3.What the Church says. 4.What the Evidence says. 5.What the Mission says. Slide 6 The Power of Creation Oklahoma Pastors Conference Slide 7 Evolution Logic All things came into existence as a result of random chance processes. This means: Truth is relative Purpose in life is transient Death is final Morals & Ethics are relative All life is valued equally Slide 8 London Zoo 2005 Slide 9 The Power of Creation Oklahoma Pastors Conference Slide 10 Macro-Evolution Is Fact The word theory can be used to mean something speculative and tentative. In everyday speech it probably usually is used in that sense. Scientists very often use it in a much more positive sense. I think the easiest way is to use the ordinary language word fact. In the ordinary language sense of the word fact, evolution is a fact. Interview with Richard Dawkins, October 21, 2009 Slide 11 Very Large Array Slide 12 The Power of Creation Oklahoma Pastors Conference Slide 13 Biblical Proposition In the Beginning God spoke all things into existence out of nothing over the course of six, ordinary, 24 hour days. Slide 14 The Biblical Logic Truth is absolute Life has purpose Death in not final Morals & Ethics are standardized There is a distinction between Mankind and Creation. Slide 15 Comparing Views Creation Truth is absolute Life has purpose Death is not final Morals & Ethics are standardized There is a distinction between Mankind and Creation. Evolution Truth is relative Purpose in life is transient Death is final Morals & Ethics are relative All life is valued equally Slide 16 An Old View The fortuitous and ever-changing combination of eternally existing atoms with the Void is the explanation for all things. - Democratis (died 380 BC) Slide 17 The Nature of the Universe Nothing can ever be created by divine power out of nothing the theory that they (the gods) deliberately created the world in all its natural splendor for the sake of man....This theory... with all its attendant fictions is sheer nonsense! - Lucretius (1st century B.C.) Slide 18 The Power of Creation Oklahoma Pastors Conference Slide 19 Attempts to Synchronize Theistic Evolution Progressive Creation Intelligent Design Framework Hypothesis Divine Accommodation The Gap Theory & Day-Age Slide 20 The Power of Creation Oklahoma Pastors Conference Slide 21 The Scientific Method - History Aristotle Luther Slide 22 The Scientific Method - Luther God did not wind up the world and let it run on its own. He is always personally involved, the highest expression of His personal, daily involvement in His creation being found in His grace in Christ. L.W., Vol. 22, pp. 28-29 Slide 23 The Scientific Method - History Aristotle Luther Galileo Francisco Redi Earnst Mach Slide 24 The Scientific Method 1) Observe; 2) Hypothesize; 3) Predict the outcome; 4) Experiment; 5) #3-4 are repeatable. Slide 25 The Difficulty Not Cosmology (the study of space-observation) Rather, the difficulty is Cosmogony. 1 - any scientific theory concerning the coming into existence ( or origin ) of either the cosmos ( or universe ), or the so-called reality of sentient beings. 2 - Developing a complete theoretical model that has implications in both the philosophy of science and epistemology. In other words, the explanation of what is observed. Slide 26 The Power of Creation Oklahoma Pastors Conference Slide 27 Epistemology 1) The Scientific Method 2) Logic If you start in the wrong place, you will end up in the wrong place, even though your logic that brought you there is perfect. 3) Senses 4) Authority Slide 28 The only way that we can know truth absolutely is to submit to absolute authority. Slide 29 The Power of Creation Oklahoma Pastors Conference October 14-15, 2013