Science and Faith The evidence of design David Wallace

What is this and why is it here?

Science and faith: mini series In the beginning – Genesis 1 and the age of the universe It’s life Jim – Evolution The evidence of design Would you Adam and Eve it?

Aims of the series Read the Bible properly Think about God and science together Enjoy studying science Spot the bias Avoid the creationist caricature Worship God: inspired by science

Evidence of design The universe Planet Earth Life Complexity of animals and humans It’s a hint It fits It inspires us It’s not a proof We still need revelation

The Goldilocks enigma Just right!

Pure chance? Many universes? Undiscovered Grand Unified Theory? By design?

Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

Space capsule

A privileged planet Right Distance From Star Right Mass Of Star Right Planetary Mass Jupiter Neighbour Stable circular orbit Magnetic field Tectonics Right Ocean Large Moon Right Tilt Right Impacts Right Amount Of Carbon & Oxygen Right Atmosphere Right Kind Of Galaxy Right Position In Galaxy

Isaiah 45:18 For this is what the LORD says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.

The mystery of life

Antony Flew “My one and only piece of relevant evidence is the apparent impossiblility of providing a naturalistic theory for the origin of DNA of the first reproducing species”

Romans 1:20 Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities— his eternal power and divine nature— have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Attenborough on the eye

A spectrum of interpretations Geocentrism Flat earth Young Earth Creationism Old Earth Creationism Progressive creationism Day Age creationism Gap creationism Evolutionary Creationism aka Theistic Evolution All planned from the start Intervention for initial spark of life With literal Adam and Eve Atheistic Evolution Agnostic Evolution Deistic Evolution Increasingly literal interpretation of Bible More “special creation” interventions by God Intelligent design Complexity in animals and humans was entirely through evolution: a purposeless random process with no designer involved

A spectrum of interpretations Geocentrism Flat earth Young Earth Creationism Old Earth Creationism Progressive creationism Day Age creationism Gap creationism Evolutionary Creationism aka Theistic Evolution All planned from the start Intervention for initial spark of life With literal Adam and Eve Atheistic Evolution Agnostic Evolution Deistic Evolution Increasingly literal interpretation of Bible More “special creation” interventions by God Intelligent design An external being must have started off life, but has been uninvolved ever since

A spectrum of interpretations Geocentrism Flat earth Young Earth Creationism Old Earth Creationism Progressive creationism Day Age creationism Gap creationism Evolutionary Creationism aka Theistic Evolution All planned from the start Intervention for initial spark of life With literal Adam and Eve Atheistic Evolution Agnostic Evolution Deistic Evolution Increasingly literal interpretation of Bible More “special creation” interventions by God Intelligent design The emergence of life and evolution was God’s idea, design and plan from the beginning

A spectrum of interpretations Geocentrism Flat earth Young Earth Creationism Old Earth Creationism Progressive creationism Day Age creationism Gap creationism Evolutionary Creationism aka Theistic Evolution All planned from the start Intervention for initial spark of life With literal Adam and Eve Atheistic Evolution Agnostic Evolution Deistic Evolution Increasingly literal interpretation of Bible More “special creation” interventions by God Intelligent design God intervened at key critical moments in the process to bring about various “leaps in complexity”.

A spectrum of interpretations Geocentrism Flat earth Young Earth Creationism Old Earth Creationism Progressive creationism Day Age creationism Gap creationism Evolutionary Creationism aka Theistic Evolution All planned from the start Intervention for initial spark of life With literal Adam and Eve Atheistic Evolution Agnostic Evolution Deistic Evolution Increasingly literal interpretation of Bible More “special creation” interventions by God Intelligent design There is evidence of complexity in the way things work which proves there must be a God

Evidence of design The universe Planet Earth Life Complexity of animals and humans It’s a hint It fits It inspires us It’s not a proof We still need revelation

Romans 1:20 Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities— his eternal power and divine nature— have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Strong hints: animals and humans Complex features

Strong hints: animals and humans Complex features Evolutionary pathways Humans: exceptional creatures Information – Archaeology – Forensic science – Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Improbable alternatives

Pitfalls in evidence from design Designer of the gaps in our understanding – But science is progressively finding mechanisms for those gaps, particularly in biology – An argument from ignorance God as an occasional meddler Some things don’t seem very well designed Irreducible complexity Can you prove anything?

Two kinds of reasons - Mechanism - Purpose

Evidence of design The universe Planet Earth Life Complexity of animals and humans It’s a hint It fits It inspires us It’s not a proof We still need revelation

Aims of the series Read the Bible properly Think about God and science together Enjoy studying science Spot the bias Avoid the creationist caricature Worship God: inspired by science

Psalm 139: Special to God You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139: Special to God You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139: Special to God You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139: Special to God You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.