We can support our faith with reason and evidence Why do you believe? We can support our faith with reason and evidence Thank you for coming. Averaging 100 per session. Survey indications are that it is valuable. Hope you received the email from your youth group leader with survey questions and responses. Some very interesting ones. On your table is today’s presentation, a roster sheet and survey. Please complete the roster and if you have not completed a survey, do so at end today. If you have any new questions to write and new topics to suggest, please fill that out on the survey and leave all the forms on the table at the end. Again I will try to leave 10-15 minutes for questions at the end of our discussion today. If you do not care for science, that is a good reason why you should pay more attention today. So that you can better understand certain confusing and important terms and definitions and how it affects interpretations of science claims. I’m a big believer and follower of science myself. But not bad science and not where science is clearly wrong. We will discuss a few issues like that today. If I did not make it clear in my survey responses, when I talk about the youth exit or negative trends that show about our youth, I am speaking only of the study numbers in general. I do not believe the youth in our church follow the norms and if anyone thought I was talking about our church youth, I apologize. However, it would be naïve to think that no Christian youth from our church ever rebel or leave the faith and the church. It happens. Let’s pray.

Agenda Session 1 – Intro, strategy, questions, challenges Session 2 – Truth, God exists - arguments Session 3 – Science key terms & issues Session 4 – Bible reliability & Jesus1 Session 5 – Jesus2, Trinity, Atheism/Agnosticism, POE Session 6 – Islam, Cults, other religions Session 7 – Predestination/free will, those who never hear, NDE Session 8 – Review & Final Q&A I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist – Geisler/Turek Tactics – Greg Koukl Who Moved the Stone – Frank Morison

Session 3 - Science issues Terms/definitions Science Search for natural causes – logical fallacy Theory/hypothesis Cannot be just an idea to be accepted – evidence needed Must be testable via scientific method Proof Almost nothing is certain. Probabilities based on evidence Nothing Not a thing. Cannot redefine to fit scientific claim. Atheism Belief there is no God. Cannot redefine to no beliefs about God or unbelief in God. That is agnosticism. 5 min – 11 slides – 49 min

Session 3 – Science issues Terms/definitions Human Science says any hominid – primate with two feet walks upright But modern humans only homo sapiens sapiens – around 50k-100k years ago Species Based on anthropology/taxonomy org chart Different species of birds or dogs are still birds and dogs 5 min

Session 3 – Science issues Other key topics Transitional fossils ie between reptile and bird – where are they? Should be millions or billions Bad definition includes any that have similar traits as transitional species Who created God Claim: If universe needs a cause, God needs a cause No - God is uncreated Impossibility of an infinite regress Must be an uncaused first cause of all causes 5 min

Session 3 – Science issues Other key topics Multiverse Theory to address fine-tuning problem Claims to be a theory but no evidence Infinite number of universes So one like ours is bound to exist Conveniently – never know outside our universe Unfalsifiable But even if so – needs a cause Now all the universes need a cause Does not prevent the need for a cause 5 min

Session 3 – Science issues Other key topics Miracles Science - only natural world exists Ignores unnatural Supernatural – outside definition Fallacy - assumption before looking at evidence Creation of the universe and first life No natural explanation Miracles – Craig Keener 5 min

Session 3 - Science issues Other key topics Evolution – definition of terms is key Macro evolution – all living things from a single organism Micro evolution – things change over time Science infers macro evolution from micro evolution Evolution cannot explain first life Evolution cannot explain DNA Mutations usually neutral or harmful – copying error Mutations do not add new biological information No transitional fossils to speak of No common ancestor proof Inferred based on body plans (taxonomy) – assumes evolution Definitions of human, species, transitional are tricky Genetic Entropy – Dr. John Sanford Icons of Evolution – Jonathan Wells Darwin’s Black Box – Michael Behe 5 min (need work to reduce/consolidate)

Session 3 – Science issues Evolution cont. Survival of fittest contradicts morality Self-sacrifice, compassion Free will is an illusion Then we are unaccountable Then nothing wrong with belief in God Why is nonbelief better or true? Molecules in motion No way to ground any argument Ultimately makes evolution irrational No grounding for moral values

Session 3 – Science issues Other key topics Humans and apes descended from common ancestor Human DNA closer to chicken than chimp Per geneticist Dr. John Sanford No common ancestor identified (missing link) All common ancestors inferred Best identification requires soft tissue Almost all fossils are only bones – often a piece Voicebox is major problem Chimps cannot create sounds needed for language Symbology is major problem Arts, worship, language 5 min

Session 3 – Science issues Other topics Cambrian explosion 35 major animal phyla created 543 million years ago w/in a 5 million year period Sudden appearance defies principle of evolution Evolution cannot explain the complexity involved to create new body plans so fast Evolution does not create new biological information This event corresponds to day 6 of Genesis Darwin’s Doubt – Stephen Meyer 3 min

Session 3 – Science issues Other topics Flood – global or regional? Science -not enough water to be global But ignore oceans beneath earth crust, underwater springs Hebrew for covered (kasah) – also resided upon Hebrew for all the high mountains (kol heharim hugebohim) –hill or mountain or slope Mountains of Ararat – not Mt. Ararat “whole world” could be a metaphor - perspective Mesopotamia area was considered the whole world Kinds is not every species No need for insects, fish, all cat family, etc Could hold 16k-50k animals Maybe only 2k animals needed – space equiv. 569 railroad cars Genesis Question – Hugh Ross 3 min

Session 3 – Science issues Other key topics Age of the earth (YE vs OE) Not a salvation or inerrancy issue Difficult to engage strong science supporters from a YE view Not a decision about science vs the Bible Evolution and age of earth totally separate issues Take a neutral position Bible supports either one/Bible does not say how old the earth is Unaware of non-Christian published YE scientist but many Christian OE scientists Key issue – interpretation of scripture Day (yom) – 4 meanings Create (bara) – no prior existence Made (asah)- past event Morning – boqer – also means beginning of Evening – ereb – also means end of Genesis Question – Hugh Ross Genesis, Science & the Beginning – Ben Smith 5 min

Resources www.resurgensconsulting .com - My site/blog General I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist – Geisler/Turek www.ratiochristi.org More than a Carpenter - Josh McDowell Science Dr. Hugh Ross The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel Genesis Question Why the Universe is the way it is Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis Tactics – Greg Koukl Jonathan Wells Islam Icons of Evolution Nabeel Qureshi – Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, No God but One Michael Behe Darwin’s Black Box Dr. Stephen Meyer Darwin’s Doubt Signature in the Cell Dr. Craig Keener - Miracles

Contact Info Tom Griffin, tjgconsult@aol.com 770-597-2654 www.resurgensconsulting.com Apologetics for Tweens Books by Thomas J. Griffin Apologetics for Tweens – 5th-8th grade curriculum $170-$245 complete set $40-$86 per year w/Leader’s Guide The Last Premise - $4.99 on Amazon Kindle Geopolitical fictional novel nearing apocalypse – apologetics, romance, black ops Letters from Art – Private/Unpublished Historical romance novel from the depression era Legacy of a Christian Father – Private/Unpublished Guidance from a father to his son Contact me for any questions you may have or if I can help you somehow or maybe you wish to be on my monthly email list for updates about our progress in my ministry activities. Review slide.