Science particularly as related to creation and the creation-evolution controversy
The first issue that arises in developing a typology for ideas about creation and evolution are the terms themselves: they are sufficiently ambiguous that their meaning differs even by the same author in the same work. This can be part of a fallacy of equivocation or it can simply mean the terms are general and should not […]
‘Nature’ is the world conceived without reference to God. A natural rock is a rock as if it exists on its own or as part of a world that exists on its own. It has no absolute origin. Its only ‘origin’ is from other rocks, other existing substances. It is all transformation. This presupposes a
Darwin initiated a rhetorical strategy of minimizing the difference between species — or what is the same thing, of maximizing the difficulties of delineating one species from another. He made the species concept suspect, although he continued to use it where it suited him. The implication was that larger taxonomic categories were also suspect, and
Let’s distinguish three approaches to the study of universal origins: Philosophical naturalism with natural science Biblical creationism with creation science or Philosophical creationism with universal history Autonomous Humanism: naturalism with natural history and science
Authentic eyewitness testimony carries more weight than physical evidence concerning events in the past – particularly the distant past. Artifacts of the past are always open to interpretations that contradict one another whereas the ambiguities in testimony are minor in comparison. If the testimony is recorded, then the transmission of the recording needs authentication, preferably
If all entities were completely identical, they could not be distinguished from each other so there would be only one entity. If all things were completely unique, they could not be identified so there would be no knowledge. Since neither of these extremes is the case, we conclude that entities contain sufficient similarity to be
Before the 19th century natural science was part of philosophy. It was called ‘natural philosophy’ (usually) or ‘experimental philosophy’ (Newton). Philosophy provided the background and justification for the development of empirical methods to study the world. Natural science pre-supposed and depended on philosophy. By the 19th century the discipline matured so that it could be
Some people try to exclude arguments about theology from science. This is part of a strategy that goes like this: Science is the only reliable source of knowledge about the natural world. Science excludes all arguments about theology. Therefore, wherever science goes, theology must retreat. Also, theology has no knowledge to contribute to science. If
Science is about public matters that do not require prior philosophical or religious commitments beyond acknowledging the existence of an orderly world and the possibility of understanding that order. Historically, science did receive impetus from beliefs about the orderliness of the world and human abilities for understanding that order, beliefs that were based on Christian
Greek Coffee Philario was sitting in the coffee shop, typing into his computer when he saw his friend Hector and greeted him. Philario: Hi, Hector. What’s up? Hector: Well said, Philario. What is up. Who is down. Philario: Are you trying to Costello me? Hector: I wasn’t Abbott to do that. Philario: Very funny. I’m
