Evolution, Big Bang, Creationism

Question 1

who came up with the theory of Evolution?

Answer 1

Darwin

Question 2

what is the basic idea of Evolution?

Answer 2

different species have developed over time from simple life forms

Question 3

how old does Evolution believe the world is?

Answer 3

believes Earth is 4.5 billion years old

Question 4

when does Evolution believe the simple life formed?

Answer 4

simple life formed more than 3 billion years ago

Question 5

does Darwin’s theory of Evolution conflict or agree with religion? why?

Answer 5

conflict

God made all animals and plants on Earth

Question 6

how does Evolution work?

Answer 6

through natural selection:
individuals in a species show a wide range of variation (variation = different genes)
individuals have characteristics most suited to their environment and so they are more likely to survive and reproduce
the genes that allow individuals to be successful are passed to offspring

Question 7

what is the Big Bang theory?

Answer 7

13.7 billion years ago all the matter in the universe was concentrated into a single incredibly tiny part which enlarged rapidly in a hot explosion and still enlarging today

Question 8

what is evidence for the Big Bang theory?

Answer 8

e.g. all galaxies are moving further away from us
the further away a galaxy is, the faster it is moving away
lots of evidence but depends on one’s belief in science and this theory

Question 9

what is Creationism also known as?

Answer 9

‘creation-science’

Question 10

what does Creationism often go against?

Answer 10

the theory of Evolution

Question 11

quote Rowan Williams in The Guardian, 21 March 2006 about Creatonism

Answer 11

“I think creationism is, in a sense, a kind of category mistake, as if the Bible were a theory like other theories.”

Question 12

what is the theory of Creationism?

Answer 12

All life was created by the actions of God
Some Creationists say God did this in a single creative event
Some Creationists don’t limit creation to one event
All the forms of life existing today were created by the actions of God
The organisms created by God can’t produce new forms of organism — only God can do this
The world was made in six days

Question 13

what is the most common theory of Creationism?

Answer 13

the accounts in the Biblical Book of Genesis, but most religions have their own creation story

Question 14

what does modern Creationism do?

Answer 14

use scientific evidence to support scripture

Question 15

what do most scientists say about the creationism theory?

Answer 15

it is false and unscientific

Question 16

for many people, what does belief or lack of comes through?

Answer 16

experience of seeing and living in the world

Question 17

why do some people not believe in God?

Answer 17

the Big Bang theory
Evolution and Natural Selection
Nietzsche — believing that God is simply a kind of ‘superstition’
Feuerbach — believing that God is ‘made up’ by mankind
Freud — believing that God is just a ‘wish’ or ‘dream’
Science has given us comprehensive explanations for how the universe came in to being and miracles
this effectively relegates God to the ‘god of the gaps’
unanswered prayers make people feel that God isn’t there or doesn’t care enough to act
the problem of evil and suffering

Question 18

which Christians would believe in the Big Bang theory?

Answer 18

Liberal Christians as a metaphorical interpretation of God

Question 19

which Christians would believe in Evolution?

Answer 19

Liberal Christians as a metaphorical interpretation of God

Question 20

what is a quote for Creationism?

Answer 20

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1)

Question 21

which Christians would believe in Creationism?

Answer 21

Fundamental Christians - literal interpretation of the bible

Question 22

who came up with the Teleological Argument?

Answer 22

William Paley

Question 23

explain the Teleological Argument

Answer 23

uses the analogy of a watch - takes intelligence and thought to design a watch
only God could have intelligence and thought enough to design an intrinsic, complex and beautiful world
nature has such a design — designed for a purpose (e.g. fibonacci sequence in nature)
therefore God exists

Question 24

how can the Teleological Argument strengthen your belief in God?

Answer 24

how could humans be just because? must be designed

unlikely that we are just chance

Question 25

what are the flaws with the Teleological Argument?

Answer 25

evolution: natural selection
survival of the fittest
why would God make us with flaws?
why not make a perfect human model?
it could all be chance
watches are man-made
watches break and kink
inductive leap: complexity of watch doesn’t equal the complexity of the universe
fires, earthquake, disability — why be designed this way?

Question 26

how can the Teleological Argument weaken your belief in God?

Answer 26

eventually we could have been formed
even the unlikely is possible
human beings are not watches, they change and reproduce etc…
the flaws with the theory

Question 27

who came up with the Cosmological Argument?

Answer 27

St Thomas Aquinas

Question 28

explain the Cosmological Argument

Answer 28

cosmos = universe
cause of the universe = God
everything must come from something: “Something cannot come from nothing.” (Richard Swinburne)
universe must come from something as everything needs to be caused
God = First Cause = causes everything
only God could cause the universe
domino effect from the First Cause
Christians felt it made logical sense — reinforcement

Question 29

how can the Cosmological Argument agree with science?

Answer 29

Big Bang caused by God? — science and religion

Aquinas is before the Big bang — this idea has been implemented into his theory

Question 30

what are the flaws with the Cosmological Argument?

Answer 30

premises make sense yet conclusion takes an inductive leap
universe exists —> causes —> first cause —> God must exist
why does God have to be the first cause?
suggests time is linear — doesn’t have to be
Big Bang — not caused by God, although what caused the Big Bang?
what came first — the chicken or the egg?
Nietzsche — God is Dead

Question 31

breakdown briefly the Cosmological Argument

Answer 31

nothing can come into existence on its own —everything needs a cause
therefore the universe needs a cause
only God is powerful enough to bring the universe into existence and to keep it going
therefore God exists

Question 32

explain the Meaning of life/Purpose and how it can lead to belief in God

Answer 32

where are we going?
what’s the purpose of life?
this searching can only lead people to think the purpose of this life involves the existence of life after death where the good are rewarded and the evil are punished
only God could provide an afterlife and decide who should be rewarded and who should be punished

Question 33

how is religion evidence for the existence of God?

Answer 33

Religion and belief in God:
some people think that religion itself is evidence for the existence of God
people have always had religious beliefs, with the idea of God as creator and that life should be led in accordance with religious moral codes
86% of the world’s population belong to some form of religion
religion is clearly a major feature of the world