Godly Origins: Worldviews Collide

Emerson Thomas McMullen B.S. M.S. M.A. Ph.D.

Description

No conflict exists between biblical faith and evidence-based science. Evidence-based science consists of claims about nature that are either testable or observable, and then confirmable.

There is no conflict between the Bible and science that is evidence-based. The conflict is between belief in the Biblical Worldview and belief in a non-biblical worldview. If a claim about nature is not testable or observable and then confirmable, it is not science.

This book shows where evidence-based science supports the Biblical Worldview, and where evidence-based science conflicts with the other so-called “scientific” worldviews of our modern times. For instance, experiments have shown over and over that life does not arise from chemicals, observations show that biological change is limited, chance does not cause anything, and the Big Bang violates the principle of cause and effect, is not testable, and therefore is not scientific.

In his 1859 book, On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin correctly wrote about his “belief in the transmutation of species” (p302), that “The theory of natural selection is grounded on . . . belief” (p320), and that he believed we descended from one common ancestor (p484). Darwin believed in evolution because he had no evidence. Concerning On the Origin of Species, he admitted that “the whole volume is one long argument” (p459). Concerning God, Darwin wrote about “. . . the laws impressed on matter by the Creator” (p488).

Yet, evolutionist Jerry Coyne of the University of Chicago wrote that “the bulk of Darwin’s 1859 book, On the Origin of Species (first edition) actually comprises evidence for evolution.” This claim was in a 2014 letter from atheists complaining about the author to his University President. A signer of this letter (from the Freedom From Religion Foundation) was British multi-millionaire, Richard Dawkins. Atheists such as Coyne and Dawkins have no evidence for their claims that life came from chemicals, that we descended from a common ancestor, or that there is no God. They believe these claims.

Sujets

• Biblical Commentary
• Philosophie et théologie
• Religión
• Catastrophism
• Uniformitarianism
• Origins
• Religion
• Creator
• Science
• Bible

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 26 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664218826
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 12 Mo

Extrait

GODLY ORIGINS: WORLDVIEWS COLLIDE
 
 
How Evidence-Based Science Supports the Biblical Worldview
 
 
 
Emerson Thomas McMullen B.S. M.S. M.A. Ph.D.
 
Copyright © 2021 Emerson Thomas McMullen B.S. M.S. M.A. Ph.D..
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
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WestBow Press
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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NASB) taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB),
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
 
Scripture quotations marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®
 
Scripture marked (NKJV) taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked JUB are taken from the Jubilee Bible, copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010, 2013 by Life Sentence Publishing, Inc. Used by permission of Life Sentence Publishing, Inc., Abbotsford, Wisconsin. All rights reserved.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-1881-9 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-1882-6 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2021900401
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 06/20/2023
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 1. Heavenly Fireworks hint at God’s Power and Glory. An exploding star formed the Crab Nebula shown here. But where did stars come from? Did God create them by His eternal word? Or did they form according to untestable naturalistic ideas such as the Big Bang? If an idea is not testable, then it is not science. No one has a time machine, so all claims about our origins are not testable . Therefore, assumptions, which are beliefs, come into play. One can either believe in God and His word or believe in a naturalistic origin of the stars. It is belief versus belief. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, G. Dubner (IAFE, CONICET— University of Buenos Aires) et al.; A. Loll et al.; T. Temim et al.; F. Seward et al.; VLA/NRAO/AUI/NSF; Chandra/CXC; Spitzer/JPL-Caltech; XMM- Newton/ESA; and Hubble/S TScI.
 
 
 
ALSO BY DR. MC MU LLEN:
Publi shed:
William Harvey and the Use of Purpose in the Scientific Revolu tion;
Cosmos by Chance or Universe by De sign?
William Harvey’s De Motu Co rdis;
A New English Transla tion
Unpubli shed:
Godly Ori gins:
Attacked by Athe ists
Godly Ori gins:
Heaven and E arth
 
 
 
 
Solo Deo Gl oria
 
 
 
Trinity Presbyterian Ch urch
Statesboro, Geo rgia
Senior Pastor Roland Barnes, Presi ding
 
The TRINITY TALKS on FAITH and
SCI ENCE
Fall Conferenc e on
SCIENTIFIC ASP ECTS
of the
WORLDVIEW CONF LICT
 
Emerson Th omas
“Tom” McMu llen
B.S. M.S. M.A. Ph.D.
27-29 September 2019
 
 
 
 
 
 
Great Are the Works of The Lord, Studied By All Who Delight in Them
Psalm 111:2 (ESV)
Contents
Introduction
ATHEISTS ATTACK: WORLDVIEWS COL LIDE
Overview of the Four T alks
THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GO D
Tal k #1
DAWKINS, COYNE, and OTHERS ATTACK OVER CHEMICAL EVOLU TION
Tal k #2
GOD, DARWIN, & BIOLOGICAL EVOLU TION
Tal k #3
GOD, COSMIC EVOLUTION, & RADIOMETRIC AGES
Tal k #4
EXTINCTIONS as DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS, and the GEOLOGICAL AGE of the E ARTH
Epi tome
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS FOR THE BOOK
Bottom Line Quest ions
SELF -TEST QUIZ
Appendix
THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS OF GEN ESIS
Epilogue
A BRIEF COMMENTARY ON GOD, GENESIS , TIME, AND ETER NITY
GLOSSARY/DEFINIT IONS
About the Au thor:
EMERSON THOMAS MCMU LLEN
Endnotes
 
Note: This book is an expansion of the texts of four talks at the author’s church but has fewer visuals. (In the talks, there were a total of 233 slides along with a static display of fossils, pictures, books, articles, photographs, and other supporting information.) The book’s Introduction is a summary of the subject matter.
 
Figure 1a. A Rocky Mountain Ram on the Move to Higher Ground. The detailed and comprehensive genetic information in this magnificent Bighorn Sheep did not come about by the accumulation of chance mutations. Neither could it have come from chemicals, which contain no genetic data. Rather, the DNA information came from a Superior Intelligence, God, the Creator of the heavens and the e arth.
Introduction
ATHEISTS ATTACK: WORLDVIEWS COLLIDE
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6, NASB
“DAWKINS CALLS OUT GEORGIA PROFESSOR.” This was the headline of a blog that a colleague had printed out and handed to me. She had seen it on a Facebook post over the weekend and gave it to me as I arrived at work that Monday morning, 3 November 2014. I was not on Facebook at the time, but this news explained why I was suddenly receiving some unusual communications. I was under attack by atheists! 1
“Come into my lab and prove that there is a God.” So challenged an atheist in an email to me, implying that he was a scientist. His challenge, like that of other atheists, boiled down to my faith that God created us according to the Bible , versus his faith that all happened by chance. It was a collision of worldviews. This book is written to better equip those with a Biblical Worldview in answering those who hold to a different worldview. 2
God’s existence needs no scientific proof. His creativity, craftsmanship, power, and wisdom are behind the scientific laws, the incredible details in the genetic information carried by the DNA in living beings, and the design and the engineered aspects of those living things. Even Charles Darwin, not a Christian and into materialism, understood these things. In the first edition of his On the Origin of Species and all subsequent ones, he handled the origin of natural laws by appealing to “the Creator.” 3 Further, in his second edition and all subsequent ones, Darwin added that the grandeur of life was “originally breathed into a few forms or into one by the Creator.” 4
While the existence of God is apparent in nature, the steps God took in creating and then redeeming everything are spelled out in the Bible. Here are the real stumbling blocks, and where biblical faith comes into play. One has to believe Jesus’ claims in the Bible : For instance, Jews at the Temple in Jerusalem asked Jesus “ If you are the Christ, tell us plainly .” Jesus answered that “ I and the Father are one .” Thinking this to be blasphemy, “ The Jews picked up stones again to stone him .” ( John 10:24, 30 - 31, ESV). Obviously, Jesus claimed to be God and His listeners understood that claim but rejected it.
Biblically, God became a man, Jesus, in order to save humankind from their sins, the penalty for sin being death. Belief in Jesus is the only way to God. About this Jesus said “ I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me ” ( John 14:6, NKJV). Paul believed this. He told his jailer in Philippi that “ there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved ” (Acts 4:12, NASB). The biblical Jesus is the answer to everything. But at one time in my life, I thought that possibly science had the answers.
Paradigm-Driven Subjectivity in Science
Thomas Kuhn describes a scientific paradigm as the conceptual box with which a researcher interprets his/her data. This paradigm is often supplied by professional education. 5 Kuhn pointed out that we have paradigm-driven, subjective interpretations in science. I prefer to call this theory-driven subjectivity.
Similarly, Norwood Russell Hanson has shown that there is theory-driven subjectivity in observations as well. 6 Finally, we also have theory-driven deceit in science, examples of which are