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All articles in category Scientific (including creation)

By Dominic Statham

Article

December 2018
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

The perils of scientific illiteracy

When Pope Francis addressed the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, he argued that ideas like the ‘big bang’ and evolution are perfectly compatible with the Christian faith (Address on occasion of inauguration of bust in honour of Pope Benedict XV1, Plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, 27 October 2014). Astonishingly, he declared: ‘When we read about creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so’. That someone claiming to teach the Christian faith could have made such a statement beggars belief. Job said to God ‘I know that you...

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By Simon Turpin

Article

November 2018
Articles > Biblical/theological > Scientific (including creation)

Paul’s use of Genesis 1-3 in Romans 1

What the apostle Paul teaches in Romans 1:18-32 is central to an apologetic argument for the existence of God; and central to understanding why people reject God’s existence, and the consequences that flow from that rejection. We can see Paul working out Genesis 1-3 in Romans 1 in three specific areas — creation, spirituality and sexuality — as he explains what unbelievers do in their response to God’s revelation in creation. These relate to three fundamental areas of human existence. In each of them sinful man exchanges the truth for ‘the lie’. Paul wrote in Romans 1:18-21: ‘For the wrath of God is revealed from...

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By Edgar Andrews

Article

July 2018
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

What is man (3): The image of God — why Man is unique

The third edited extract from Edgar Andrews’ new book What is Man? Adam, alien or ape? In a previous chapter we considered how humans are unique among animals. In this chapter we shall see why we are unique. Previously we assessed Man’s relationship with the biosphere; now we must explore his relationship with God. So why are human beings unique? I’ll give the short answer now and we’ll work it out in detail below. According to the Bible, we are unique because among created things only Man bears God’s image. Nothing in the inanimate cosmos was made in the image of God. Nothing in the...

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By Edgar Andrews

Article

June 2018
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

What is man (2): What’s it like to be a bat?

The second of three edited extracts from Edgar Andrews’ new book What is Man? Adam, alien or ape? How would you like to live in an ultra-modern high-tech house? It has a basement; ground-floor living accommodation; a mezzanine entertainment-suite; and a top-floor bedroom level. On the ground floor, windows look out on the world around you. The same is true of the mezzanine level — except that there the window glass is coloured, affecting the way you see the wider outside world. The bedrooms have video wall displays that can be changed at the touch of a button. The basement contains things you seldom use,...

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By Edgar Andrews

Article

May 2018
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

What is man (1): Are we alone in the universe?

The first of three edited extracts from Edgar Andrews’ new book, What is Man? Adam, alien or ape? It’s easy to confuse SETI with YETI because both relate to creatures that probably don’t exist. The Yeti is a proverbial beast that inhabits the Himalayas and walks upright like a human, but leaves huge footprints in the snow and strikes fear into the local populace. Related to America’s Bigfoot, it is sometimes called the Abominable Snowman (apparently due to a mistranslation of its Nepalese name). SETI, on the other hand, stands for ‘the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence’ — the hunt for an intelligent alien who is...

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By Nathaniel Jeanson

Article

April 2018
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

Harvard-educated scientist gives four new claims against Darwin

Ever since Charles Darwin’s publication in 1859 of On the origin of species, western civilisation has felt the repercussions of Darwin’s radical ideas. To this day, the vast majority of the scientific community accepts genealogical kinship between mankind and monkeys. Yet, after Darwin died, several scientific developments began to quietly set the stage for a revolution against Darwin. In isolation, each of four events have foretold a minor disturbance in the settled scientific view. Together, they foreshadow a major upheaval in how we understand natural history; they give us four reasons why Darwin’s On the origin of species is no longer a settled point of view. The...

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By Simon Turpin

Article

March 2018
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

Did Jesus hold false beliefs?

It is becoming increasingly popular for theologians to accept the idea that Jesus, because of his human nature, erred in what he taught and believed about the Old Testament. Recently, well-known apologist William Lane Craig made some interesting comments on this issue, in response to a non-Christian’s question about Jesus’ belief in the historicity of the book Genesis. He began by stating: ‘When people ask me what unanswered questions I still have, I tell them, “I don’t know what to do with these Old Testament stories about Noah and the ark, the Tower of Babel, and so on”’ (http://www.reasonablefaith.org/should-ot-difficulties-be-an-obstacle-to-christian-belief). This is a strange statement considering...

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By Dominic Statham

Article

March 2018
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

Should robots have rights?

Astonishing as it may seem, some people believe that robots should have rights. Yes, I really mean it. They think that the up-and-coming generation of ‘intelligent machines’ that will do the housework, weed the garden and politely attend to your every wish should be treated with proper respect. In May 2017, the European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs issued a draft report making recommendations relating to laws that should be passed in respect of ‘intelligent machines’. In this they accept the possibility that man-made devices may, one day, become self-aware. As such, they are calling for ‘new rules which focus on how a machine can...

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By Andy McIntosh

Article

February 2018
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

Dragonflies

Dragonflies and damselflies are some of the most impressive fliers in the insect world and, with four wings individually controlled, fly rather like helicopters. Dragonflies are agile, fast fliers, and can reach speeds of 10-15 metres per second, or 25-35 mph. Damselflies, though also very agile, have a different mode of flying and will more often move from one hovering motion to another, somewhat like humming birds. Life cycle Dragonflies and damselflies (both from the insect order, Odonata) have a life span of more than a year. There are three stages in the life cycle. They begin their lives as eggs, which hatch in water...

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By David Tyler

Article

December 2017
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

Where science and faith meet

For many generations, we have been bombarded with the idea that science and the Bible are at war. Yet in 1865, over 150 years ago, Christians who were scientists proposed an approach based on harmony, not contradiction. Describing themselves as ‘students of the natural and physical sciences’, the 717 scholars represented senior academics, professional scientists and engineers, physicians and surgeons, ministers and missionaries. Royal Society Most of the signatories were fellows of professional organisations and 86 were members of the Royal Society. Their Declaration of 1865 appears to have been triggered by the reception given to Charles Darwin’s book, On the Origin of Species. As...

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By Dominic Statham

Article

November 2017
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

Euthanasia for disabled babies? — another fruit of evolutionary thinking

Professor Jerry Coyne is an evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago, a prominent critic of creationists and author of Faith vs. fact: why science and religion are incompatible.1 In his blog (which goes under the name ‘Why Evolution is True’), he recently argued for the euthanising of severely disabled new-born babies.2 Coyne asks, ‘If you are allowed to abort a foetus that has a severe genetic defect, microcephaly, spina bifida, or so on, then why aren’t you able to euthanise that same foetus just after it’s born?’ I have to admit that I find his logic perfectly sound; and this demonstrates so clearly why abortion is wrong....

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By Simon Turpin

Article

October 2017
Articles > Scientific (including creation)

Sola Scriptura and ten reasons we need a Genesis Reformation

In nailing his 95 theses to the church door on 31 October 1517, Martin Luther was not only condemning the Roman Catholic Church for selling indulgences, but also calling for an examination of what Scripture taught about indulgences. Luther was convinced that Scripture alone is the final arbiter of what we should believe. Today, Scripture’s authority has been reduced to areas of faith and practice. However, it is fallacious to limit Scripture’s authority only to these matters. Biblical doctrine is linked to history and science; therefore, whatever Scripture affirms on these matters is true. For example, the doctrine of the resurrection understands that Jesus rose...

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