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2

A scientific description of creation

2 possible conflicts between Biblical and scientific views?

Or

Agreement between the two approaches?

3 questions for everyone

A Scientist looks at Darwinor

A Scientist looks at Creation

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Galaxies – thousands of millions of stars

4Debris from a supernova

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• 13,700 M years ago – big bang. Space & time; matter, antimatter &

radiation.

• Cosmic inflation

• Matter excess (over antimatter); quark plasma

• 0.1 ms: protons & neutrons form

• 1 s to 7 mins: first nuclei – particles

• 350,000 years: Hydrogen and Helium atoms (Universe transparent)

• 150-1000 M years: galaxies & stars form

• Fusion in stars over ~8,000 M years: He, then C, N, O, Si, … Fe

• 9000 M years: Supernova explosion triggers 2nd generation stars

• 9,100 M years after BB (4,600 M years ago): formation of earth

The first 9,000 million years - matter

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• Simple organic molecules, proteins, membranes, RNA

• 4,100 M years ago – simple life

• 3,600 M y single celled organisms, blue-green algae, oxygen

• 2,100 M y cells with nuclei

• 720 M y multicellular organisms

• 540 M y Precambrian explosion – many phyla appear

• 480 M y land plants appear, followed by land animals

• 350 M y reptiles

• 225 M y early mammals and dinosaurs. 65 M y mass extinction

• 50 M y primates evolve. 6 M y hominids evolve

• 200,000 years Homo Sapiens (150,000 “mitochondrial Eve”)

The last 4,600 million years - life

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Isn’t Biblical account a miraculous beginning,

while scientific version is an ongoing, natural

process?

Bible describes God’s deliberate intention; science

describes result of random processes.

Are scientific and Biblical accounts of creation compatible?

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Three examples of random processes, and their

interpretation:

•Snowflakes

•Oxygen

•Plague survivors

Can randomness be part of God’s plan?

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Random condensation plus precise physical laws

Snowflakes

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What probability my next breath will contain no oxygen

molecules? (or even just 10% fewer than normal?)

0.000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,001%?

A breath without oxygen?

N2 O2N2N2

N2

N2

N2

N2N2

N2

N2

N2

N2

N2

N2

O2 O2

O2

O2

O2

O2

N2N2N2

N2N2

N2

N2

N2

N2N2

N2

??

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Survivors of the plague!

0.7

0.49

0.24

6%

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•How does God reveal himself to you? Do you

acknowledge him?

•Do you expect that God will do things your

way?

•How do you (and should you) react to those

with views you disagree with?

Three questions for us all

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Conducting science is “thinking God’s thoughts

after him” – Astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)

“The faithful have the obligation to listen to that

which secular modern science has to offer, just as

we ask that knowledge of the faith be taken in

consideration as an expert voice in humanity” – RC Cardinal Paul Poupard

“In my opinion, science offers a surer path to

God than religion” – Paul Davies, philosopher and

physicist