Event Detail


ACT-Asia 2009 Kairos Lecture 2

Dates:
 Mon Feb 16, 2009
Times:
 9.00 - 10.00 PM
Description:

Christianity, Evolution & Evolutionism in Plain Language

Christian theology through the Church ought to welcome responsible articulations of scientific knowledge as natural scientists within and without the Church discover (investigate) divine disclosure (revelation). If science is discovery and theology is confessional, knowledge can only assume the status of wisdom when it becomes understanding. Knowledge shaped by wisdom provides true understanding.

In the sciences, we inquire into their methodologies to distinguish science from scientism and evolution from evolutionism. What do these terms mean? 

Science is a method of investigating the natural world and has two purposes - to explain what we know and to predict what we do not. For example if science can explain why a dirty water supply can cause illness by describing germ theory, science can also predict that by cleaning up drinking water, we can reduce the instances of illness due to water-borne diseases.

Scientism is the philosophy that the scientific method alone can, in time, explain every question we have about our world. The success of science in helping us to fly, go underwater and survive crippling diseases have emboldened some to think that our existence is predictable. Scientism is not science.

Evolution simply means change over time. Biological evolution is based on the theory of natural selection. So the real issue is not evolution itself but the mechanism that drives how and why matter evolves.

Evolutionism is the philosophy disguised as the science that claims evolution proves the nonexistence of God. Evolutionism is thus, a form of scientism. It is bad science at best and not science at worst.
 
The Christian commitment to its convictional confession (CCC), must lie at the center of any discovery of divine disclosure (DDD), which includes both the natural sciences and the non-natural sciences. From such an integration of knowledge ("what, why and how" questions) springs forth the resources for wisdom ("why" questions) to announce the Good News that Christ has come, Christ has risen, Christ is Lord indeed.

This 40 minute lecture will end with a 20 minute Q&A session.
Location:
 Community Baptist Church

Kuala Lumpur

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