Evidence for God from Science Newsletter March, 2005
Greetings in the name of the Lord! This is the latest edition of the update for the Evidence for God website. Welcome to our new subscribers.
Contents (scroll down for descriptions)
- Answers for Atheists
- Design vs. Evolution
- Biblical Creation
News
My wife Carole has been experiencing a large increase in the number of small seizures, due to her brain tumor. So far, the tumor seems to be stable (not growing), but doctors have been unable to control the seizures. We have several appointments for follow-up, so please keep us in your prayers for a resolution of the problem.
Book Review
Origin
of the Human Species by Dennis Bonnette. Dr. Bonnette offers a
philosophical analysis of the theory of evolution with particular application to
human origins. Dr. Bonnette presents evolutionary theories (both theistic and
non-theistic), along with creationists' explanations. Dr. Bonnette, being a
Roman Catholic, defends the traditional Roman Catholic interpretation of human
origins from the book of Genesis. Although he does not take an official position
on the superiority of any one theistic model, his book seems most compatible
with an old earth creationist approach. The book describes a "natural" or
"philosophical" species, as a group of biological species that is functionally
similar. This definition is probably closer to the biblical concept of "kinds"
described in Genesis. From the examples given, a "natural species" would seem to
correspond to the biological concept of a taxonomic class (above genera and
orders), with some exceptions. Dr. Bonnette examines the philosophical
possibility of evolution within a "natural species," primarily quoting what
other philosophers and scientists have had to say about the subject. Dr.
Bonnette defends the creation of the human soul as being incompatible with
naturalistic evolutionary theories and requiring divine intervention. Another
chapter examines the possibility of extraterrestrial life, abiogenesis, and
panspermia. The final chapters examine the origin of human beings from
scientific, philosophical, and theological perspectives. Being a biologist, I
would have preferred more science input, although I recognize that philosophy
often has a larger following, especially among non-theists. The book shows that
no matter what major approach to life's origins is taken, the historicity of
Adam and Eve can still be defended. For more information, see Dr. Bonnette's web
site at
www.origin.youshoppe.com. A preview of the book's fifth chapter can be found
on a new page (scroll down).
Answers for Atheists
For a number of years, I have been receiving questions about the relationship between the creation accounts of Genesis one and Genesis two. Skeptics claim that these represent two accounts written by two different authors. They claim that the order of creation is different (Genesis 1: plants-animals-humans, Genesis 2: humans-plants-animals), and, therefore, contradictory. The new page examines the context of the two accounts, along with the original Hebrew words to determine the original intent of the author. The study reveals that the intent of Genesis one is to give an overview of God's creative acts in the universe and on the earth. In contrast, Genesis two is merely a more thorough explanation of God's creative acts on the sixth day - the day He created mankind. More...
Doesn't
Genesis One Contradict Genesis Two?
http://www.GodAndScience.org/apologetics/genesis2.html
The doctrine of original sin has led to confusion among Christians and skeptics alike. Some skeptics (and even some Christians) believe that people are condemned to hell on the basis of Adam and Eve's original sin. Paul is often quoted out of context, " through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men..." An examination of the rest of the verse and Paul's exposition in Romans chapter 5 reveals that condemnation results from our own willful disobedience against God. Paul lays out the entire gospel in this chapter. Instead of being a reason to reject Christianity for its unfairness, original sin leads us to the realization of the gravity of our rebellion and God's solution to our real problem. More...
Original
Sin - Are We Condemned by the Sin of Adam and Eve?
http://www.GodAndScience.org/apologetics/original-sin.html
Design vs. Evolution
Dr. Dennis Bonnette (author of Origin of the Human Species, featured above, has graciously allowed republication of an article that was originally published by Christendom College Press in their Faith & Reason magazine. The article reviews the results and problems with ape language studies. These studies, although purported to support the idea that apes can use sign language, actually cast doubt on the ability of apes to do anything more than mimic human signs to get rewards. The article is nearly identical to chapter 5 of Dr. Bonnette's book, so, if you like the article, please consider ordering the book.
A
Philosophical Critical Analysis of Recent Ape-Language Studies
http://www.GodAndScience.org/evolution/ape-language.html
Biblical Creation
The publication of a new article about T. rex remains in the prestigious journal Science has caused quite a stir in the scientific community. The new study demonstrates the existence of preserved cellular structure inside the long bone of a newly discovered T. rex specimen. Although claimed to be "fresh" bone on some young earth creationists websites, the material was completely desiccated and chemically altered prior to rehydration by scientists. Get the real facts here...
Dinosaur Soft
Tissue Found in T. rex Bones
http://www.GodAndScience.org/youngearth/dinoblood.html
Current Projects:
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Does God Violate His Own Commandment?
- Does the Bible Say God Created the Universe in Six 24-Hour Days?
A list of new pages can always be found at:
http://www.GodAndScience.org/new.html
Newsletter Info
This and previous newsletters are available online. Go to the URL below to read the current and past updates:
http://www.GodAndScience.org/newsletter.html
Those are the most recent updates and changes since the last e-mail update. If you would like to see anything in particular at Evidence for God from Science, let me know. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
In Christ,
Rich Deem
Evidence for God from Science respects your privacy and online time and plans to send updates no more frequently than about once every two months. Subscription information is available online.
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Evidence for God from Science
Website: http://www.GodAndScience.org/
http://www.godandscience.org/newsletters/2005-03.html
Last Modified March 31, 2005
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