AGENDA APOLOGETICS. Creation Science Fellowship, Inc One Year Creation Program

Transcription

1 Creation Science Fellowship, Inc One Year Creation Program SESSION TWELVE Apologetics and Applications of the Creation Model of Origins Robert E. Walsh October 6, 2011 AGENDA Apologetics Creation and the Environment Creation and Health and Nutrition APOLOGETICS Apologetics is a compound Greek word from: apo the Greek Preposition meaning from logoj meaning word or transliterated logic Our compound word literally means, Fromthe Word

2 A PRACTICAL PROBLEM How often have you heard the statement I am a young earth creationist because the evidence best fits that model First, is this statement true? Secondly, is this a good way of defending the Creation Model? THE ANSWERS Is this statement true? Yes, but for reasons that may not at first be obvious Is this a good way of defending the Creation Model? No! WHY A BAD DEFENSE? If one s opponent has done more homework then one may lose the battle (i.e. your opponent may have more examples of alleged evidence) Falsely based on the axiom Evidence + Human Reasoning = Victory Presupposes that the so-called evidence is model neutral (more on this below)

3 THE BIBLICAL METHOD OF APOLOGETICS THE BIBLICAL METHOD OF APOLOGETICS Pro 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.!!! What a wonderful and remarkably contradictory statement!!! OR IS IT????? THE BIBLICAL WAY OF APOLOGETICS Pro 26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. Do not argue your position within the same worldview (presuppositions) of your opponent Do not argue your position within the evolutionary worldview of chance, probability, and materialism Do not argue your position within the paradigm of long ages

4 THE BIBLICAL WAY OF APOLOGETICS Pro 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. Using your opponent s worldview and presuppositions reduce his position to absurdity Show that your opponent s worldview collapses on its own weight Show that your opponent s set of presuppositions are ultimately self-contradictory THE BIBLICAL METHOD OF APOLOGETICS The Biblical Method of Apologetics particularly attacks the very foundation of its opponents Until relatively recently, Creationists have focused on the fruit of the evolutionary paradigm, rather than aiming at the roots and trunk THE BIBLICAL METHOD OF APOLOGETICS The Biblical Worldview gives the only rational basis and accounting for the scientific method Though some who profess to align themselves with the Biblical Apologetic incorrectly dismiss the scientific method The Biblical Worldview alone gives coherency to the data

5 Presuppositions, Data, and Evidence What is Data? When examining the Grand Canyon we observe strata that apparently were laid down This is the Data NOT Evidence Presuppositions and Evidence Interpreting the Data with one s set of Presuppositions causes the Data to become Evidence for one s particular model

6 Evidence We are compelled to conclude EVIDENCE = Data + Interpretation» Equivalently EVIDENCE = Data + Presuppositions Presuppositions and Evidence Evolution (General Trends) Strata laid down over long period of geologic time Bedding planes should show erosion Higher strata are younger than older strata Time changing is vertical throughout the column Creation (General Trends) Strata quickly laid down by catastrophic processes Bedding plains should show little erosion Strata laid down by laminar flows Time changing is almost horizontal The Apologetic History of Creationism Since the publishing of the Genesis Flood (1961) Creationists have almost exclusively tried to show the science of the Creation Model. This is the fundamental characteristic of the Modern Creation Period In recent years, Creationists are beginning to address the religious nature of the evolutionary paradigm. In this regard the religious biases of evolutionary materialism are being laid open. This activity generally attacks the very roots of evolutionary materialism and not merely the fruit

7 The Apologetic History of the Creationism Generally speaking, Creationists need to understand that they are in a three front apologetic war: Must develop a rigorous Biblical Model of Origins Must develop a rigorous Scientific Model of Origins Must apologetically reduce the religion of evolutionary materialism to its natural absurdity Show that it is religious Show that it fails on its own weight Show that it is self -contradictory Attack the root no merely the fruit The Apologetic History of Creationism By understanding this three front war it must be recognized by those who would argue that the Biblical Apologetic Method does away with the Scientific Method is fundamentally contrary to the Biblical Model of Apologetics and that the pursuit of the development of the Scientific Creation Model is a necessary and an honorable pursuit. We honor the Creator by attempting to understand His Creation whether by Biblical Apologetics or the Scientific Method Creation and Nutrition

8 Pre-Fall Nutrition Model Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. Man was originally a vegetarian and ate no animal flesh Antediluvian Longevity The Antediluvian Patricarchs 1200 Years Life Span Generation Average Life Span Average Generation Adam Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalalel Jared Enoch Methuselah Lamech Noah Name of Patriarch Antediluvian Longevity Average human life-span was 908 years Average generation was 117 to messianic patriarch What might have been the physical elements that went into longer life spans for the Antediluvians?

9 Antediluvian Canopy? Some type of canopy surrounding the Earth Reduced Carbon 14 production and ingestion Reduced cosmic radiation ingestion Greater partial pressures of O 2 and CO 2 Each of these would go into better general health, lack of pollutants, more available Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide for both man and plant Some Type of Canopy Less Carbon 14 Production Greater O2 and CO2 Less Cosmic Radiation Pre-Flood Hydrology Fauna watered from below Does not necessarily exclude Antediluvian rain cycles Bringing rich mineral nutrient water to vegetation Healthy for animal life Could aid in gigantism Antediluvian Hydrologic Cycle SEDIMENTARY ROCK METAMORPHIC ROCK IGNEOUS ROCK

10 The Flood Implications of the Flood Destroyed possible canopy Greater cosmic radiation Greater Carbon 14 Less Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide Destroyed Antediluvian Hydrologic Cycle Plants depend on rain for water Plants not as nutriated as before Man exposed to a lesser Earth Implications of the Flood Man susceptible to the elements Man susceptible to hostile animals Man susceptible to hostile plants Geographical landscape radically changed Pangaea splits during the Days of Peleg Man s longevity decreases radically

11 Longevity of Post-Flood Man Post Diluvian Fathers 600 Age of Death Ages Average Lifespan 0 Shem Arphaxad Salah Eber Peleg Patriarch Reu Serug Longevity of Post-Flood Man Pangaea split during the generation of Peleg Peleg s father Eber is the last long-living post-flood patriarch Life time is essentially cut in half 450+ to 200+ No canopy for protection Less super nutriated vegetation for man and animal Summary Conclusions Today s nutritional standards are woefully less than truly required Need to research the nutritional needs of man within the confines of the Biblical Worldview American nutritional pyramid inaccurate if not out right wrong Creationists have allowed the evolutionary model to create the current model of nutrition, even the so-called alternative models are evolutionarily based See Life Extension bydurkpearson and Sandy Shaw Good material but evolutionarily based and does not have to be in this author s opinion

12 Creation and the Environment Setting the Stage (1 of 3) God created planet Earth as a self-sufficient system (including the star Sol) Man, created on the Sixth Day is charged with caring for the entire globe have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that movethupon the earth. Gen 1:28c Setting the Stage (2 of 3) Part of the man s responsibilities is to manage (have dominion) the earth and all the creatures contained therein. Because of this, man was to spread out over the Earth and express his dominion. fill the earth, and subdue it Gen 1:28b God never intended planet Earth be left to the probabilities of the wind.

13 Setting the Stage (3 of 3) replenish the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. 3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things Gen 9:1c-3. After the Flood man had the same responsibility to disperse throughout the planet and fill the Earth. In this way, man could fulfill his responsibility of managing the planet In order for the animals to repopulate the Earth, God put the fear of man in them so that they would naturally disperse throughout the globe and fill the Earth. Animal flesh is now allowed to be normally eaten by mankind Managing the Environment Managing the Environment Man s responsibility is to manage the Earth and its Environment this is what is meant by taking dominion. What it doesn t mean is: Abusing the environment. Man is not to rape and pillage the country side. Managing is always to be in view. Abusing the environment is a sin. Not using the environment. Giving the environment to the probabilities of the wind is not managing the environment. Non-using the environment is a sin. Two equal and opposite environmental sins.

14 Managing the Environment Let s look at an example of raping and pillaging the environment The deforestation of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, USA An example of ABUSE! Logging of PA s Forests Much of Pennsylvania was deforested by the latter 19 th Century Parts of Cook s forest remain as virgin forest Managing the Environment Let s look at an example of letting the forests go to the wind The notion of old growth forests An example of NON-USE!

15 Old Growth in Cook s Forest More Old Growth Old Growth Forest Problems Most of the life is in the forest canopy The large trees, especially the hemlock and white pine are so dense at the top that insufficient light gets to the forest floor Ground vegetation and fauna die due to lack of sunlight Forest animals starve or move away due to lack of browse Forest floor absolutely dead Old growth forests are not efficient

16 Old Growth Forest Problems Letting all forests without exception become old growth forests is not good Leaving our forests to the probability of he wind is not managing our forests well An example of the NON-USING our Environment! SESSION Twelve Apologetics and Applications of the Creation Model of origins Questions?