Alvin Plantinga: Science & Religion - Where the Conflict Really Lies

Thanks to the generosity of Howard and Roberta Ahmanson, Biola hosted Dr. Plantinga for a special philosophy lecture and Q&A open to all.

Since 1982, Dr. Alvin Plantinga was the John A. O'Brian Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame until his retirement this year in May. Over his long and seasoned career, Dr. Plantinga has taught or lectured at Calvin College, Yale University, Harvard University, Boston University, Syracuse University and several other colleges and universities. He has authored or edited over a dozen books in philosophy, and several dozen more in top-tiered philosophy publications in the U.S. and in the U.K.

Cosponsored with Biola's graduate and undergraduate philosophy departments and Talbot's Philosophical Society.

Category:

Education

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• Biola
• Biola University
• Alvin Plantinga
• science
• religion
• conflict
• philosophy

[Thoughtitorium]

@benjaminfair1 The meaning of your words are agreed upon by society, we don't need to explain it in terms of the mechanics of engineering. We could explain meaning in terms of cognitive neuroscience, but the social construction explanation is sufficient.

[Thoughtitorium]

@benjaminfair1 Nope. For example, saying that evolution explains life isn't enough. Explaining how evolution works is what is needed, and that is what Darwin did with the mechanism of natural selection.

[benjaminfair1]

@Thoughtitorium Also, if you truly believe naturalism please explain to me the meaning of these letters and words I am typing in terms of the electronics used to display them to you. You can describe to me how the electrical circuitry powers the pixels of your display and forms the letters, but that does nothing to explain how these shapes possess meaning as you comprehend them. There is an intelligence behind them that is apart from their physical components.

[benjaminfair1]

@Thoughtitorium Well, you seem to know the intentions of every creationist alive. I would not make such wide assertions. As I said concerning naturalism, certain scientists only consider it "real science" if they agree with it. Also, who says creationists need to determine how God created the universe? I don't see a need to explain the explanation. That you would resort to that is proof that your logic is flawed and you are grasping at straws.

[benjaminfair1]

@Thoughtitorium Of course the universe had a cause, this is based on scientific evidence. We know from cosmology that the universe came into being around 13B years ago. I'm only assuming what science has proven.

[Thoughtitorium]

@benjaminfair1 You can't do methodologically supernaturalistic science; it would be philosophy. And you're assuming the universe had a cause.

[Thoughtitorium]

@benjaminfair1 Scientists are working on explaining the origin of life. What are creationists doing? They go out trying to control society as usual, not even bothering to do any real science. Creationists should be trying to figure out how God created, but all they do is say that he created.

[benjaminfair1]

@zarkoff45 Also, Naturalism purports to explain everything according to Natural Laws, but no where has Naturalism been able to explain how evolution began. Darwin's book that began the theory of evolution was entitled "The Origin of Life", but it should've more accurately been named "The Progression of Life" because it does not say the origin of life, only how life forms adapt over time. No where have evolution-based theories ever explained how life began in terms of nature.

[benjaminfair1]

@Thoughtitorium Naturalism and materialism don't work, they place artificial constraints upon the search for truth. The Laws of Nature did not exist until the universe existed. So, it follows that the cause of the universe was outside of nature, hence super-natural. Naturalists and materialists say we should find truth, but to them truth is only truth if it is found within their constraints.

[Thoughtitorium]

If even conservative Republican Christian Dinesh D'Souza can believe in evolution, it's time to adopt theistic evolution! Francis Collins and Ken Miller are other examples of theistic evolutionists that are devout Christians.