 All right, recording has started. Okay, welcome back everyone to second lecture today on Christian apologetics and Thank you for the discussion of the earlier session on science and faith We've been through some thoughts on that. I'm going to go forward to the next chapter which is chapter four on creation and If there are any questions that come up, you know, we will keep some time today to discuss that and also You know, we will continue this next week. We want to address additional questions on creation From a scientific perspective. So we will do that as we go forward next week. So let me just share my Screen this PDF is available has been made available to you in the One minute. Sorry That's I can't show you a screen. Let me try again. All right So we went to chapter three science and faith and we had some time for the discussion. Let's move forward now to Chapter four may want to talk about creation, but we want to look at it from from a science science perspective a scientific perspective now If you are interested you could Read the book the case for a creative by Lee Strobel He's written a series of books on the case for various various things So, you know, that has a lot more information and if you want to look at it But I want to just give us in a you know in a one lecture format or maybe it might spill over to two lectures Let's see but in a very simple way here are some things to keep in mind from a scientific perspective that are actually pointing us to a creator and Creation right now each of these can be explored further. There's a lot more information. You could get into but we'll highlight a few things right, so As we have already says stated right that You know, the more we make advancements in science The more amazing God is to us right sciences is just confirming more and more to us About our belief in God and we don't see science as an Conducted tree to our faith now. Yes, there are questions. We There are big questions that science puts forward to which we should handle and to the extent we can now Science I like this quote science does done, right is Actually pointing us to God and not away from God So let's look at You know, we will go through six of these six perspectives of the six different streams of science Which and we may look at from all of these different streams There are things that are you know, there are there are pointing us to God and so we just want to highlight that So first from cosmology. So cosmology is the study of The origin of the universe. So there are people who dedicate themselves to the studying a lot of that has to do with Astronomy and it's it's a combination. You're bringing in a lot of things together in order to try and understand How did the universe come about and therefore what are some of the Things that are happening in the universe that would eventually of course be beneficial to the human race so Cosmology is studying about the origin of the human race Now What are some things to keep in mind? So first of all In this whole field of cosmology Uh There is no such thing as Actually practically physically in the physical realm Infinity So infinity is a concept But in the real world Everything has is finite In the real world Infinity doesn't exist. We everything is finite. It's just a concept Infinity is a concept The real world things are finite so When we look at our universe and again, this is Based even on Einstein's theory theory of relativity He's saying okay, the universe is constantly expanding If the universe is constantly expanding if you go backwards in time, we can go back to a single point For its beginning of when we say t is equal to zero time is equal to zero It goes back to a single point when everything started Right, and so this is the concept that astronomer fred hall Called as the big bang So he was he coined it as the big bang. That means Going back in time. So what we're saying is As far as our time realm is concerned, there is no Infinite past God is outside time. So he is eternal But in the realm of time We go back when t is equal to zero Because the universe is always expanding if it's always expanding then it goes back reverse to say that there was a time when it began and according to The big bang phenomena that when you go back to t is equal to zero. What what was there? There was timelessness but there was Great amounts of energy At t is equal to zero Time was zero that means beyond that you're stepping into something unknown That's timelessness But at that time There exists to this huge amount of energy Which then caused you know the whole Release of that energy caused All of these things to eventually come into existence so But the presupposition there is There was this existence of so much of you know When he crossed over t is equal to zero there was the existence of all of this energy Which somehow Was able to express itself In what we are seeing today as the universe the world that we know of So we are saying that at that instant in time Something so powerful it happened and you know the scientists will calculate the amount of energy that was expended and This was when t is okay. So many billions of years ago That's back in time and things began so on all that's fine Okay, the calculation is done. This is our estimate of all the energy Okay But the presupposition is Not just energy But a lot of other things came into existence It wasn't just energy crossing over time and coming into Matter as we see it There's also a lot of other things that came into existence Intelligence came into existence There was life forms that You and I life forms came into existence There was order that came into existence So How can something so the big question in cosmology is We are saying, okay, we agree that there was a time But nothing existed So science tells us there was a time nothing existed Or that t is because of this only energy we agree but Our question is When that energy was expended or released How did our intelligence come how did order come How did life come How did Everything all of this come into existence because the universe is not a chaotic disorderly place It's extremely Ordered and you know, it's just amazing. So how could energy Cross over at that point into something that is so amazing So intelligent so full of purpose Is our question in the study of cosmology The good thing is they're saying there was a time way back when when Nothing existed, but there was All this energy that caused some all of this to come into existence So it was in the christian faith He said, well, that's the time god created. I mean that's god the creative act of god God is light I mean the bible uses those that language god is light god is power god is infinite and so When god spoke things into existence That was the time all the energy and all the intelligence and all The everything the design of god was released in that energy That was released To cause all these things to come into Place the way it is So it's not just a random explosion that suddenly came out so beautiful now the almighty god He was a source of both the power And the design now we can call it t is equal to zero. We call it the moment of creation fine But god for us god is the source of both the energy and the intelligence That we see today that has come into existence So from a cosmological perspective the study of the origin the universe That is how we can approach things Okay second Is and so we you know, we to believe that chaos was The chaos could birth order or lifeless matter produces these things this counterintuitive. It's actually irrational Okay secondly evidence from physics. So when you look at physics and you study things that are around us Again, this is just a summary. There's a lot a lot of things you can get in physics What we are saying is when we study the universe and the world around us that There are you know, we refer to them as parameters or constants in our worlds and even the universe at large That are very very precise precise values as physicists or people study all of these point out It's because these are so precise and are at the value that they are That life is possible Or the universe is the way it is that even a small change in the values of these Parameters or these constants even a small change Would be devastating. So for instance Gravity We know yeah, that's it's it's part of our world and It's so fine tuned that even it, you know, even if it's changed by Small small in a billionth upon a billionth of an inch Even if it moved by that it changed by that So to speak It Life on the planet would not exist And like this there are many more I think about 30 some parameters or maybe more That are so precisely tuned or set In our universe, so we're not just talking about gravity. We're talking about 30 or more parameters Another one we could reference is the cosmological constant Which is the energy density of empty space that the energy in empty space energy density in empty space Is so precise so fine tuned that If that were to change The universe would collapse So when you begin to look at all of these constants and say hey This is like at this. This is at this and we can study We can evaluate we can arrive at You know these values or we have arrived at these values and then we see how Important they are that if this if it wasn't like this The result could have been so devastating Are things would not be in existence the way they are So then you need to ask the question, you know The fine tuning of the universe whether it's what have what is here on our earth or in the universe at large That when you look at all of these parameters and you're saying everything is so perfect. It's so fine tuned Then how could all of this have happened by chance it had to be the result of an intelligent work or an intelligent designer god As a creator as a designer so from a cosmology perspective second from a physical physics perspective Third Then we want to look at it from a study of astronomy That means you're looking at the universe but from From an astronomers perspective We look at the location the planets Look at the location of all the suns and you begin to Look at things and then we say look even from an astra astronomy perspective If you just look at one of this The solar system you look at the sun Look at the earth You look at the moon and you look at just how this These planets Are revolving around the sun just this just we're just looking at one Solar system you're not even looking at the whole universe, but just look at this I'm looking at How this has been so precisely positioned And If the earth's position from the sun The earth's position from the sun But to be altered Even by five percent this is mentioning this If our position the position of our planet From the sun was to be altered even just as little as five percent Life would not be possible we get too close If we too hot We just move five percent the other direction be too cold Life would not be possible So can you imagine The earth's position just where it is So that life we can live It moves a little closer to the sun Everything will be roasted Little bit away Everything will be frozen now It's there And it's staying there Let's not you know randomly shifting this and that's a The earth is revolving and it's precise orbit around the sun so Could this happen by chance Could this Or was this intentional And then you look at the composition of the sun and Again, it's the right mars the right Amount of light and distance from the earth and All of that right amount of gravity so on So that life on earth is possible Could that happen by chance Or was it intentional design So we looked at cosmology. We looked at physics And we looked at astronomy now. I'm just giving a high high level, you know from all of these perspectives when you're looking at creation You're looking at things around us, you know, these are things we need to think about Or when you look at it from A biochemistry perspective Looking at a cell a single cell right, so Those who look at the cells A single cell you say look How complex a single cell is one cell right And we know the the human body is You know, it's just made up of thousands of these Cells But we're looking at one single cell And a single cell is so complex in its design that For even a single cell tiny little cell It's got these Celia, which is like the hairlike structures on the cell. They're about 200 of them on a single cell And they they serve certain purposes in protecting the body the cell Now A single cilia There was one hairlike structure on the cell has about 200 pieces of protein in it which are all Connected there to make up that single hairlike structure on the cell And then that single cilia or cilium right So these things are so connected Together that you see like how did all the all these proteins so connect in such a way to create the single hairlike structure and We're just talking about one small piece of the cell Which is so intelligently designed. So we're saying now well if That little part of the cell has been so Precisely connected or design Then you can see how all the other systems are very so complex systems Which you know so many cells They make up the organs tissues and organs and systems in our body human body and they're not to think how to count all the other animals that are there You look at all of the plant the vegetation and everything's again. There's lot lot lot to talk about you can talk about But going down to that single level to this level of that Cilium there is intelligence In one piece of the cell The cell itself has so much intelligence Then all that is made up thereafter The organs and the systems in the body There's so much intelligence Where could all this have come from could all of this happen by chance that You know if you go down to the smallest level you find Intelligence and thereafter, you know in the composition of the entire human body or body of animals or birds or plants or vegetation. There is so much of intelligence could all this have happened by chance Or is there is it the work of an intelligent designer whom we call God last two things so Now from biochemistry you go down to genetics or biological information so You know a lot of the study in genetics began The previous century and Watson and Crick Are Understand about the DNA which is the genetic information that is in Every cell that comp composes our human body So that trillions of cells and every cell has this DNA and this DNA has 23 pairs of chromosomes about 30 000 genes which then give the information to produce over 20 000 different kinds of proteins in the body So there is information here in the genes Which result in the production of these 20 000 different kinds of proteins So When you begin to look at that I mean look at the proteins that are formed the proteins are really made up of The the right amino acids that are linked together and for a single protein molecule A single protein molecule you need to have the right bonds between amino acids and they need to be connected in a specific sequence to form that protein So for just one molecule for just one protein molecule Yeah, sorry for just for this What am I saying here? Yeah So For one protein molecule you need these amino acids connected And a single cell A single cell would have about say about 500 protein molecules a single cell one cell is going to have 300 defined protein molecules But for a single protein molecule You need these amino acids coming together in a certain sequence That means The probability that these amino acids would just connect in that sequence when somebody's Determined it. It's like 10 to the power of You know one out of 10 to the power 25 I mean it's it's so improbable That these amino acids would come and connect in such a way To create that one protein molecule and a single cell simple cell Requires about 300 of these protein molecules We're not talking about complex cells doing simple cell So basically what we're saying is look when you go down to The level of genetics and you look at what's happening at the low level Even in the formation of these protein molecules Which are composed of these amino acids that are connected in a certain sequence to say that these Things would just come and connect like this In such an intelligent way Is there is such a high level Of improbability that makes it Impossible Therefore We are saying that There has to be design For these amino acids to come into place And then for these Right amino acids to come and connect to give rise to that protein molecule And for the right combination of those protein molecules to form the cell We know That the information to do that is in the dna but Where did the information come from where did the design come from The DNA is carrying the information But how did the dna how does the dna know I have to carry this information? How do the amino acids know that we have to join together to form this protein molecule And how do all those protein molecules know they have to come together to form the cell? And we are talking about A single cell And the human body has so many different kinds of cells So how did all this happen? Good all this have happened by chance or Are we going to be convinced that there is intelligence even at this level? Within the cell and lastly and we touched on this in our class last week When we look at it from a psychology perspective, so we're looking at different streams. We looked at cosmology. We looked at physics We looked at astronomy. We looked at biology Our biochemistry and then we went down to genetics And when you look at from a psychology perspective And you say well of course in In in creation we have Us humans and all of us have a brain and For all of us the brain is designed the same way the physical brain But yet And I'm sorry again. I'm just speaking in general terms Now we know that there could be variations But in generally speaking our brains are all designed the same way But Our minds are all different That's what makes us all different our thoughts or beliefs or passions or emotions each one of us, you know Have different expressions. So we are the physical level Generally speaking the brain is an organ That has similar structure for all of us But we're all not the same you know We have A different expression of what we call as the minds Which is expression of our thoughts or feelings and our temperaments all of that which is very very different So there's something there's a there's another level that is different Even though the underlying organ is the same And then in addition to that This is a physical organ But there is the expression of what we are talking what we mentioned last last week Of morality and rationality So not only do we have the mind But then we also have Morality a sense of right and wrong And we have the ability to reason rationality Which is all coming out of this physical one physical organ Or you know and and of course psychologists started to study that whole area of the mind and trying to understand how all of that happens So That becomes another question. How come? you know Matter and the same matter for the most part Is being expressed in so many different ways Or there are these expressions of the mind of morality of rationality coming out And where did that come from? And how you know where could it could it have come from? So What we're doing is what we are saying is that And we've just picked six of these That you know you look at different streams of science Whether you're talking about cosmology astronomy physics Are you talking about biochemistry? You're talking about genetics. You're talking about psychology. You're looking at different streams of science that in each of these There is the opportunity to encounter God Because you come down to the same question that There is so much of intelligence. There is so much of design in I mean in all of these things in every every every stream of science you're coming face to face with Intelligence you're going face to face with design and and for that intelligence to happen by chance We're so improbable So improbable highly improbable that we say that it's just say it's impossibility so therefore That has to be a god And so our responses look the scriptures are telling us, you know that We we must encounter god in his creation and you know, then He's a personal god. He wants to relate to us and help us understand him at a personal level Okay So there are books that you can read there's places, you know, you could explore this even further I'm going to pause here and I want us to just you know, have some discussion and answer You know questions on this, okay I see several hands up. Um I don't know who put the hand up first, but Whether it's samuel or christopher, please go ahead one of you and then the other one can ask you a question Go ahead samuel Christopher Sorry Or samuel go ahead. Yeah, okay. Thank you. Thank you Uh, my meal goes on. Um Supposed to there's one branch of science That that I find is bitch. I like like for with physics biology. I don't see these branches of science directly Uh, you know contradicting existence of god But but I see them as magnifying glorifying god when you know Biology takes us deeper into cells and how they are structured in so much order It's uh, it's just so marvelous um However, uh, I think uh, there's this branch of science called anthropology, uh, which seems to be catching up a lot these days Which is nothing, but uh, it's it's archaeology history sociology all of that combined But it's it's a it's a study of how human beings came to where we are right now And this is the branch that uh, and it even combines evolution and what not so I think it's talks about java man neanderthals All of that like where civilizations started from and off and uh, and uh So this is that branch which Advocates a lot that human beings were The the most logical conclusion as human beings were hunter gatherers When they were initially coming together as tribes Because agriculture happened very late so People initially they would hunt Or they would gather foods, you know, so so that and uh, this kind of the the story of Anthropologies, I think completely opposite of the bible where Uh, it I think the study goes to say like how people From hunter gatherers or they even call them foragers How they would you know occupy a place uh hunt and gather in that place Completely deplete that place and then move to another place And and and so on they moved on in in that context and so So the values that they had systems that it has were Different meaning like one one value that the the prime prime prime I mean the most Primary value that they had was of sharing like if I kill an elephant and I get it I can't consume the whole elephant by myself. So I share it with the tribe Uh, similarly one who gathers a mango and brings that mango will not fulfill his stomach. So I share it So so that whole study goes into you know sharing being the primary value Um, uh, there's there's no marriage And kids who ever kids are born. It's like the whole tribe is just sponsored to raise the kids until uh, the agricultural revolution comes into play somebody discovers agriculture and then uh, the person says it's like, okay I'm not going to go hunting and gathering. That's too dangerous. Like I'll just Uh harvest wheat uh in my backyard. So this land is mine And I'll I'll I'll uh labor on this land and whatever fruit will come So I'll consume it for myself, but I need help us. So then then agriculture then goes on to Institute other components of society like marriage religion country region Tribe and so on and so forth. So So that is um something and that's catching up like these days you pick up any book you pick up The best sellers of these days that talk about humankind and whatnot Generally have their context based on anthropology. So So but when when you look at bible bible starts directly with agriculture with with adam being given instructions from god to Toil the land and and harvest and then keen and able being agriculture. So I think that I see that As a direct contradiction. So so even the answer does not deny Bluntly explicitly the existence of what but I think in in all its presentation in terms of how human beings From java man and caveman 20 and it also became civilized society. I think it uh, It goes on to imply that uh, religion was discovered by man Born out of the agricultural revolution Okay, um, yeah good. So To some extent we are going to address this. So what we are going to do is um, we're gonna talk about Um, actually what we have done in the past and maybe I will expand it for this year Is we we look at darvin's theory this whole theory of evolution how things have evolved And we will well be and and we will also look at the big bang theory of cosmology So we look at those two. We really I try to understand that so the big bang theory is talking about how everything started darvin's theory is talking about how man evolved And now when we talk about that I will expand it to include What you have mentioned To see, you know, what what is being presented to us Here in this whole field of anthropology and and and it relate, you know, and and you're combined in with Sociology and how like exactly what you said Uh, so how do we respond to that from a biblical perspective? And I'm not saying that we are going to have answers for everything Uh, because you know, some of the questions that we will talk about later on is for example Uh, things like The age of the earth and the age of things that we find, you know, how do we respond to it? We're not saying that we will have, uh, you know Great answers, but we will have our response To to these things, right? So we will um, uh, uh expand on what we have been typically doing to include that this, you know In our I think next lecture When we cover we look at Darwin's theory and then we also look at big bang And we will expand it and then and then we'll answer these questions. We will say, okay. This is how we respond to it Uh, or this how we understand it? but from the information we have in the bible and from what is being presented to us through these various streams of science Okay, so, uh, thanks for bringing it up and we will address it Thank you Christopher, I think you've uh, the next one who had to raise the hand and I see Charles also So Christopher, you want to present your question or discussion? Yes, um in relation to uh, maybe you're already, uh, answered back to the decision in relation to the, uh, you know, when uh, you know when Adam Was created and in a sense when when the But Christopher you are far away from the microphone Yeah, so we can't uh, so faint. Can we hear you? Yes, so I I wanted to just uh, I mean this is actually in reference to you know when when adam was created and in a sense when when the when the when the world was created and uh in the bible so With science, they have they have tried to establish through through through research uh, you know Trying to uh, you know Look at rocks and look at you know, uh, you know, I look at uh different natural Structures and it goes back Uh, many many many, you know, uh centuries uh, many many years before before that. So, uh, how does that kind of uh, you know, uh, you know Tally with you know, what what what? What the bible says and what? You know what what science? Comes up with So this is a question we will we will address which has to do with time, right? so the bible in in genesis one and two is describing for us A six-day work of god That took place Bringing in man and you know, all of the things that we see on the planet And yet so therefore we're saying okay people are only so many years old So many thousands of years old and so on and then we have um Science like chris was saying, you know that that when we do those dating to the scientific process we say, okay, the earth is so many Thousands of years hundreds of thousands of years old and so on so forth. So that there's a there's a huge discrepancy between the six thousand years time that presented to us in the bible and What science is presenting to us of hundreds of thousands of years? So how do we respond to that? We will so I will share with you maybe yeah in the next class We probably do those questions first and then move into the chapter on darvin and big bang So we would pick pick up these questions in the next class will pick up these questions then move into the chapter on darvin and big bang so How do we respond to that and I will also share With you some of the different christian perspectives. I just to give you an idea We will get into details next week There is and again, uh, I don't want to say this conclusively but I'm just giving you presenting to you some of the different christian Responses to that. So one of the christian responses to that is between genesis one one and genesis one two There is the possibility of or what people say That There could have been a long time period before we see The Creation of man and and and things on the earth. So that is one perspective that which you may read So I will share with share this with you and then I will say with you what I how I would respond to this time question So that is one perspective that between genesis one one and genesis one two and you may read You know some of these christian responses some in some places. So you'll find some christians will say that Between genesis one one and genesis one two, uh, there was a big time gap Uh, that's why we have The earth Being dated as so many thousands hundreds of thousands of years back Or They may even state that they could have been a prehistoric a preadamic race especially when you come to you know, the fossils and even The fossils of some animals like dinosaurs and others which are dated To many hundreds of thousands of years now. We are saying From genesis one one at six thousand years But the fossils are dated many hundreds of thousands of years or So how do you account for that? So one christian response Is that they must have been a preadamic world? So I'm not saying this is true I'm just saying this is a response that you would read um There is uh, there was a preadamic world That existed before between genesis one one and genesis one two That's why genesis one two says the earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the tea so that means There was water so that god had destroyed the preadamic world with a flood. Okay, that's one now I know time is running out, but Do I you know personally do I believe that I don't maybe next next class? I will explain it But that is one response people have but just Say this, you know There's the other thing to consider which I did mention the last class which is That in the creative work of god every time energy and intelligence or design was compressed in a moment so even if The earth was created in an instant And then you examined what was created you would say well, this is a product of hundreds of thousands of years But in the creative act of god hundreds of thousands of years was compressed into an instant so That is another response And I personally like to take that response as opposed to the previous one that I mentioned Right, we will consider both we will consider both of these next class and as a response to the time question And we will you know, we can look at both sides and see the pros and cons And evaluate it. Is that okay christopher? But I think we will pick it up next class because it does require some amount of discussion Okay This whole issue of time and how do we answer When things are dated hundreds of thousands of years. How do we respond to it? Okay so Charles can we take your question next class? I see your hand up as well Okay So what we will do next week Yes, we will continue this discussion and answer some of the questions that come in relation to creation Then we will proceed to talk about this whole theory of evolution of things evolving over time it's From davenspice on daven on We will spend some time on that And then we will spend some time on the big bank theory. Let's understand it and say, okay. This is what they say so what right And along the way, I just make mention of some hard books that That are out there. I'm not saying you have to go read it. But just just for us to be aware Authors like Richard Dawkins and Stephen Hawkins and others that these are books that You know, just be aware that these are kind of books out there which generally people are reading from which their questions would come and You know, we need to understand where they're coming from And Be firm in where we stand and understand where we stand. So we will go through that next week And probably another week after right? So we will spend maybe two more weeks on this whole aspect of science creation and related matters related issues and address them So, okay Come with your questions take some time to think we will ask questions discuss And then move forward it to other topics We're going to bring this lecture to a close. So, um, I just was Okay Sure, Charles will pick up your question next week. So I'm going to stop the recording. Let's close in prayer And we'll take our break and get ready for