Video Introduction

This module's video, Scientific Creationism by Dr. Henry Morris, presents a thorough examination of the creation/evolution controversy. Through Dr. Morris' instruction, you should develop an understanding of the definition of science and the concepts used to discuss science. This video will help you obtain a knowledge of the basic tenets of each model of origins. It will also examine the evidence presented by each model.

A. Defining Science 1. The textbook definition (Morris and Parker, p. 9) science means knowledge obtained by scientific method (observation, experimentation, measurement) 2. The nature of science (Morris, J. p17) observable, testable, potentially falsifiable, reproducible 3. The limitations of science a. cannot test things which happened in the past b. cannot test non-physical B. Defining Creation 1. Biblical Creation—the supernatural creation of all things in six literal days by the God of the Bible (Morris, J. p.10) 2. Scientific Creationism—each basic category of life appeared abruptly without descending from a common ancestor of a different sort. Much variation within a category is expected, but each possessed genetic limits to its variability and thus exhibited stasis. (Morris, J. p.10) C. Defining Evolution 1. All living things have arisen by a naturalistic mechanistic evolutionary process from a single living source which itself arose by a similar process from a dead, inanimate world. (Gish, p.28) 2. All life has come from a common ancestor through a process of modification over time. The man and the apes are thought to have descended from an ape-like common ancestor. All vertebrates came from fish, which in turn came from an invertebrate. All life descended from a single celled organism which arose spontaneously from non-living chemicals. Changes occurred through natural processes, including mutation, natural selection, and genetic recombination. (Morris, J. p. 10) 3. Macroevolution—Large hypothetical changes which occur in an individual or in a population of organisms which produce an entirely new category or novel trait. These changes have never been observed to occur within living populations (Morris, J. p 10) 4. Microevolution—Small adaptations within a population of organisms which allow a certain trait to be expressed to a greater or lesser degree than before; variation within a category. These are regularly observed to occur within living populations. (Morris, J. p10) D. The origin of life and the universe are outside the limits of empirical science. (Morris, H. p4 – 8; Morris, J. p. 18 – 19) 1. Cannot be observed—Creation is "a completed act and is not taking place now"; evolution "occurs too slowly to be measured" 2. Cannot be reproduced—cannot repeat history 3. Cannot be tested—even if it were proved that evolution/creation can happen, that does not prove that it did happen

II. Using models to test the results of the process of origins

A. Description of a theory (Bliss, p. 7) 1. Must be able to explain what has been observed 2. Must be able to predict what cannot be observed 3. Must be capable of being subjected to a test of falsification 4. Must be able to be modified as new data emerge B. Neither evolution nor creation can fit the description of a theory C. Definition of a model 1. "A conceptual framework, an orderly system of thought, within which one tries to correlate observable data and even to predict data." (Morris, H. p.9) 2. "A temporary frame of reference within which scientific and historical data can fit" (Bliss, p.6) 3. Can compare two alternative models and note which model fits the facts and predictions with the smallest number of secondary assumptions (Morris, H. p.9) 4. "The model that enables us to do the best job of predicting things which we then find to be true on observation is the model most likely to be true, even though we cannot prove it to be true by actual scientific repetition." (Morris, H. and Parker, p. 9) D. Introduction to the Creation Model of Origins 1. Supernatural origin of all things. Design, purpose, interdependence and information 2. Net basic decrease in complexity over time. Limited horizontal change. 3. Earth history dominated by catastrophic events. 4. At least some things must be attributed to completed , supernatural processes in an open universe. (Morris, H and Parker, G. p.9) E. Introduction to the Evolutionary model of origins 1. Naturalistic origin of all things. Chance, random mutations, natural selection 2. Net basic increase in complexity over time. Unlimited vertical change. 3. Earth history dominated by uniform events. Neo-catastrophism.

III. Using models of origins to make predictions about what evidence is expected.

A. Natural selection and speciation B. The fossil record C. The age of the Earth