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Human Evolution and Religion

Dr. David Lahti

Human Evolution and Religion(outline)

1. Religious vs. scientific issues

2. History of modern creation-evolution clash

3. A few examples of evidence for shared human ancestry

Scientific vs. religious issues

• Science = Explaining natural phenomena by:1. Rational formulation of hypotheses

2. Collection of data

3. Testing of hypotheses against observations or experimental results

4. Submitting conclusions to a broader community for review and further testing

• Religion = Finding meaning and purpose, or explaining phenomena, by revelation from a personal or supernatural source

Three views of religion for people who understand science

• Contradiction: Science conflicts with religion and suggests that it is false

• Compartments: Science deals with truth, religion with meaning; so they can coexist

• Complements: Science and religion both deal with truth and meaning, but in different ways

Human Evolution and Religion(outline)

1. Religious vs. scientific issues

2. History of modern creation-evolution clash

3. A few examples of evidence for shared human ancestry

Huxley-Wilberforce debate (1860)

Scopes’ “Monkey Trial” (1925)

Evolution wins national education debate (1960s),

Creationism goes underground

Creationism today

• Kansas school board decisions (1999-2005)

• “Day/Age”, “Gap”, “Old-Earth creationism”, etc.

• “Irreducible complexity” and “Intelligent Design theory”

Human Evolution and Religion(outline)

1. Religious vs. scientific issues2. History of modern creation-evolution

clash3. A few examples of evidence for shared

human ancestry