Creation

1. Creation

2. A Questions • AO1 – Knowledge and Understanding – one side. • Explain in lots of detail • 20 mins • Approx 2 sides • Link back to the question • Make links between your paragraphs – don’t produce a list.

3. Explain ways in which religious believers explain the origin of the universe [30] • Young Earth Creationism - 6 days, creation ex nihilo, Archbishop Ussher, Bible is Science, God created out of love, God is the omnipotent creator. • Old Earth Creationism – the ‘days’ were longer periods of time, so the universe originated as long ago as science suggests, Bible central, creation ex nihilo etc. • Schroeder – the universe originated with the Big Bang, Genesis gives the symbolic truth that God made the world through the scientific processes of the Big Bang. • Deism – God made the universe, then left it. • The Theory of Intelligent Design

4. Explain scientific ideas on the origin and nature of the universe. [30] • NATURE • Still expanding from singularity • Still cooling • Random chance – no cause • Expansion may slow and cause the Big Crunch • Expansion looks to be quickening – Continuous expansion (Heat Death) • DEAL WITH BOTH ORIGIN AND NATURE IN DETAIL • ORIGIN = Big Bang • approx 13 billion years ago • Singularity exploded • <second time and space • 3 mins protons and neutrons formed atoms • Half million years, temp cooled enough for hydrogen and helium to form • Billion years – stars and galaxies form • Many stars died before our sun and planets formed

5. Explain scientific ideas about the end of the universe [30] • Big Crunch • Expansion slows down due to gravity • All matter rushes back to the point of singularity • May cause another ‘bang’ – Oscillating Universe Theory (conditions for life occur by chance) • Evidence expansion quickening • Missing matter • Endless Expansion • Evidence suggests expansion getting faster • Theory – expand forever • 2nd law thermodynamics – eventually run out of energy (entropy) • Universe will die as no energy. No light or heat means nothing can live = heat death

6. Explain ways in which religious believers explain the origin of life on Earth • Young Earth Creationism – creation ex nihilo, humans made ‘in God’s image’, the last and greatest of His creation, made to have a relationship with God, made to look after God’s world and its creatures, world made carefully to support humans and for their enjoyment, all part of a divine plan • Old Earth Creationism – As above, but different time scale. • Charles Kingsley – God made humans through the processes of evolution “Old God so wise ...”

7. Explain scientific ideas on the origin of life [30] • 1859 – Darwin On the Origin of the Species • Galapagos Islands – finches • Natural Selection and adaptation – Example of wolves and the deer. • Species have adapted and developed over many years from very simple organisms • Survival of the fittest. • Explains the existence of intelligent life on earth. • No need for a Creator God

8. Explain religious beliefs on the qualities of a creator God. [30] • God as Creator – Creationism, God making the world, showing His power and love • God as Father – creates and loves us all, wants us to be happy, wants us to have a relationship with Him and with each other (creates Eve for Adam) • God as sustainer – Ontological Dependence, gives order (time), the world is totally dependant upon God. • Deism – God is a powerful creator, but the world is now independent from Him.

9. B Questions A good B question will: • Have a clear argument running through it, but will not use ‘I’. • Examine both sides. • Contain analysis (next slide will help) • Be focussed on the question. • Come to a conclusion which is based on evidence discussed in the essay.

10. Critical Analysis • This is a very damaging criticism because ___. • However, one could argue that _____. • The Design Argument can not stand up against this criticism because _____ • Although Polkinghorne defends the Design Argument by stating _____, he fails to protect the argument fully because _______. • Dawkin’s argument’s is weak here because ____. • Despite this criticism, the Design Argument is still a sound one because ________.

11. b) “Science and Religion are irrelevant to each other on the issue of the origin of life. [15] • AGAINST • Science destroys religion – Dawkins • The Bible is science – Creationists • Kingsley and the Anthropic Principle – religion and science are compatible. • FOR • Stephen Jay Gould – “We can neither affirm nor deny it, we simply cannot comment on it as scientists.” • Wittgenstein – Language Games

12. b) Assess the view that science and religion are complimentary on the issue of the origin of the universe. [15] • FOR • Schroeder – Genesis and the Big Bang. Symbolic interpretations = science and religion are compatible. • AGAINST • Conflict – Dawkins, Creationists • Irrelevant – Gould, Wittgenstein

13. b) “The views of religion and science are in conflict on the issue of the origin of life.” How far do you agree with this statement? [15] • AGAINST • Complimentary – Kingsley / Anthropic Principle • Irrelevant – Gould, Wittgenstein • FOR • Science – Dawkins • Religion - Creationism

14. b) “God is simply an answer for unanswered questions and an explanation for the unexplained.” How far do you agree with this statement? [15] • AGAINST • Creationism – God explains everything in the Bible – Science isn’t needed and religion has ALL of the answers • Strengths of Schroeder and Kingsley’s ideas. • Gould – science and religion shouldn’t be combined at all. • FOR • Dawkins – God of the Gaps. Eventually there will be no gaps for God to hide in. • Criticisms of Schroeder and Kingsley’s attempt to combine religion and science.

15. b) “Intelligent Design is a scientific idea.” How far do you agree with this statement? • FOR • Michele Behe – Irreducibility of complex structures like DNA • Anthropic Principle – Fine-tuning = evidence of God. • God can be seen in the complexities of science – science has revealed the existence of God. • Daniel Dennett – religious idea. Problems with the eye etc • Dawkins – this is another example of God of the gaps – science reveals that God does NOT exist (Big Bang and Evolutionary Theories) • Gould – science and religion are irrelevant to each other.