This post is on Part IV of The Comprehensive Guide to Science and Faith edited by William A. Dembski, Casey Luskin, and Joseph M. Holden (Eugene Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2021). It contains 11 of the book’s 48 chapters, each of which I’ll note the main idea of and/or summarize.
Chapter 38. Is Science the Only Means for Acquiring Truth? by David R. C. Deane opens by defining scientism as “the totalizing or exaggerated view that science is the only means for acquiring truth” and identifying three primary features of it: first, scientism is a “belief” or philosophy about science and not a demonstration of science; second, scientism is a belief about how we know (epistemology); and third, scientism’s claims about how we know guarantees certain conclusions about what we know (metaphysics). It then states and elaborates on three criticisms of scientism: Criticism 1: If the premise of scientism is valid, it is false by definition and consequently self-refuting. Criticism 2: If the premise of scientism is valid, it eliminates all knowledge outside the scope of science including that which makes science possible to begin with. Criticism 3: If the premise of scientism is valid, it conceptually reduces the existence of all things to their quantitative properties, including human beings. It concludes that science is not the only means of acquiring truth, that scientism is a worldview issue, and that scientists, philosophers, and theologians should work together to establish an integrated worldview. The author closes by proposing that the Judeo-Christian revelation contained in the Bible is capable of furnishing such a worldview.
Chapter 39. Is Theistic Evolution a Viable Option for Christians? by Jay W. Richards defines “God” and “evolution” and claims that theism is compatible with all senses of evolution except what he calls the “blind watchmaker” thesis, the idea that all organisms have descended from common ancestors solely through unguided, unintelligent, purposeless, material processes such as natural selection acting on random variations or mutations.” He asserts that it makes no sense to speak of God guiding an unguided process.
Chapter 40. Will Intelligent Machines Rise Up and Overtake Humanity? by Robert J. Marks opens by quoting how various top minds answer the question. It then examines three noncomputable human traits–sentience, understanding, and creativity; claims that various artificial intelligence dystopians argue outside their field of expertise; and identifies the danger of artificial intelligence and tells how they can be mitigated through proper design practices. It concludes, “If Ai becomes dangerous, it will be the fault of humans who develop and use AI. Following good ethics will likewise never be the responsibility of AI itself, but will always belong to those who write and test AI systems and to the end users (humans).”
Chapter 41. Can Panspermia Explain the Origin of Life? by Guillermo Gonzalez opens by identifying the four broad steps needed for panspermia (the theory that life on the earth originated from microorganisms or chemical precursors of life present in outer space and able to initiate life on reaching a suitable environment): (1) launch from an inhabited planet’s surface, (2) transit through interplanetary and/or interstellar space, (3) arrival at a habitable planet, and (4) colonization of the habitable planet. It then considers the steps in detail as applied locally to our solar system, concluding that Earth is the only inhabited planet in it, and then to other planetary systems, concluding that for the vast majority of stars panspermia is not a viable model for transferring life.
Chapter 42. Does the Multiverse Refute Cosmic Design? by Bruce L. Gordon defines multiverse (MTV) in physics and cosmology as Multiple Trials for Viability, explains the article’s task being “to evaluate the work of cosmologists and theoretical physicists who are trying to explain cosmological origins and fine-tuning in purely naturalistic terms,” and challenges the reader to “put on your thinking cap, grab some popcorn, and let’s get started.” I put on my thinking cap, grabbed a cup of coffee, and got started. Unfortunately that wasn’t enough, my lacking the background to understand much of the presentation. However I was impressed by it and certainly agree with its conclusion: “When the logical and metaphysical necessity of an efficient cause, the demonstrable absence of a material one, and the realized implication of a universe both contingent and finite in temporal duration are all conjoined with the fact that we exist in an ordered cosmos–the conditions of which are fine-tuned beyond the capability of any credible mindless process–the scientific points inexorably toward transcendent intelligent agency as the only sufficient cause and the only reasonable explanation.”
Chapter 43. What About Human Exceptionalism and Genetic Engineering? by Wesley J. Smith considers a success in, difficulties in, objections to, and ethics of CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats) and concludes “In summary, if we can learn how to safely and effectively engage in somatic gene editing to treat genetic diseases and disabilities via means of medical experiments, I think we should…. But germline genetic engineering and editing for purposes of enhancements or for eugenics purposes should be entirely beyond the pale.” It then considers how we should view the products of genetic engineering and the question of “upgraded” animals.
Chapter 44. How Should Christians Think About Origins? by Richard G. Howe shows how the doctrine of creation gives us our fundamental understanding of God, of the nature of the universe, of the nature of mankind, of mankind’s relationship to God, of mankind’s relationship to the universe, and of mankind’s relationship to mankind. It also lists numerous ideas that the Christian doctrine of creation repudiates.
Chapter 45. How Should We Think About the Age of the Earth? by David Haines identifies various views held by Bible-believing Christians on the age of the earth, discusses several mistakes to avoid in discussing the age of the earth, and gives a number of conclusions: “First, … it is absolutely necessary to distinguish … between the age of the universe, the age of the Earth, and the antiquity of the human race … Second, we must be willing to humbly consider the offerings of both biblical interpretation and the observations of the natural sciences … Third, Third, we can and must defend the creation, by divine fiat, of the entire cosmos and all that is within it … Fourth, the matters relating to the age of the Earth and the antiquity of the human species are not essential doctrines … Finally, the age question should not be used as a criterion for Christian fellowship nor as a test for biblical orthodoxy or inerrancy, as no one is denying the fact and historical nature of creation.”
Chapter 46. How Have Christians Helped to Advance Science? by Henry “Fritz” Schaeffer III describes chronologically several notable scientists from Francis Bacon to the present who were strong Christians.
Chapter 47. How Can We Make Sense of Natural Evil? by William A. Dembski, one of the book’s editors, suggests a solution for the presence of natural evil in the billions of years since the creation of the Earth according to Old-Earth creationists, that there were two creations–the creation of the Earth and the universe in which natural evil occurred, and the creation of the Garden of Eden in which it wasn’t allowed. To me, the proposal is a “having your cake and eating it” solution.
Chapter 48. Should Christians Embrace Human Enhancement Science and Technology That Extends Mental and Physical Limitations? by Miguel Angel Endara answers negatively, claiming that “The futuristic visions of transhumans are idols that, if they ever come to pass, would compromise the experiencing union with God. Breaking through the God-ordained mental and physical limits would disrupt not only the possibility of gaining moral and intellectual virtues, but also theological virtues.”
Bob's Corner 