Biology Questions Understanding The Times

Understanding The Times
Biology Questions # 1-30
Biology 4.1
1) What are some problems with the theory of theistic evolution?
Some problems with the theory of theistic evolution are that Christians must take substantial liberties in interpreting the Bible. They also face most of the same weaknesses as proponents of atheistic evolution.
2) What aspects of the Christian worldview werefoundational to the development of science?
One line of scientific reasoning that points to a Creator is the intricate design found in all living organisms. Recent discoveries reveal that life is indeed analogous to the most complex, machinery, thereby reinforcing Paley’s argument. “When we truly understand the ordered complexity of life, it is hard to imagine chance producing even bacterial cells, thesimplest living system”.
3) Define the following topics: DNA, spontaneous generation, Second Law of Thermodynamics, and gene pool. How do they relate to the debate over origins?
-DNA: Contains the genetic information code and is a crucial part of all living matter.
-Spontaneous Generation: The only alternative to believe in a single, primary act of supernatural creation.
-Second Law ofThermodynamics: A natural law that states that although the total energy in the cosmos remains constant, the amount of energy available to do useful work is always decreasing.
-Gene Pool: Limits the possible variation of species and has troubled a great number of evolutionists.
These all relate to the debate over origins because they all contribute some kind of information about how the living cellbegan.
4) According to Walter Brown, what should we see in the fossil record if evolution is true?
We should see continuous and gradual changes from the bottom to the top layers and between all forms of life in the fossil record to prove that evolution is true.
5) What problems does the theory of punctuated equilibrium avoid? What problems must it face?
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Biology 4.2
6) What is the Islamicview of creation?
The Islamic worldview affirms that God created the universe. According to Islam, God has always existed. He created everything and set the universe in order.
7) According to Islam, how many days did creation take?
According to Islam, some passages describe the creation as having taken eight days.
8) According to Islam, did creation happen in literal days or longer periods oftime?
According to Islam, creation happened in long periods of times instead of literal days. The Qur’an witness further testifies that God created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six periods and no weariness touched him.
9) Do Muslims believe that the universe displays design?
The Qur’an describes the universe as finely ordered, illustrating God’s magnificent mind indesigning it. As do Christians, Muslims regularly appeal to the order of the universe as evidence of God’s existence and creative activity.
10) Does Islam incorporate a belief in evolution?
Though some modern Muslims have been persuaded that evolutionary theories accurately describe the history of the world and the origin of species, the majority of Muslims reject evolutionary theories on bothreligious and scientific grounds.
Biology 4.3
11) What do the Humanist Manifestos I and II state about humanity’s origins?
Humanist Manifesto I states that “Humanism believes that man is a part of nature and that he has emerged as the result of a continuous process”. This belief is echoed in the Humanist Manifesto II, which claims that “science affirms that the human species is an emergence fromnatural evolutionary forces”.
12) Why must “modern” science rule out creation? Does this reasoning pose a problem for evolution as well? Why or why not?
When one assumes that science is the best method of obtaining knowledge and that science must exclude the supernatural, one cannot accept supernatural explanations for the origin of life. By this definition, science cannot render judgment on the...