Science and Truth

Basic Questions:

· What is truth?

· What is science?

· What are facts?

· Is scientific language different? How?

· How do we know anything?

· Is "truth" the same thing as "certain Knowledge"?

· Is the universe open or closed?

· Intrinsic and extrinsic properties. Is Weight or number the same Kind of thing as smell or color?

Ways of Knowing or answering questions:

· Frodo's question: "what do I have in my pocket?"

· What sex am I?

· When was I born? Where was I born?

· What is my favorite song? Why did I choose my career?

Implications/burning questions:

· Age of the universe.

· Origins issues.

· Reality of the supernatural world.

· Miracles.

· Reliability of scripture.

· How should we then live?

Basic concepts:

· All truth is God's truth,

· Truth cannot conflict with itself. Partially understood truth can appear to conflict with other partially understood truth.

· Science is properly a methodology and not a body of knowledge.

· There are different types of questions, which require differing methodologies to answer.

· If a particular question is not answerable using one particular method, it does not follow that the question has no answer.

· Incorrect choice of method may lead to incorrect answers, or no answer.

· Every method is based upon assumptions, and ultimately all assumptions can be queried and driven back to axioms, fundamental assumptions about the deep nature of the cosmos.

· Scientific theories are not abandoned by scientists just because they have some unsolvable problems, but only because, and when, a better theory comes along.

· There is no better naturalistic theory of biological origins than modern Darwinism, hence its tenacity.

· Modern science answers many questions marvelously well (What, where, when and how), but begs most of the deepest questions: (who and why).

· These questions of person and intention and meaning require a different method: personal communication and revelation.

· Science and revelation are not opposed; simply different methods of Knowing, and dealing generally with different questions. Neither reveals all there is to know.

Books of interest:

Johnson, Philip, Reason in the Balance as well as his other works.

Denton, Michael, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis

Pearcy, Nancy and Thaxton, Charles, The Soul of Science: Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy

Clark, Gordon H, The Philosophy of Science and Belief in God

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