1. Creationism
   1. Bishop Ussher's chronology -
      1. The original problem - Anglican archbishop in Ireland
         1. A serious scholar
         2. Assumed that the Scripture must be taken literally (1625 AD)
         3. At a time when most English speaking people had just gotten the KJV.
      2. Why didn't somebody think of this before?
         1. Augustine - "in the manner of a popular poet"
         2. Revised sense of what "science" means - divorced from philosophy
            1. Ph D is a doctorate in philosophy.
            2. Science now drives philosophy (hence, scientisms)
         3. Sola Scriptura
      3. The backbone of "Creation Science."
         1. Believed and preached widely.
         2. The greatest impediment to evangelism today, IMHO
   2. Creation "Science"
      1. A literal interpretation of the Scripture
         1. Unknown in the early church
         2. Largely a 20th century innovation (Schofield - first to footnote)
      2. The data must fit the theory
         1. Which is why it is rejected by the overwhelming majority of scientists
         2. But it is key to creationism - look for data to fit.
            1. And sometimes, invent it.
         3. Lends itself to self-important preachers
            1. The Great Conspiracy!
            2. Easily taught, and seems to affect no one.
   3. Why is this important - Adam, Eve, the Fall and original sin.
      1. The core explanation of sin and salvation
      2. To the naturalist, sin doesn't exist, nor evil
         1. hence "bioethics" explains everything, and thus nothing
         2. Adolescent chimpanzee rape
         3. American black experience (serial monogamy)
      3. For the Christian, Adam and Eve must be real people.
         1. Free will vs. Heredity + Environment determinism
         2. Consider it the great demonstration experiment
      4. You tell me:  is there sin and evil in this world?
      5. This is why the argument about evolution.
         1. If we are but animals, then despair
         2. If God is just, how could he blame me for my heredity and environment?
2. Evolution and answers
   1. Definition:  biological evolution, not (e.g.) stellar evolution
   2. Old arguments
      1. Teleological evolution implies a designer
         1. Even the evolutionists slip into such usage ("evolving towards")
         2. A difficult argument, as it appears rather circular
         3. Does not really address sin and evil
      2. It's all covered in creationism (and those who don't believe…)
      3. On the other hand, Cain's wife (Genesis 4).
      4. Adam's belly button
   3. New argument - Intelligent Design
      1. Essentially teleological evolution
      2. Survival of the fittest implies arrival of the fit.
      3. Mathematical theory to back it up
         1. Old view - slow, tedious evolution, no milestones
         2. New view - meteor impacts.  Number of new species too great for random generation.
      4. See SETI
3. The limits of science
   1. Distinguish science from scientists - who have their fashion in ideas.
   2. Feynman's observation

Book of the week:  The Christian View of Science and Scripture, Ramm, Eerdmans Publishing

Impact upon evangelism

Asking someone to believe creationism as a prerequisite to obtaining salvation.