Unit 4 (year 11)

Science & Religion

Truths

Type of truth

Meaning

Scientific

Proved using scientific evidence, using observation,

hypothesis, experiment and repeated testing to
prove that something is true. Scientific truths are
objective, the truth is constantly changing because
experiments may result in new evidence.

Religious

Is what religious believers claim to be true about

the existence of God, the origin of the universe and
the purpose of life. Belief, trust and experience
along with religious authority is used. However, the
main source is faith.

Historical

Use evidence from a different source of truth which

is subjective. Evidence can consist of documents,
objects, sound recording etc. Historical truth can
not be roved in the same way as scientific.

How did our universe begin? Big bang theory

The Big Bang Theory is the dominant scientific theory about the origin of the
universe. It is a theory that supports the idea of an ever-changing universe
because the universe is still evolving
According to the big bang, the universe was created sometime around 10
15 billion years ago from a explosion that came from nothing that hurled
matter and in all directions.

After approximately half a million years, the temperatures cooled sufficiently

to allow the gases, hydrogen and helium to form. It took another billion
years before the starts and galaxies began to appear.

One planet at least formed life, earth was formed during the subsequent
expansion of the universe, which is continuing today.

START

1. In the
beginning,
there was
nothing

On the first day God

created light- he said
let there be light.
He called the light
day and the darkness
night

On the
second day
God created
the sky

On the third day God

separated the seas
from the dry land. He
called the water the
sea and the dry parts
the land

END
On the
seventh day
God rested.

On the sixth day

God also created man
and woman in his image.
He blessed them with the
earth and everything in
it.

Genesis Creation
Story

On the sixth day

God created
every living
creature on the
earth

On the fifth day God

created the birds of
the air and the fish of
the seas. He blessed
them to live and
multiply

On the third
day God
also created
vegetation
On the fourth day
God created the sun
moon and stars to
separate night from
day. This would also
mark the months and
days

Interpretation
View

Belief

Fundamentalist

Teaches that scripture is direct Word of God. Everything,

therefore is literal, exact truth. It is a factual historical record. If
the big bang theory contradicts Genesis then it is wrong. This
view is otherwise known as creationism

*Not possible to believe in

Genesis and big bang

Non- literal view

Judaism does not interpret the account literally along with many
Christians. They believe the writers brought their own
interpretation and did not record Gods message word for word.
What the writers wrote was inspired by God so that the meaning
was clear. It was written in this way given the people at the time.

Creation account as a myth

For some believers, including some who hold a non-literal view,

the account is a myth. A myth is believed to have truth within it
but it is not scientific or historical, it is religious or moral truth. It
is a story passed down to help people understand Gods role in
creation.

Other religious creation stories

Religion

Explanation

Buddhism

Do not believe in God and the creation story is based on a

teaching of Buddha. Little attention is given to how creation
happened in Buddhism and therefore not a problem to accept the
big bang.

Muslim

Muslims believe that Allah created everything and this is found in

the Quran. Muslims have no problem with believing in the big
bang and find it as extra evidence.

Sikhism

Sikhs believe that God created the whole universe. Go was all
that existed before creation. While alone, God planned the
universe and everything needed for creation was enclosed in an
egg. When God said the time was right everything exploded and
the shell burst and the elements started to mover out. Sikhs do
not think the big bang contradicts this

Galileo
Copernicus

The cosmological
revolution

The theory of
Evolution

Gases on the earths surface produced

primitive life forms.

The process of evolution led to the

development of animals and humans.

Simple life forms adapted and changed over

long periods of time, firstly living in the
water and then adapting to life on the land

The 2 best known evolutionary theories

were proposed by Jean- Baptiste Lamarck
and Charles Darwin

Origin of Species (1859)

This theory of Evolution

removed the need for an

Intelligent Designer
(Creator) and I have
received a lot of criticism
from religious people who
believe that all species
were created by God and
couldnt change.

(1809 1882)

Darwin observed that organisms

produce more offspring that can
survive, they are not identical. Due
to environment some of the
variations will help some of the
offspring survive better than
others. The ones that survive
produce offspring of their own.
Darwin called this natural selection

Science and Religion

1950 - Pope Pius XII stated
that the Church did not prohibit
the study of evolution
1995 - Pope John Paul II said
that Darwinism was no longer a
mere hypothesis
Pope Benedict concerned that
scientists looking for
explanations that excluded God.

Science and Religion

Catholic Church has never
condemned the theory of
evolution or Charles Darwin.
In 2009, to mark the 150th
anniversary of Darwins book,
the Church organised an
international debate and
scientists and theologians were
invited to attend.
Accept evolution but there is a
guiding hand behind it (God)

Challenges of evolution

Why science and religion cannot agree

Why science and religion can agree

Scientists who are atheists If the Bible stories are not

totally reject religion
taken literally then they
can agree
Fundamentalist Christians
have developed their own
scientific creation account as
it wouldnt be compatible

Islam has always taught

that science proves the
truth in the Quran

Dangerous to challenge
religious truths to fit
scientific laws as this leads
to the rejection of other
teachings in the Bible.

Buddhism, Hinduism and

Sikhism all agree that
scientific findings do not
conflict with the teachings of
their religion.

Questions

Science

Religion

Science versus religion in the

modern world

Separation of science and

religion
World has become secular
Fewer people attend place
of worship
Middles ages this was the
opposite
2 separated since the
cosmological revolution

God of the gaps

As science had taken over, religion
was used to fill in the gaps that
science couldnt explain
Religion needed
Pierre Laplace says no
However, religions believe science
is independent and therefore religion
is needed
The modern world needs religion as
the spiritual needs have to be catered
for