Intelligent Design Conference - Dr. Carl Percival

Christians are often pictured as knuckle dragging, anti-intellectual, backwards-thinking yahoos. We see this in movies, TV shows and other mass media. This seems particularly true when it comes to stem cell research, abortion, evolution and a belief in the inerrancy of the Bible. We hear so often that we are not being scientific or rational that it becomes difficult to believe otherwise.

But, wait a minute! We ARE being rational and scientific when we believe in the authority of the Bible, in the sanctity of all human life and that humans were and are created in the image of God. Modern Western science grew out of a Christian worldview. A vast majority of the giants of science were all Bible-believing Christians. Galileo, Newton, Copernicus, Boyle and Mendel were all such men.

The development of the modern, empirical scientific method is often credited to Francis Bacon, another Bible-believing Christian. Nothing has changed in the way we acquire knowledge, truth and a more accurate description of the reality in which we live. We've merely improved the technology with which we accomplish this effort. This is still what science is all about, that is, the search for knowledge and truth about reality. Is fundamental Christianity incompatible with modern science? Is there a difference between faith and knowledge? If so, what is it? We will investigate these questions. Additionally, we will ask, "How do we know anything at all?" "Why should we want to or care?"