WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:29.980 00:30.000 --> 00:43.460 The theory of evolution claims that the breathtaking and fine-tuning and complexity that we observe in the cell atoms in nature and universe are from coincidences. 00:44.260 --> 00:52.560 This is kind of absurd and almost ridiculous if you really think about it, and somewhat unscientific and irrational. 00:53.380 --> 00:56.580 But still the scientific world seems to be deceived by it. 00:56.580 --> 01:04.900 How can scientists who have faith in God collaborate to overturn the fallacy of these claims? 01:04.900 --> 01:17.140 Well, you put it in terms of evolutionary theory, which is the dominant view about human origins and organic life in the universe. 01:17.140 --> 01:26.020 That view is prominent largely in part because of an assumption that is made about the nature of the universe. 01:26.460 --> 01:28.940 It's the assumption of scientific naturalism. 01:29.660 --> 01:35.020 The scientific naturalist believes that all that exists, all that is real, is the natural world. 01:35.020 --> 01:37.340 They are anti-supernatural. 01:37.600 --> 01:38.500 There is no God. 01:39.700 --> 01:42.500 And today, it's mostly physicalist. 01:42.900 --> 01:48.400 So the only thing that exists, anything that's real, is physical stuff, matter and energy. 01:49.180 --> 01:50.200 And that's it. 01:50.320 --> 01:51.180 That's all there is. 01:51.620 --> 01:55.480 Now, if that's your view of the world, you don't have much to go on. 01:55.480 --> 02:01.080 Evolution is about the only option you have to make sense of human existence. 02:01.080 --> 02:14.760 And even then, it's really grasping at straws because there are so many things about human nature and human experience that cannot be explained in terms of natural evolution by itself. 02:14.760 --> 02:27.900 You need something external, something transcendent, I think, to be able to explain human nature, human moral action, human freedom, human aspirations. 02:29.080 --> 02:30.340 We have souls. 02:30.960 --> 02:34.180 You have to deny this if you're a scientific naturalist. 02:34.180 --> 02:44.860 And yet, you're denying something that seems so utterly undeniable from the inside because we know ourselves to be more than just physical, material things. 02:44.860 --> 03:00.400 Now, having said that, I will say that there are supernaturalists who deny scientific naturalism, who also believe that there's some scope for evolutionary theory in the account. 03:00.400 --> 03:07.820 But, in general, they deny that you've got species evolving from other species. 03:08.380 --> 03:11.400 So, what you get is evolution within species. 03:12.300 --> 03:25.180 And this is to the credit of the creator who can then account for the special creation of individual species, including Homo sapiens, of course. 03:25.180 --> 03:36.600 So, the biggest problem, the most fundamental problem, driving this agenda, this anti-God agenda, I think, is the scientific naturalism. 03:36.600 --> 03:44.800 And the evolution rides on the coattails of scientific naturalism because it's Alvin Plantinga, as a Christian philosopher, who said, 03:45.140 --> 03:49.280 evolution is the only game in town if you're going to deny the existence of a creator. 03:49.280 --> 03:50.700 Yes. 03:51.700 --> 03:53.060 Very well said. 03:54.020 --> 03:55.740 Very interesting thoughts. 03:56.220 --> 04:02.400 I want to, once again, thank you very much for your thoughts and discussions that we've had here. 04:03.680 --> 04:09.520 We hope to continue our collaboration and discussions in the future with yourself. 04:09.880 --> 04:11.900 We'd like to invite you to come to Istanbul. 04:11.900 --> 04:24.740 And, in closing, I'd like to just give you a moment to just kind of give your closing thoughts on our get-together here today and possibly working in the future together. 04:26.180 --> 04:27.800 Well, you reached out to me. 04:27.940 --> 04:38.840 I heard from you and have been very interested in learning from you about the work you're doing, the literature you've produced, and the way that you've disseminated this worldwide. 04:38.840 --> 04:51.920 It is true that we have very common concerns about the naturalism of the day, the dominant hedonism and secularism that controls the Western world, 04:52.380 --> 05:04.040 and some of the other more radical wings of religious belief that we've talked about today that also create strife and dissension worldwide. 05:04.040 --> 05:15.000 And so, I think that we've made some new friends today and discovered that we are faced with a lot of the same challenges. 05:15.720 --> 05:20.580 And if you can show me around Istanbul someday, I would love that. 05:20.640 --> 05:21.600 That would be fantastic. 05:21.760 --> 05:28.680 I hear so many good things about Turkey, and it's on my bucket list of places to visit sometime. 05:28.920 --> 05:29.240 Wonderful. 05:29.240 --> 05:31.000 Thank you for coming to Biola University. 05:31.000 --> 05:31.680 Absolutely. 05:31.880 --> 05:32.800 You're more than welcome. 05:33.120 --> 05:34.280 We appreciate it. 05:34.420 --> 05:39.380 We've had such a great time being in Southern California and visiting the campus, beautiful campus here. 05:40.300 --> 05:45.540 And, of course, in the future, we will hope to expect you to come to Istanbul. 05:46.400 --> 05:48.380 And I want to thank our viewers. 05:48.380 --> 05:59.980 And, again, this is Professor Douglas Gaivet from Biola University and the professor in theology. 05:59.980 --> 06:00.020 Thank you.