i The Case for Divinity Evidence for creation, God, the Bible, and the Lord Jesus Christ A Study Guide Charlie Brackett Clarion Word Publishing clarionword.com i The Case for Divinity Copyright © 2014, 2015 by Charlie Brackett [email protected] Published by Clarion Word Publishing www.clarionword.com Revised Version NKJV® Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV® Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version.® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Clarion Word Publishing !!!! !!ISBN 978-1-934821-16-9 Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA www.clarionword.com ii Copyright Notice This book contains links to a number of Internet sites. These sites may contain information or material that some people find inappropriate or offensive. 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Their help has been extremely useful and is greatly appreciated. iv This book is dedicated with gratitude to my family, especially my wife, whose patient faith has been an encouragement to me in both happy and trying times. v Table of Contents Preface!.................................................................................xi Evidence for Truth!.................................................................1 Chapter 1 Discussion Questions!.................................................6 Evidence for a First Cause!....................................................8 The Big Bang Theory!.................................................................10 Space, Matter and Time!............................................................12 Whose God?!..............................................................................12 Chapter 2 Discussion Questions!...............................................13 Evidence for God!.................................................................15 The Cosmological Argument!.....................................................16 The Teleological Argument!........................................................17 Bad Design?!..............................................................................17 The Moral Argument!..................................................................18 Conclusion: God Exists!.............................................................19 Chapter 3 Discussion Questions!...............................................20 Evidence for Theistic Evolution?!.........................................22 The Day-Age Theory!.................................................................23 Several “Gap” Theories!.............................................................24 The Gap Theory!........................................................................25 Study Bible Notations Teach the Gap Theory!............................26 The Modified Gap Theory!..........................................................27 Progressive Creationism!...........................................................30 vi The Framework Theory!.............................................................32 Conclusion!.................................................................................34 Chapter 4 Discussion Questions!...............................................35 Evidence for Creation!..........................................................37 Darwin"s Finches!.......................................................................37 Transitional Forms!.....................................................................38 Life, Spontaneous or Created!....................................................40 Intelligent Design!.......................................................................42 Humanity: Evidence for Creation!...............................................42 Baby Morality!.............................................................................44 Fundamental Laws of Science Support Creation!......................47 Chapter 5 Discussion Questions!...............................................47 Evidence for a Young Earth!.................................................50 The Earth"s Young Age!..............................................................51 Geology of the Earth!..................................................................52 Radiometric Dating!....................................................................53 The Earth/Moon Relationship!....................................................54 Evidence for a Young Sun!.........................................................55 Further Evidence of a Young Earth!............................................55 Chapter 6 Discussion Questions!...............................................56 Evidence from Physical Science!.........................................59 Two Laws of Thermodynamics!..................................................60 Oceanography!...........................................................................61 Meteorology!...............................................................................62 Astronomy!.................................................................................62 vii Chapter 7 Discussion Questions!...............................................63 Evidence from Paleontology!...............................................65 Radiocarbon Dating!...................................................................65 Potassium-Argon Dating!............................................................66 Uranium-Lead Dating!.................................................................67 The Fossil Record!......................................................................68 The Cambrian Explosion!...........................................................69 Dinosaurs!..................................................................................71 Biological Homology!..................................................................74 Vestigial Organs!........................................................................75 Chapter 8 Discussion Questions!...............................................76 Evidence from Life Science!.................................................79 Origin of Life!..............................................................................79 Natural Selection!.......................................................................80 Ribosome Design!......................................................................81 DNA Coding!...............................................................................82 Complexity of Life!......................................................................83 Irreducible Complexity!...............................................................84 The Human Eye!.........................................................................84 Hummingbirds!...........................................................................85 Fish!............................................................................................86 Bacterial Flagellum!....................................................................86 Fish with Legs!...........................................................................87 Experimental Evolution!..............................................................89 Is Creation of Life Proven?!........................................................90 viii Chapter 9 Discussion Questions!...............................................90 Evidence from Formal Science!...........................................93 Mathematics and Physical Science!...........................................93 Mathematical Precision!.............................................................94 Linguistics!..................................................................................94 Rational Thought!.......................................................................96 Conclusion!.................................................................................98 Chapter 10 Discussion Questions!.............................................99 Evidence