Reasonable Faith Adelaide is a Christian apologetics group that is a local chapter of Reasonable Faith in the US, which is led by Dr William Lane Craig. We aim to provide a specific voice on Christian apologetics in South Australia, are non-denominational and adhere to mainstream Christian beliefs as summarized in the Nicene Creed.
The purposes of Reasonable Faith Adelaide are to:
Provide an articulate, intelligent voice for biblical Christianity in the public arena,
Strengthen the faith and foundational beliefs of believers,
Equip believers to engage unbelievers,
Reach out to unbelievers, and
Create an environment in which the Christian faith is perceived as a viable intellectual option such that the gospel can be heard.
The aim will be to provide events that are of interest to people of all persuasions.
I encourage you to invite friends or acquaintances who are likely to be interested in this venture.
We usually meet at 7-9 pm on every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month via Zoom. Sign up to receive our twice monthly email using the sign up form on the right hand pane. This does not commit you to pay any money and you can unsubscribe at any time.
“Oh Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8
September 25, 2022
Abductive reasoning & Conspiracy Theories by Ken Samples
On Thursday 22nd September, Dr Kenneth Samples from Reasons to Believe, spoke to RFA on “Abductive reasoning & Conspiracy Theories”.
What does this mean? Reasoning can be deductive, inductive or abductive.
For deductive reasoning, the conclusions are certainly true.
For inductive reasoning, the conclusions are probably true.
For abductive reasoning, the conclusions are plausibly true.
Abductive reasoning is the ‘best’ explanation for a given phenomenon, where the best explanation is the one that is most likely to be true.
A conspiracy theory is a theory that explains an event that is the result of a secret plot by powerful conspirators. Examples are:
the American government were engaged in a plot to kill President Kennedy.
a select group of people who are part of clandestine societies control the world.
getting vaccinated is a bigger risk to their health than getting infected with the coronavirus.
Most conspiracy theories are false, but some are true. Ken described how best to evaluate them. A video of his talk and the ensuing discussion is available on YouTube.
Kenneth Richard Samples earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy and social science from Concordia University and his M.A. in theological studies from Talbot School of Theology. He is a senior research scholar at Reasons To Believe (RTB). He uses his knowledge to help others find the answers to life’s questions and encourages believers to develop a logically defensible faith and challenges sceptics to engage Christianity at a philosophical level.
The origin of life problem remains one of the most challenging scientific questions of all time. Until the 19th century, it was widely believed that life would spontaneously arise from other life. This phenomenon was known as spontaneous generation and was the best explanation of the time when describing the formation of moulds & fungi, as well as maggots, mice, and other such creatures. The theory was finally put to rest following a series of scientific experiments that exposed the existence of bacteria & other such microbes.
The living cell is truly an extraordinary feat that hosts a complex mix of biochemical interactions to sustain even the simplest of lifeforms. Modern-day scientific research on the origin of life is known as Abiogenesis: Life from non-life. There are numerous scientific theories for how life could have come about on a lifeless primordial Earth, whereby specific conditions brought about the first self-replicating molecules essential for chemical evolution. Regardless of the worldview you hold, it is beneficial to know the arguments that both support and oppose your belief, therefore Joshua will be outlining the current scientific theories & discoveries surrounding abiogenesis.
Joshua Meade
Joshua Meade is a PhD student at the University of South Australia. He is a mechatronic engineer and a member of the RFA committee. He also has an active interest in biochemistry.
Dr Ron Neller (from Creation Ministries International) presented arguments that major landscapes, sediment deposits, and the fossil record is due to Noah’s flood and that this is an alternate explanation of the fossil record, thus undermining evolutionary claims.
Dr Ron Neller
Ron holds a B.A. (Hons) and a Ph.D., both in fluvial geomorphology. He has held lecturing and research positions at the University of New England (Australia), Griffith University, the University of Sunshine Coast (Queensland), the University of Queensland, Turku University (Finland), and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China).
The human genome is the mapping and sequencing of all genes in the human DNA molecule. The human genome project was started in 1990 and the complete genome was achieved in May 2021. 533
For this talk, Joshua Meade provided an overview of:
Common worldviews on human origins,
Christian demographics on the worldviews,
The Human Genome Project, and
The implications of the Human Genome Project on our understanding of human origins.
Joshua Meade
Joshua Meade is a PhD student at the University of South Australia. He is a mechatronic engineer and a member of the RFA committee. He also has an active interest in biochemistry. Joshua and Amethyst are currently back in New Zealand, and they have three lovely young girls.
How does the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth compare to the other sages? How did the Sages view themselves? Were their lives and philosophies really that different? The comparisons are revealing!
Bronwyn Pearse
Bronwyn Pearse is a primary school teacher who currently works with a number of people from different religious backgrounds. Having grown up in a Christian family she has always enjoyed asking questions and digging deeper into the truth claims of Christianity. In recent years she has been exploring what makes Christianity unique amongst the world religions.
