Beyond the 'creation vs. evolution' debate | Denis Lamoureux | TEDxEdmonton

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. In February 2014, a debate on the origin of the Earth was held between Bill Nye, "The Science Guy", and Ken Ham, the CEO of the creation Museum, received over 7 million hits online. This reaction speaks to the confusion within the minds of many people around where we come from and the meaning of life. Holding a PhD in evangelical theology and a PhD in evolutionary biology, Lamoureux provides a unique perspective that takes us past the “creation vs. evolution” debate, and into a world where both ideologies can exist together.

Denis is an Associate Professor of Science and Religion at St. Joseph's College in the University of Alberta. His appointment is the first tenure-track position in Canada dedicated to teaching and research on the relationship between scientific discovery and religious faith.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[alexplastow]

Spends 3-7 years working on a Ph.D. in Theology
Spends 3-7 years working on.a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology

Gets heckled by anonymous youtube viewers

[statesminds]

My mom told me growing up that Satan placed fossils and stuff on Earth to temp us and test our faith. 🤣💀

[ultimatetrashboy]

Why are people so rude when they talk about this stuff.

[AtamMardes]

"I can live with doubt & uncertainty & not knowing. It's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers & possible beliefs & different degrees of certainty about different things. But I'm not absolutely sure of anything, & there are many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here, & what the question might mean. I might think about it a little bit; if I can't figure it out, then I go onto something else. But I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened by not knowing things, by being lost in the mysterious universe without having any purpose, which is the way it really is, as far as I can tell -- possibly. It doesn't frighten me." Richard Feynman

[elard]

"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." --Albert Einstein

[BigG]

He made an interesting statement. He said "the doctrine of creation does not deal with "how" God created only "that" God created. I think there in lies the problem for many creationists. The bible does speak about how God created and there in lies the debate. It says that he made the world and everything in it in 6 days by the word of his mouth. It says that when he was finished, it was very good. It also says that Death and the brokenness of our world came after Adam and Eves sin. Thus according to evolution we have disease and death well before man ever came on the scene. Here then you start to see the theological breakdowns that begin to happen. I am sorry to say but unless you shift and fudge the issue of sin and its effects, then evolution and creation will never be philosophically compatible.

[deveshsawant]

When you mix theology and science, this is what happens.

[Acecool]

Earned PhD's does not necessarily remove confirmation bias. There are plenty of PhD Creation Scientists that firmly believe in Creationism.

[sampleowner]

Finally someone who believes what I believe. I'm not a Christian and I don't think the Bible is the inherent word of God. I do believe in evolution. I believe there is a God who engineered evolution.

[edlechleiter]

It's gratifying to hear my own position expressed so well . Unfortunately, there will still be closed minds . Looking at some of comments posted proves it .

[jamesspry]

Thank you for trying to reduce the animosity between people of science and faith. There is a common middle ground where we may not necessarily agree, but we can respect each other enough to stop fighting.

[jbirdzz]

Evidence is why the two are separate. If evidence is required for one thing and not the other than by definition you've contradicted yourself and the point of Science. A "leap of faith' isn't required if you had evidence for your beliefs Dr. Lamoureux.

[LayneCobain]

As a Christian who is fed up with other Pentecostals/evangelicals insisting that evolution can’t be compatible with the Bible, I am overjoyed to listen to this lecture.

[ManishSquad]

Genesis 1:11-12 "And God said, 'Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.' And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that is was good." God did not use evolution as stated right here.

[wk]

Bill Nye isn't worth anything in the scientific community.

[jtveg]

_"I believe the bible is the word of god and I've experienced miracles"._ That statement right there just goes to show that just because you are a PhD doesn't mean you are immune to bias or that you have mastered critical thinking skills.

[xelacremant]

I appreciate the trouble with which Mister Lamoureux tries to have a dualistic approach of the debate.
Yet, I can't help but feel like while scientific facts are facts, and so aplpy to everyone, the elements of his talk mentioning faith can ONLY be accessible to people for whom faith is important. Therefore, his vision, it seems to me, is only acceptable by believers.
Now I'm not one of those anti-religion guys. I happen to be an agnostic, but I don't refuse religion : I just lack faith, which does not prevent me from accepting and tolerating religion, or loving the idea of it (and realizing that there are many different beliefs, not just the christian, muslim and jewish ones).
To me, mixing the two is impossible, because the vision of the world presented by religious texts is so obviously ignorant of the realities of the physical world that I always wonder how people can still refuse to accept they are purely wrong.

[j.d.fluekiger]

There are facts, and then there are the interpretation of those facts.

[menacesocieties]

Comment section feels like war zone. Bratatatatattatat! Boom PRTTTT!!!💀

[bullboombap]

How does an evolutionary biologist NOT know the definition of biological evolution? It's not "the origin of life" as he stated, it's the origin of species and diversity. The origin of life is abiogenesis. Secondly, that Nye/Ham debate had nothing to do with the existence of God, it was about the truth of evolution and the fallacies of mythological "creation". He's starts this talk with the most common incorrect definition of the subject he claims to be an expert in and then proposes a false dichotomy as his premise. Sounds just like an apologist.