CCv2

The second annual Capturing Christianity Conference: “Science + Faith =BFFS,” is an interactive apologetics event happening August 4-6, 2022 in Houston, TX. This 3-day conference gives attendees the opportunity to see a live debate on the topic of Evolution & Genesis, hear cutting-edge presentations from some of the most influential Christian thinkers about how science and faith are literally best friends, and be part of the discussion through Q&A sessions and breakouts. Oh and btw, lunch on Saturday is included.

Tickets

• General Admission: Includes conference admission (Friday & Saturday) and lunch on Saturday
• All Access: The All-Access Pass is available to Capturing Christianity Patrons only and includes: Thursday night invite-only mixer with conference guest speakers, conference front row seating Friday & Saturday, Saturday lunch, and a free conference-themed t-shirt.

Guest Speakers

• Dr. William Lane Craig
• Dr. Sy Garte
• Dr. Erica Carlson
• Dr. Zachary Ardern
• Dr. Andrew Moon
• Dr. Joshua Swamidass
• Dr. Jim Tour
• Michael Jones (aka Inspiring Philosophy)
• Dr. Marcus Ross

Conference Schedule

Thursday (8/4/22)

6-8 PM – Mixer with Speakers and All-Access ticket holders

Friday (8/5/22)

10-10:50 AM – Main Session, Dr. Erica Carlson

Do we have to choose between God and physics? – The laws of physics tell us that life without God is pretty bleak: There will eventually come a day when life is no longer possible in this universe. And if we’re nothing more than a collection of atoms following physical laws like quantum physics and emergence, our perceptions of freedom are false. However, there are many ways that God speaks to us through nature, providing us hope, purpose, and destiny.

11-11:50 AM – Main Session, Dr. Sy Garte

Biological Pointers to a Creator – Science has demonstrated the existence of gaps in our knowledge of the natural world. Some of these are “epistemic gaps” that can be filled with further knowledge. But others are “ontological unknowns” such as demonstrated by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Most biologists hold that there are no ontological unknowns in biology, but that the theory of evolution can eventually lead to a complete understanding of life. In this talk I will make the case that biology has many such unknowns, not because evolution is false, but because it is not sufficiently comprehensive to rule out other explanations, including the divine.

12-1:30 PM – Break for Lunch

1:30-3 PM – Breakout Session A

3-4 PM – Main Session, Dr. William Lane Craig

Contemporary Expansion Models and Creation ex Nihilo – Dr. Craig delivers a talk on God and cosmology.

4-6 PM – Michael Jones vs. Dr. Marcus Ross Debate “Is Evolution Compatible with Genesis?”

40-min Opening Statements (20-minutes each)
20-min Cross-Examination
20-min Moderated Dialogue
30-min Curated Audience Q&A

Saturday (8/6/22)

9-9:50 AM – Main Session, Seth Hart

A Teleological Argument from Evolution – Evolution, often used as a weapon against theists, may turn out to be theism’s best friend. One of the biggest issues in the philosophy of biology has been defining natural selection in a way that avoids teleology. As yet, such attempts have failed, leading some prominent philosophers of science to deny that natural selection really is a causal force behind evolution. In this talk, I show why theism might give evolution a helping hand in making sense of its own implicit logic.

10-10:50 AM – Main Session, Dr. Zachary Ardern

Why Evolution Might Support Theism – Could evolutionary biology be relevant to a case for God? Recent developments in biology and in philosophy are reinvigorating old lines of argument, revealing that evolution may be surprisingly friendly to theism.

11 AM-12:30 PM – Break for Lunch (Catered)

12:30-1:20 PM – Main Session, Dr. Jim Tour

Chemical Constraints on Life’s Origin – Nobody has shown a method to make the homochiral versions of lipids, amino acids, nucleotides or carbohydrates in a prebiotically relevant manner. Nobody has shown that the mixtures found in meteorites or interstellar space could be useful for synthesis. Nobody has shown a prebiotic route to the polymerization of the amino acids, nucleotides or carbohydrates with the required regioselectivity and stereoselectivity. Nobody has solved the code problem for ordering the nucleotides (or saccharides or proteins if those came first). Nobody has come close to making the higher-order structures needed for the simplest of cells. Nobody has ever shown that lower enantiomeric-excess mixtures could facilitate the requisite high-yielding biological-like chemistries with minimization of heat release, thereby mitigating the need for chiral-induced spin selectivity. Nobody has explained how the requisite interactome could be prepared. Nobody, even if given all the four classes of molecules, in any desired order, could prepare even the simplest of cells. Nobody has come close to synthesizing, or even suggesting how to synthesize, the simplest of cells in a modern laboratory, let alone providing a sufficient suggestion on how the universe could have done it in 100M years (time to life after the Earth’s cooling) or even 14B years. And when the OoL researcher is hypothetically afforded all the carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids and nucleic acids in homochiral form, and asked how would they go about building a cell, the OoL researcher gives no answer.

1:30-2:30 PM – Breakout Session B

2:30-3:20 PM – Main Session, Dr. Andrew Moon

Is Science Better than Faith? – In this presentation, I’ll explore the epistemological foundations of scientific beliefs and religious beliefs. I’ll consider some objections that claim that scientific beliefs are better justified than religious beliefs. I’ll show that these objections fail.

3:30-4:30 PM – Main Session, Dr. Joshua Swamidass

From Conflict to Consilience on Human Origins – This talk would tell the long story of the Church’s conflict on human origins, and how in recent years evolutionary science has become a friend to orthodox Christian belief, rather than the threat it once was. This fits the theme of the conference (BFF), pointing out that there has been conflict on human origins, but that is giving way to a real partnership between science and theology: friendship.

Hotel Information

Wanna’ stay in Houston for the conference? Stay in one of the Capturing Christianity blocked rooms while you stay in Clutch City! Single rooms and double rooms (just in case you want to split a room with a buddy who will also be attending) are available.

OPTION 1

La Quinta Inn & Suites Houston Galleria
1625 West Loop South
Houston Texas

Name of Block:
Block Capturing Christianity Conference

Number to Call to Book:
1-800-753-3757

Room Rate:
$75.65/night

Reference Number:
5136B299732336

OPTION 2

Best Western Galleria Inn & Suites
6229 Richmond Ave
Houston, TX 77057

Click this link to book this hotel.

Number to Call:
(713) 783-8388

Name of Block:
Capturing Christianity

Room Rate:
$85/night

FAQ

Who should I contact if I have any questions, have trouble booking hotel rooms, or need to make changes to my reservation?
Contact our event coordinator Brittany Bertuzzi: brittanybertuzzicc [at] gmail [dot] com

Is there anything fun to do in Houston?
Yes! We put together this little graphic will all sorts of fun stuff for you to do. Check it out!

Will the conference be live streamed?
Only the debate on Friday afternoon will be livestreamed. However all sessions will be recorded and available at a later date.

Will refunds be allowed?
The refund period is closed for this event.

What public transportation is available in Houston?
There is so much to see and do in Houston! With the venue being a short drive from several Houston tourist destinations and hotels, we recommend Uber, Lyft, or a rental car to get around during your stay. Avis, Enterprise, and Hertz car rental services are offered at the Houston Intercontinental Airport.

What do I do if I have dietary restrictions?
There are many choices around Houston that cater to any and every diet you could imagine. Feel free to search and explore on your own as there are many places right in the area of where the conference is. On Saturday, lunch will be provided at the conference. In the coming months, a survey will go out to ticket holders asking about dietary restrictions you may have in order to make meal selections for the Saturday lunch.

Will I get to attend all of the breakout sessions?
There will be 2 breakout times during the conference however 6 sessions will be happening simultaneously. You will get the choose 2 of the 6 sessions to attend. This will be first come first served. A survey which will include the speaker and the session titles will go out to all ticket holders in order to select which session you would like to attend. You will choose your top 2 sessions and 2 alternative sessions. Sessions will be filled in the order in which the surveys are received.

COVID-19

Registrations are open at full capacity and masks are optional. We will provide masks upon entry (again, optional), sanitizer stations will be setup throughout, and you can still social distance if you’d like.