Introduction to Apologetics

Introduction to Apologetics Apologetics – defending what you know through systematic reason. If what you know or believe is really true, these tools should prove it: • Historical Evidence • Archaeological Discoveries • Scientific inquiry • Philosophical Reasoning If anything you believe can be systematically disproven by any of these methods, it’s not worth believing, BUT… Don’t let your own mental laziness or unpreparedness be mistaken for a lack of evidence. Our motto: The Holy Spirit loves a prepared mind. Our rules: 1. If what we believe is true, it will stand up under scrutiny. Therefore, we do not fear questions or investigation, but welcome them out of confidence that we are correct. 2. We accept only the best evidence that is well researched and well supported by observation, not sensational claims by ‘us’ or ‘them.’ 3. Evidence that seems to prove us wrong reveals inconsistencies in our understanding, not in the objective reality of existence. 4. It is our job to analyze evidence without basing our opinions on emotion. 5. It is our job to provide well-reasoned arguments supported by facts and evidence, not hearsay, ‘feelings’, or other people’s opinions. 6. Even though it puts us at a disadvantage, we must maintain appropriate conduct and respect for our opponents, in keeping with the example of Paul of Tarsus and the teachings of our faith. The Attack: 1. There is no God or anything beyond the observable. If we can’t observe it or haven’t observed it yet, it is false. 2. All religion is an emotional crutch for the mentally weak. All religious people are bigoted, unintelligent, misinformed, and gullible. 3. While the Bible may contain some observational human truth, it does not represent an accurate historical account or anything of spiritual value, because it was written by pre-scientific, ignorant people.

Our claims: 1. There is a God who created everything that is, and His existence can be rationally proven. 2. The Bible in its original language is God’s collected and revealed Word. Both archeological evidence and historical inquiry support reliability of the biblical narrative. 3. Because the Bible is so accurate in the material details, we can infer that it is accurate about the spiritual claims it makes as the writers of the Bible understood them. The truth behind it all: the debate between ‘faith’ and ‘science’ comes down to 2 selfish viewpoints, or what we will call worldviews. Worldview #1: 1. God exists. He created the universe a certain way, and some human beings messed it up. 2. God doesn’t hate everybody, just the people who are not very good contributors to their society. Those people will be judged because of that “sin”. 3. God really likes people who don’t “sin”, and therefore He will give them stuff like husbands or wives and speedboats to prove that He exists and that people who don’t believe in Him are terrible. 4. If you ever question this system of reward and punishment, you’re a sinner so watch out! You’ll get yours. (Note: If your faith in God is based on this structure, according to the Bible you ARE NOT a follower of Jesus Christ.) Worldview #2: 1. There is no God. Everything came about by accident. This is both convenient and unfortunate. It’s convenient because it means I have no responsibilities to anyone other than myself. It’s unfortunate because my life has no meaning or value. 2. Science, or the measurable, represents the WHOLE of human knowledge, and it’s idiotic to suggest or wonder about anything beyond this valueless life. 3. It’s fine, and even recommended, for human beings to live basically moral lives, but don’t kill my buzz by telling me what to do. Doing right means making me happy, and it’s wrong to make me uncomfortable, so don’t.

(Note: If you really believe your existence to be an inconsequential accident, any appeal to the moral or objective good in humanity is insanity!) The Objective Truth: 1. God’s existence, by definition, does not depend on how human beings feel about it! God being who He is, the notion that our opinion of Him matters cosmically is nauseatingly absurd. 2. The very laws of physics that scientists have claimed disprove God point to an outside source for the existence of the universe (0+0=0, every time). That source is, through observation, obviously intelligent, rational, and consistent. 3. Human beings who hold to EITHER of the two worldviews we discussed are, at their core, committed to themselves above any other thing and have effectively chosen to deny objective, rational scientific process. A call for a new Worldview: 1. God (not a god, but the only GOD) designed and created the universe, the world, plant and animal life, and me, and it is my job to fulfill His purpose for me. 2. Because God is God and I am not, I can neither control Him nor know Him, except as He has revealed Himself to humanity through nature, reason, and direct revelation. If my understanding of God is incorrect, it is my error. I am the broken piece. 3. I can be assured in my belief in the Creator God because it makes the most rational sense, when I put myself and my feelings aside and look at the data objectively. This is not ignorance. I do not need an emotional crutch. A love of knowledge and rational thinking has led me to this conclusion and I am not ashamed of it because I have taken the journey and returned wiser. Wisdom is OUR tradition, reason and understanding are encouraged by the fathers of our faith and Christ Himself. Paul of Tarsus wrote: “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf... and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge… “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ, for in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” (Colossians 2:1-3,8,9 NASB)