Class # 3. Does Absolute Truth Exist? A Basic Guide to Christian Apologetics

1. Session # 3 – Sunday April 25th
Does Absolute Truth Exist?
A Basic Guide to Christian Apologetics

2. Session # 3 – Sunday April 25th
Does AbsoluteTruth Exist?
A Basic Guide to Christian Apologetics
Hey All:We had a great time on
Sunday morning. For those who
attended, thanks and here is the
PowerPoint we used on Sunday.
For all of you who were not able
attend class, please remember that
the PowerPoint does not include my
lecture, and comments or the
discussion that took place in class.
However, the PowerPoint should be a
good outline for you.
See you all next Sunday for “ In the
BeginningThereWas a Great SURGE”

3. French mathematician, physicist, inventor,
writer and Christian philosopher.
People almost invariably arrive
at their beliefs not on the basis of
proof but on the basis of what
they find attractive.
Blaise Pascal

4. Blaise Pascal
1623-1662

5. After his conversion
to theism in 1929,
Lewis converted to
Christianity in 1931,
following a long
discussion and late-
night walk with his
close friends.

6. TheTwelve PointsThat Show
Christianity IsTrue
1.Truth about reality is knowable.
2.The opposite of true is false.
3. It is true that the theistic God exists.This is
evidenced by the :
a. Beginning of the universe
(Cosmological Argument)
b. Design of the universe
(Teleological Argument / Anthropic Principle
c. Design of Life (Teleological Argument)
d. Moral Law (Moral Argument

7. fpcsd.org

8. fpcsd.org
Ministries. Academy of Faith

9. Stay Updated
Review Class Blog Site

10. Stay Updated
Review Class Blog Site

11. fpcsd.org

12. ClassThesis Statement
“Once one looks at the
evidence, it takes more faith
to be a non-Christian than it
does to be a Christian.”

13. What Is Christian Apologetics?
Christian apologetics is a field of
Christian theology which attempts to
present a rational basis for the
Christian faith, defending the faith
against objections.

14. Name three things Christian apologists use to
defend Christianity.
• historical evidence
• philosophical arguments
• arguments from other disciplines
(Sciences, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Archeology, etc.)

15. REVIEW SESSION # 2
Can We Handle the Truth?
 Truth is absolute, exclusive and knowable.
 To deny absolute truth and its know-ability is
self-defeating. Any statement that is un-
affirmable (contradicts itself) must be false.
 Truth is not dependent on our feelings or
preferences. Something is true whether we like it
or not.
 Major religions do not “all teach the same things.”

16. Why Should Anyone Believe Anything At All?
Sunday April 25th
 Truth vs.Tolerance
 Western Logic vs. Eastern Logic
 Why Should Anyone Believe Anything
At All?

17. Truth vs.Tolerance

18. Truth vs.Tolerance

19. Truth vs.Tolerance
 I and the authors (Geisler, andTurek) don’t
believe in imposing a religion legislatively.
 Christians should stand up against all religious
intolerance and accept and respect people of
different religious beliefs.
 However, that does not mean we must believe
all religions are the same or stop us for telling
others in a loving Christian way the truth.

20. Truth vs.Tolerance

21. Truth vs.Tolerance
Post-ModernWorld
Tolerance is so sought out and honored that any act
of intolerance is not accepted.
July 1902- Sept. 1994
Austria, British
Karl PopperViews onTolerance and Intolerance

22. Truth vs.Tolerance
In our culture today, tolerance no longer
means to put up with something you believe
to be false.

23. Truth vs.Tolerance
Tolerance now means that all persons
must accept every belief as true.

24. What IsTruth?
 Beliefs vs.Truths. Many people
believe these are the same.
 Contrary beliefs are possible.
 Contrary truths are not possible.

25. John Stott. April 1921 – July 2011
Preached at F.P.C. San Diego. Oct. 4, 1998
What should Christians demand
for all people?
•“Legal tolerance” ----- Yes
•“Social tolerance” ---- Yes
Christians should accept and respect people of
different religions and guard against religious
intolerance.

26. John Stott. April 1921 – July 2011
Preached at F.P.C. San Diego. Oct. 4, 1998
“Intellectual tolerance is
weakness for Christians.”

27. “Advocates of the new tolerance only
tolerate those who agree with them”
A Personal Story

28. Truth vs.Tolerance
Intelligent Design

29. Why Should Anyone Believe Anything At All?
ReadersTheater
Socratic Method

30. James Sire
Book: Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All?
 James W. Sire (PhD, University of Missouri),
formerly a senior editor at InterVarsity Press, is an
active speaker and writer. He has taught English,
philosophy, theology, and short courses at many
universities and seminaries.

31. Let’s Assemble Our Class

32. Why Do People BelieveWhatThey Believe?
People almost invariably arrive
at their beliefs not on the basis of
proof but on the basis of what
they find attractive.
Blaise Pascal

33. Why Should Anyone Believe Anything At All?
Sociological
Reasons
Psychological
Reasons
Religious
Reasons
Philosophical
Reasons
Parents
Friends
Society
Culture
Comfort
Peace of Mind
Meaning
Purpose
Hope
Identity
Scripture
Pastor
Priest
Guru
Rabbi
Imam
Church
Youth Leader
Consistency
Coherence
Completeness
(best explanation
of all the evidence)

34. 3 Points from our Socratic Seminar
 1. Any teaching – religion or otherwise – is only
worth trusting if it points to truth.
 2. Many beliefs people hold today are not
supported by evidence, but only subjective
preference of those holding them.
 3. In order to find truth, one must be ready to
give up those subjective preferences in favor of
objective facts. And facts are best discovered
through logic, evidence, and science.

35. Western Logic vs. Eastern Logic
 Ravi Zacharias: is an Indian-born Canadian-
American Christian apologist. A defender of
traditional evangelicalism and author of
numerous Christian books.
Western “either - or” logic
Eastern “either - both” logic

36. Western Logic vs. Eastern Logic
Scene: American College Campus
Ravi was told he was not
understanding the difference
between western and eastern logic.
Eastern logic does not use “either –
or” logic it uses “either – both”

37. Western Logic vs. Eastern Logic
Scene: American College Campus
Ravi was told he was not
understanding the difference
between western and eastern logic.
Eastern logic does not use “either –
or” logic it uses “either – both”

38. Western Logic vs. Eastern Logic
College Professor: “Salvation is not
either through Christ or nothing else,
but both Christ and other ways.”
College Professor: “There are two
types of logic”
Ravi: No. Just one type of logic.

39. Western Logic vs. Eastern Logic
Ravi: “If I am in India (my home country) I
must use either the ‘both and logic’ or
nothing else.”
First Principal of Logic
The Law of Non-Contradiction
Contradictory claims cannot both be true at
the same time in the same sense.
Opposite of true is false.

40. Western Logic vs. Eastern Logic
Ravi: “Even in India we look both
ways before crossing the street,
because it is either me or the bus,
not both of us!”
Math, gravity, physics are the same
in both the West and East.

41. Western Logic vs. Eastern Logic
One type of logic that helps us
discover truth.
Math, gravity, physics are the same in
both the West and East.
Many people will say: logic does not
apply to reality, or logic does not
apply to God, or there are different
types of logic.

42. Law of Non-Contradiction
Investigating any question of fact,
including the question of God – Law
of Non-Contradiction exists.
Either theists are right – God exists,
or atheists are right –God does not
exist.

43. Law of Non-Contradiction
Jesus died and rose from the dead
as the Bible claims, or he did not as
the Koran claims. One is right and
one is wrong.

44. IN the BeginningThereWas a Great SURGE
S. Second Law ofThermodynamics
U. Universe is Expanding
R. Radiation from the Big Bang
G. Great Galaxy Seeds
E. Einstein’sTheory of General Relativity
NextWeek: May 3, 2015
“Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.”
Albert Einstein

45. TheTwelve PointsThat Show
Christianity IsTrue
1.Truth about reality is knowable.
2.The opposite of true is false.
3. It is true that the theistic God exists.This is
evidenced by the :
a. Beginning of the universe
(Cosmological Argument)
b. Design of the universe
(Teleological Argument / Anthropic Principle
c. Design of Life (Teleological Argument)
d. Moral Law (Moral Argument