The document outlines a Christian apologetics course that explores the existence of truth and the rational basis for Christian faith. It emphasizes that faith is essential for salvation, while also encouraging believers to defend their faith with historical and philosophical evidence. Key themes include addressing existential questions, comparing religious worldviews, and demonstrating the validity of Christianity through various arguments.

1. Does AbsoluteTruth Exist?
A Basic Guide to Christian Apologetics
First Presbyterian Adult Sunday School
DoesTruth Exist? A Basic Guide to
Christian Apologetics
Sundays April 12th thru May 24th
Led by Kirk J .Rogers

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

4. What I am…
Follower of Jesus Christ
Middle SchoolTeacher for 25 years

5. What I am not…
Pastor
Theologian
Christian Apologist

6. Book is basis for our class study together

7. St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church
Camarillo, CA * Est. 1913
Juan & Adolfo Camarillo

8. St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church
Camarillo, CA

9. Germany 1913
Installed 1919

10. Catechism
Wed. Afternoon & Saturday Morning
Catechism (Greek) is a summary or exposition of
doctrine and served as as learning introduction to the
Sacraments in the Roman Catholic Church.

11. First Confession and First Holy
Communion

12. I learned the stories of the Christian Faith at an early age… but I
will not accept them totally as true until later in life.

13. Thankful for to my parents and adults who taught me the
Christian story. But all must decide for themselves if they
accept them as true.

14. FPC San Diego
Household of Faith

15. FPC College Bible Study
1980’s

16. 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.

17. What is Christian Apologetics?
Apologists have based their
defense of Christianity on historical
evidence, philosophical arguments,
and arguments from other
disciplines.

18. What is Christian Apologetics?

19. FaithTrumps Apologetics
 Christian apologetics, proof, historical evidence is
not a substitute for faith. Faith in the Creator God
(Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is essential to our
salvation.
 You can still be saved (by having a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ) without knowing
any Christian apologetics.
 So why should we be concerned with Christian
apologetics?

20. So why should we be concerned
with Christian Apologetics?
 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone
who asks you to give the reason for the hope that
you have, but do this with gentleness and respect..”
1 Peter 3:15
 Help fellow believers be prepared to give reasons for
their Faith in Jesus Christ
 Help skeptics who are open to listening and
evaluating the historical evidence of Christianity.

21. Religion and the (jigsaw puzzle) BoxTop
Could you put this puzzle together?
What would help you?

22. Finding the BoxTop to the
Puzzle of Life

23. Wow! If only I had the time.

24. Five Most Consequential
Questions in a Person’s Life
1. Origin:Where did we come from?
2. Identity:Who are we?
3. Meaning:Why are we here?
4. Morality: How should we live?
5. Destiny:Where are we going

25. Answers to the Big Questions of Life
 Depends on the existence of God.
 If God exists, there is ultimate meaning and
purpose to your life.
 If God exists, life has a real purpose – real
right and wrong way to live your life.
 Choices affect the here & now and eternity.

26. Answers to the Big Questions of Life
No God.
Life ultimately means nothing,
no purpose, no right or wrong
way to live it.

27. World Religions –Answer BoxTop
???Three Major Religious Worldviews
Theism: God Made All
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Pantheism: God is All
Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age
Atheism: No God At All
Religious Humanism

28. Theism
God Made All

29. Pantheism
God Is All

30. Atheism
No God At All

31. “One, who claims to be a skeptic of one set of beliefs
is actually a true believer in another set of beliefs.”
 Every religious worldview requires faith. Even the
worldview that says there is No God! Atheism.
 Refer back to our thesis statement: “Once one
looks at the evidence, it takes more faith to be a
non-Christian than it does to be a Christian”
Phillip E. Johnson. UC Berkeley law professor and
author, father of the intelligent design movement.

32. Religious Worldviews
Truth Claims
 Many truth claims can be evaluated through
scientific and historical evidence.
 Theists: Claim the Universe had a beginning.
 Pantheists: Universe is eternal. Always existed.
 Mutually exclusive claims.They can’t both be right.
 Investigating nature, science, and history of the
universe, we can conclude one view is right and one
is wrong.

33. All Religious Worldview Require
Faith – Even Atheism
 Limited human beings, we do not possess the type
of knowledge that will provide us with absolute
proof of God’s existence or nonexistence.
 Apologetics try to reach conclusions that are true
beyond a reasonable doubt.
 Empirical, forensic, and philosophical evidence
strongly supports conclusions consistent with
Christianity and inconsistent with atheism.

34. Prager UniversityVideo
http://www.prageruniversity.com/Religion-Philosophy/God-vs-Atheism.html#.VSSnZrbVRVs

35. Class Sessions
 Introduction: Finding the BoxTop to the
Puzzle of Life
 CanWe Handle theTruth?
 Why Should Anyone BelieveAnything at
All?
 In the BeginningThere was a Great SURGE

36. Class Sessions
Divine Design
The First Life: Natural Law or Divine
Awe?
New Life Forms: From Goo toYou via
the Zoo?
MotherTeresa vs. Hitler

37. Class Sessions
 Miracles: Signs of God or Gullibility?
 D0We Have EarlyTestimony About Jesus?
 DoWe Have EyewitnessTestimony About
Jesus
 TheTopTen ReasonsWe Know the New
TestamentWritersTold theTruth

38. Class Sessions
 Did Jesus Really Rise From the Dead?
 Who is Jesus: God? Or Just a Great Moral
Teacher
 What Did JesusTeach About the Bible?
 Conclusion:The Judge, the Servant King,
and the BoxTop

39. TheTwelve PointsThat Show
Christianity isTrue
 Truth about reality is knowable.
 The opposite of true is false.
 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

40. TheTwelve PointsThat Show
Christianity isTrue
 If God exists, then miracles are possible.
 Miracles can be used to confirm a message from
God.
 The NewTestament is historically reliable.This
is evidenced by:
a. Early testimony
b. Eyewitness testimony
c. Uninvented (authentic) testimony
d. Eyewitnesses who were not deceived

41. TheTwelve PointsThat Show
Christianity isTrue
 The NewTestament says Jesus claimed to be God.
 Jesus claim to be God was miraculously confirmed
by:
a. His fulfillment of many prophecies about himself
b. His sinless life and miraculous deeds
c. His prediction and accomplishment of his
resurrection
 Therefore, Jesus is God.

42. TheTwelve PointsThat Show
Christianity isTrue
 Whatever Jesus (who is God) teaches is true.
 Jesus taught that the Bible is theWord of God.
 Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word
of God (and anything opposed to it is false).

43. TheTwelve Points :That Show Christianity isTrue
Please Note Five Points

44. TheTwelve Points :That Show Christianity isTrue
Please Note Five Points
1.Twelve Points are not true by
definition. Most points will need to be
justified by evidence.
2. Our starting point is complete
skepticism.We will try to start at the
point where a person might not even
believe in truth.

45. TheTwelve Points :That Show Christianity isTrue
Please Note Five Points
3. If our reasoning is sound it will
disprove other religions where they
differ with the Bible.This does not mean
all other religions are completely false or
have no truth. However, if the Bible is
true, then any specific claim that
contradicts the Bible must be false.

46. TheTwelve Points :That Show Christianity isTrue
Please Note Five Points
4. Christians should not be afraid to
live their lives based on the truth.
Christians do not get credit for being
uninformed.
“Love the Lord, your God with all
your heart, with all your soul and
with all your mind” Matthew 22:37

47. TheTwelve Points :That Show Christianity isTrue
Please Note Five Points
5. If the Bible presents evidence
beyond a reasonable doubt , than
why don’t more people believe it?
No amount evidence can compel
anyone to believe it. Belief requires
assent of the mind and the will.

48. TheTwelve Points :That Show Christianity isTrue
Please Note Five Points
There is a difference between
proving a proposition and accepting
a proposition. Moral creatures are
allowed free will.That includes the
will to accept or reject Christianity.

49. TheTwelve Points :That Show Christianity isTrue
Please Note Five Points
 Evidence alone cannot convince someone
to become a Christian. Some choose not to
believe not because the evidence in lacking
but because they don’t want to accept it.
 “We humans have a fatal tendency to try to
adjust the truth to fit our desires rather than
adjusting our desires to fit the truth.”

50. Prager UniversityVideo
http://www.prageruniversity.com/Religion-Philosophy/God-vs-Atheism.html#.VSSnZrbVRVs

51. NASA
Alien LifeWill Be Found By 2025
http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/04/08/nasas-head-scientists-predict-alien-life-will-be-found-
by-2025

52. NextWeek: CanWe Handle theTruth?

53. “ Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most
pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.”
-Winston Churchill
NextWeek:
CanWe Handle
theTruth?

54. NextWeek
CanWe Handle theTruth?
What is truth? TheTruth About
Truth
CanTruth Be Known?
Can All Religions BeTrue?
Truth vs.Tolerance

55. End