This document summarizes a Sunday school class on Christian apologetics. It includes an introduction welcoming people to class and encouraging them to invite others. It then discusses various topics from the class, including what Christian apologetics is, whether absolute truth exists, what truth is, whether all religions can be true, and the difference between truth and tolerance. Key points made include that Christian apologists defend Christianity using historical evidence, philosophical arguments and scientific findings, and that while absolute truth exists, beliefs about truth may change over time.

1. Session 1 Review – Slides # 1 - 23; Session 2 – Slides # 24 - ?
Does Absolute Truth Exist?
A Basic Guide to Christian Apologetics

2. Welcome Friends
FPC Academy of Faith
Hey All: Thanks for attending our
Sunday School Class on April 19th. I
hope this copy of the PowerPoint for
Session Two is helpful.
We want to encourage all adults to
come and learn about the Bible on
Sunday mornings. Please reach out to
your FPC friends and anyone else who
might not be in the habit of coming to
class on Sunday mornings. We meet in
the West Room at 9:45 AM.
Hope to see you next week.
Blessings, Kirk

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

5. 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.

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

7. What is Christian Apologetics?
Apologists have based their defense of
Christianity on historical evidence,
philosophical arguments, and
arguments from other disciplines like
Science, Physics, Math, Chemistry plus
others.

8. Homework
Check
Memorize the first three points
of the The Twelve Points That
Show Christianity is True.
How did you do?

9. The Twelve Points That Show
Christianity is True
 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

10. The Twelve Points That Show Christianity is True
Please Note 5 Points About the 12 Points

11. The Twelve Points That Show Christianity is
True
Please Note 5 Points About the 12 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.

12. The Twelve Points That Show Christianity Is True
Please Note 5 Points About the 12 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.

13. The Twelve Points That Show Christianity Is True
Please Note 5 Points About the 12 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

14. The Twelve Points That Show Christianity Is True
Please Note 5 Points About the 12 Points
5. If the Bible presents evidence
beyond a reasonable doubt, than
why don’t more people believe it?
No amount of evidence can
compel anyone to believe it. Belief
requires assent of the mind and
the will.

15. The Twelve Points That Show
Christianity Is True
 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

16. The Twelve Points That Show
Christianity Is True
 4. If God exists, then miracles are possible.
 5. Miracles can be used to confirm a message
from God.
 6. The New Testament is historically
reliable. This is evidenced by:
a. Early testimony
b. Eyewitness testimony
c. Uninvented (authentic) testimony
d. Eyewitnesses who were not deceived

17. The Twelve Points That Show
Christianity Is True
 7. The New Testament says Jesus claimed to be
God.
 8. 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
 9. Therefore, Jesus is God.

18. The Twelve Points That Show
Christianity Is True
 10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) teaches is
true.
 11. Jesus taught that the Bible is the Word of
God.
 12. Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the
Word of God (and anything opposed to it is
false).

19. Can Christian Apologists give 100% proof Christianity is true?
No. An atheist cannot give 100% proof God does not exist
either. But Christian Apologetics can give proof beyond a
reasonable doubt, much more than an atheist can.

20. Lamb’s Players Theater
Coronado, California

21. John Stott. April 1921 – July
2011

22. Prager University Video
Scientific Evidence/God
http://www.prageruniversity.com/Religion-Philosophy/God-vs-Atheism.html#.VSSnZrbVRVs

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

24. Questions, Comments, Concerns

25. Session 2. April 19th
Can We Handle the Truth?
What Is truth? The Truth
About Truth
Can Truth Be Known?
Can All Religions Be True?
Truth vs. Tolerance

26. “ Men stumble over the truth from time to time, but most
pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happened.”
- Winston Churchill

27. "What Is Truth?" - stylized inscription in Catalan,
Barcelona at entrance to Sagrada Família Basilica.

28. Catalan, Barcelona
Sagrada Família Basilica

29. Google the word “Truth”

30. All People Want
(Demand) Truth
From advertisers
From teachers
From politiciansFrom law enforcement officers
From the government
From doctors
From books, news sources
From road signs
From food labels
From loved ones
From employers
From financial advisors
From the judicial system
From friends

31. Morality and Religious Truth
Not So Much!
“That’s true for you but not for me”

32. Today’s Culture
It’s All Relative
PRE- MODERN
(Creation – 1700s)
Belief in and submission to
God
MODERN (1700s-1960s)
Period of advancement in
human understanding &
science
POST-MODERN
1960s-Current
Rejection of systems, laws,
traditions and principles of
the past period.
There are no absolutes.

33. Relative Truths or Absolute Truths
 Many people today believe “All truth is
relative.” This is a self-refuting statement.
 This cannot logically be true.
 Self-refuting ideas or self-defeating ideas are
ideas or statements whose falsehood is a
logical consequence of the act or situation of
holding them to be true.

34. Relative Truths or Absolute Truths
If everything were relative
(including truths), then it would
be absolutely true (an absolute
truth) everything is relative and
that would be self-refuting.

35. Self- Defeating Truth Claims
“All Truth is relative”
“Is that a relative truth?”
“There are no absolutes”
“Are you absolutely sure?”
“It’s true for you but not for me!”
Is that statement true just for you,
or is it true for everyone?”

36. Relative Truths or Absolute Truths
Relative Truths

37. Does Absolute Truth Exist?
 According to Geisler and Turek there are
only absolute truths, no relative truths.
For an Example

38. Only Absolute Truths
An Example:
Even truths that appear to be
relative are really absolute truths.
“I, Kirk Rogers was joyful on Sept.
4, 1997” (Abby’s birth) may
appear to be a relative truth, but it
is actually absolutely true for
everyone, everywhere that Kirk
Rogers had feelings of joy on that
day.

39. Does Absolute Truth Exist?
A Basic Guide to Christian Apologetics
Do we have an answer?

40. What Is Truth?
For something to be true it must be
a factually and logically correct
statement.
Truth is not error.
Truth is not self-contradictory
Truth is not deception

41. What is Truth?
Truth is discovered, not invented.
Truth exists independent of
anyone’s knowledge of it.
(Gravity existed prior to Newton)

42. What is Truth?
 Truth is transcultural. If something is true,
it is true for all people, in all places, at all
times. (2 + 2 = 4)
 Truth is unchanging. Beliefs about truth
may change, but not truth. (Earth is flat)
 Truth is not affected by an attitude of one
professing it.
(An arrogant person does not make the truth he
professes false, and a humble person does not make the
error he professes true.)

43. What Is Truth?
Beliefs cannot change a fact, no
matter how sincerely they are
held. (Sun revolves around the Earth or
Earth revolves around the Sun)
All truth excludes their opposites.
All truths are absolute.

44. What is Truth?
Beliefs vs. Truths. Many people
believe these are the same.
Contrary beliefs are possible.
Contrary truths are not possible.

45. What Is Truth?
We can believe everything is true.
We cannot make everything true.

46. Can you come up with examples?

47. Do you feel this happens a
lot today?

48. Saint Augustine - 354 C.E.- 430 C.E.
Christian theologian and philosopher
“We love the truth
when it enlightens
us, but we hate it
when it convicts us.”

49. John Stott. April 1921 – July 2011
Preached at F.P.C. San Diego. Oct. 4, 1998
John Stott was an
English Christian leader
and Anglican cleric
who was noted as a
leader of the worldwide
Evangelical movement.

50. John Stott. April 1921 – July 2011
Preached at F.P.C. San Diego. Oct. 4, 1998
“Truth is the only authority.”
“Mind is the last stronghold
of deciding Jesus is Lord.”

51. Can All World Religions Be True?
 Religious Pluralism: The belief that all
religions are true.
 World Religions have more
contradictory beliefs than
complementary beliefs.
 World Religions that are contradictory
teach opposites.

52. Can All World Religions Be True?
World Religions disagree on
almost every issue.
Nature of God
Nature of humankind
Sin
Salvation

53. Can All World Religions Be True?
World Religions disagree on
almost every major issue.
Heaven
Hell
Creation

54. Can All World Religions Be True?
Jews, Christians and Muslims believe
in different versions of a theistic God.
Hindu and New Agers believe
everything that exists is part of an
impersonal, pantheistic force they call
God.

55. Can All World Religions Be True?
Jews, Christians and
Muslims believe evil is real.
Hindus believe evil is a
complete illusion.

56. Can All World Religions Be True?
Christians believe a person is saved
by grace, while all other religions, if
they believe in salvation at all, teach
some type of salvation by good
works.
Definition of “good” and what one is
saved from varies greatly.