class # 7. does absolute truth exist? a basic guide to christian apologetics

Session # 7 – Sunday May 24th

Does Absolute Truth Exist? A Basic Guide to Christian

Apologetics

Session # 7 – Sunday May 24thDoes Absolute Truth Exist?

A Basic Guide to Christian ApologeticsHey All: I want to thank all of you for a great seven weeks of study. Today was our last session for Part I. We will pick up with Part II sometime in Jan. 2016. In the meantime, see you at worship and Adult Sunday School.

For all of you who were not able attend class, please remember that the PowerPoint Slideshows do not include my lecture, comments, and or any discussion that took place in class. However, the PowerPoint Slideshows should be a good outline.

May God bless you all. Kirk

“No amount of evidence can convert an unbeliever to belief. That is solely the work of God. But what Geisler and Turek have done in this book should disturb anyone claiming to be an atheist…perhaps enough to persuade them to begin a search for the God who has been there all along.” ---Cal Thomas

Class Thesis Statement

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

REVIEW SESSION Can We Handle the Truth?

•Truth is absolute, exclusive and knowable.

•To deny absolute truth and its know-ability is self-defeating.

•Truth is not dependent on our feelings or preferences. Something is true whether we like it or not.

REVIEW SESSION Can We Handle the Truth?

•People often get their beliefs from their parents, friends, childhood religion, feelings, or culture. While such beliefs could be true, it’s possible they may not be.

•We can use philosophical principles, including those found in logic and science, to test the truth of beliefs.

The Twelve Points That Show Christianity Is TrueThis Week…

•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)

Review Session

• 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)

Cosmological Argument

Premise 1: Everything that had a beginning had a cause.

Law of Causality. Fundamental Principle of science.

Things don’t happen without a cause.

Cosmological Argument

Premise 2: The universe had a beginning.

Did the universe have a beginning?If no, then no cause is needed.If yes, then the universe must have a cause.Before Einstein (and other scientists) atheists could comfort themselves with the belief that the universe was eternal.

If the Universe is eternal, you don’t need a creator.

U – Universe Is Expanding

Matter

Universe did not emerge from existing material but from nothing.

Law of Causality Quick Review

•Foundation of all science.

•Science is the search for causes.

•Search should be based on consistent observations.

Law of Causality Quick Review

Everything that has a beginning has a cause.

The Universe (space-time-matter) had a beginning.

Age old Question

“If everything needs a cause, who caused GOD?”Law of Causality:

Does not say: “everything needs a cause”

It does say: “everything that comes to be needs a cause.”

Strong Evidence

Matter

Beginner must be outside the space-time-matter universe

Universe needs a cause.Who created the first cause? God.

God is Eternal

•“If you can have an eternal God, then I can have an eternal Universe.”

•Logically this is possible.

Atheistic Rebuttal

•The Universe could be eternal.

1. It has always existed and is therefore uncaused.2. It had a beginning and was caused by something else.

Two Possibilities For Anything That Exists

•Overwhelming evidence the universe had a beginning.•Must be caused by something else – by something outside itself.

Two Possibilities For Anything That Exists

•Our conclusion is consistent with theistic religions.

Two Possibilities For Anything That Exists

•Conclusion is not based on theistic religions, but based on good reason and evidence.

God is eternal!•God did not come to be.•No one made God.

•God is unmade.

•God is an eternal being.•God did not have a beginning, so he didn’t need a cause.

Infinite -- Self-existent, timeless, non-spatial, immaterial, without limits.Power -- Unimaginable power. Created the entire universe out of nothing.Intelligence -- Supremely intelligent. Designed the universe with incredible precision.Personal -- Choose to convert a state of nothingness into the time-space-material universe.An impersonal force has no ability to make choices.

Characteristics of a “First Causer”

•Characteristics theists ascribe to God.•Characteristics not based on someone’s religion or subjective experience.•Characteristics drawn from scientific evidence and logic.

Characteristics of a “First Causer”

Teleological / Anthropic Argument Divine Design

Teleological / Anthropic Argument Divine Design

Telos (Greek) - “design”

Anthropic (Greek) - “human” or “man”

Divine Design

In Lee Strobel's book The Case For Faith - the following is attributed to James Tour: "I build molecules for a living, I can't begin to tell you how difficult that job is. I stand in awe of God because of what he has done through his creation.”

Divine Design

“Only a rookie who knows nothing about science would say science takes away from faith. If you really study science, it will bring you closer to God.”

--James Tour, Nanoscientist

Teleological / Anthropic Argument Divine Design

Precision with which the Universe exploded into being provides even more persuasive evidence for the existence of God.

Anthropic Principle YouTube

•1. Every design had a designer.• 2. The universe has a highly complex design.•3. Therefore, the universe had a Designer.

Logical Argument

Highly precise and interdependent environmental conditions. Universe is extremely fine-tuned (designed) to support human life here in earth.

Anthropic Constants

Anthropic Constants

•More than 100 very narrowly defined constants that point to an intelligent design.

•The extent of the Universe’s fine-tuning makes the Anthropic Principle perhaps the most powerful argument for the existence of God.

Anthropic ConstantsGravity

0.00000000000000000000000000000000000001 percent

If the gravitational force were altered by a very very small percentage our sun would not exist, and, therefore, neither would we.

Anthropic ConstantsGravity

Anthropic Constants

1. If the centrifugal force of planetary movements did not precisely balance the gravitational forces, nothing could be held in orbit around the sun.

Anthropic Constants

2. If the universe had expanded at a rate one millionth more slowly than it did, expansion would have stopped, and the universe would have collapsed on itself before any stars had formed. If it had expanded faster, then no galaxies would have formed.

Anthropic Constants

3. Any of the laws of physics can be described as a function of the velocity of light (186,000 miles per second). Any slight variation in the speed of light would alter the other constants and preclude the possibility of life on earth.4. If water vapor levels in the

atmosphere were greater than they are now, a runaway greenhouse effect would cause temperatures to rise to high

for human life; if it were less, the earth would be too cold to support human life.

Anthropic Constants

5. If Jupiter did not exist, the earth would be bombarded with asteroids, comets and other space material.

Anthropic Constants

6. If the thickness of the earth’s crust were greater, too much oxygen would be transferred to the crust to support life. If it were thinner, volcanic and tectonic activity would make life impossible7. If the rotation of the earth took longer than 24 hours, temperature differences would be too great between night and day. If the rotation period was shorter, atmospheric wind velocities would be too great.

Anthropic Constants

8. If the 23-degree axil tilt of the earth is just right. If the tilt were altered slightly, surface temperatures would be too extreme on earth.9. If the atmospheric discharge (lighting) rate were greater, there would be to much fire destruction; if it were less, there would be too little nitrogen fixing in the soil.

Anthropic Constants

Hugh Ross – Astrophysicist. 122 constants.

Planets in the Universe 1022

10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000

Anthropic Constants

Anthropic Constants happening by chance is 10138

1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

That is one chance in one with 138 zeros after it.

Anthropic Constants

Only 1070 atoms in the entire Universe.

In effect, there is ZERO, NIL, NADA, NIX, NULL, VOID, ZIP, ZILCH chance that any planet in the Universe would have life-supporting conditions unless there is an Intelligent Designer behind it all.

Arno PenziasRadiation After-glow

“Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing and delicately balanced to provide exactly the conditions required to support life. In the absence of an absurdly-improbable accident, the observations of modern science seem to suggest an underlying, one might say, supernatural plan.”

Fred HoyleAstronomer

“A commonsense interpretation of the facts suggest that a super intellect has monkeyed with physics, as well as chemistry and biology, and that there are no blind forces worth speaking about in nature.”

Atheists Response

Many admit design, then claim there is no Designer.

For atheists it all happened by chance.Remember 10138

Atheists ResponseMultiple Universes Theory

Infinite number of Universes in existence. We just happened to be lucky enough to be in the universe with right conditions for life to exist.

Atheists ResponseMultiple Universes Theory

No evidence for this theory.Multiple universes does not eliminate the need for a Designer---it multiplies the need for a Designer.

“One may find it easier to believe in an infinite array of universes than in an infinite Deity, but such a belief must rest on faith rather than observation.”

Paul Davies. Physicist

1. Every design had a designer.

2. As verified by the Anthropic Principle, we know beyond a reasonable doubt that the Universe is designed.

3. Therefore, the Universe had a Designer.

Logical Argument

Teleological / Anthropic Argument Divine Design

The Fine Tuning of the Universe. YouTube

In 2016…Part Two

1.The First Life: Natural Law or Divine Awe?2.New Life Forms: From Goo to You via the

Zoo?3.Mother Teresa vs. Hitler4.Miracles: Signs of God or Gullibility?5.Do We Have Early Testimony About Jesus?6.Do We Have Eyewitness Testimony About

Jesus?

In 2016…Part Two