class # 7. does absolute truth exist? a basic guide to christian apologetics
TRANSCRIPT
Session # 7 – Sunday May 24th 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 Hey 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
“Once one looks at the evidence, it takes more faith to be a non-Christian than it does to be a Christian.”
• 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.
• 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 True This Week…
Premise 1: Everything that had a beginning had a cause.
Law of Causality. Fundamental Principle of science.
Things don’t happen without a cause.
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.
• Foundation of all science.
• Science is the search for causes.
• Search should be based on consistent observations.
Everything that has a beginning has a cause.
The Universe (space-time-matter) had a beginning.
“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 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”
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.”
“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 Constants Gravity
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.
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 impossible
7. 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 Penzias Radiation 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 Hoyle Astronomer
“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 Response Multiple 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 Response Multiple 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. Hitler 4. 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