GOD
“Be still, and know that I [am] God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)
Apologetics:
The Discipline or Science of Apologetics: To provide an intellectual defense for the truth claims of the Bible; to know what to believe and why to believe it. Giving an apology, in this context is not to say, “sorry,” but comes from the Greek word, “Apologia:” To give a reply, to give an answer, a defense. The first and second century’s apologist had been put in a defensive position. Justin Martyr (103-165 A.D.) responded to the criticism that they were traitors and undermined the cult of emperor worship. Justin argued, take a good look at our lives as an example, but we can’t say Caesar is lord. Christians were actually called atheist because they denied the Roman gods. Since the first two centuries, apologists have been replying to misconceptions in every generation. A defensive posture has been taken to deflect false accusations through the centuries. At this time an offensive position can be taken for apologetics because so much more information has been opened up and there is so little time in order to proclaim it. A look at the apologetics for the existence of God is where we begin. The first chapter will provide a background on why world culture thinks about the existence or nonexistence of God. Then evidence will be offered supporting the existence of God initially through logical, rational, and empirical evidence.
The Existence of God
- Philosophy & Worldview: Throughout history when someone did not believe in God they were looked upon as fools. Gradually from the Age of Enlightenment and especially after Darwin’s Evolutionary theory and its all-pervasive influence on western culture when someone believes in God, they are considered a fool. How did this happen? It is important to review a history of philosophical and worldview ideas for and against the existence of God. This is beneficial because it gives us an idea of why culture, especially western culture, thinks about the existence or nonexistence of God today. There are thousands of philosophical and worldview systems and all run between the two diametrically opposite poles, two polar extremes, theism and nihilism.
Theism is the belief in one God, who created and maintains the universe. God is a transcendent, self-existent, eternal spiritual deity, who resides within and outside of the universe, in essence and is all powerful. Nihilism is the exclusion of any and all meaning to life with no existence of God, no sense or purpose for human existence. All other philosophies and major religions find themselves somewhere between these two poles. Few philosophers prior to the 20th century go all the way to nihilism, however post-modern thinkers have indeed gone all the way to Nihilism. Those who reject Theism, have sought to develop a world view or a philosophical system that exist somewhere in between these two poles.
- Theism is God exists.
- Judaism and Islam are strictly Monotheistic; however, Judaism is Monotheistic and still looking for a political messiah.
- Christianity is monotheistic but also Trinitarian.
- Deism is God created the universe but is uninvolved with the universe.
- Panentheism is the belief that God is a force that the universe is contained in.
- Gnosticism believes in two Gods, one good one bad and is dualist in nature.
- Pantheism is the belief that God and the universe are the same and that God does not transcend the universe.
- Pandeism combines pantheism and deism.
- Polytheism is the believe that there are many gods.
- Hinduism believes in one god and multiple gods and goddesses.
- Relativism is the idea that the truth is in the eye of the beholder, what may be considered true by one person, may not be for another.
- Apa-theism states that it doesn’t matter either way whether there is a God who exists or not.
- Naturalism teaches that only what we see in nature can be considered true and we can’t see the supernatural.
- Secular Humanism teaches that it is important to have rights and morals, but they are not creations of God because He does not exist.
- Utilitarianism teaches that the ends justify the means, and which may mean there are no moral or ethical considerations to consider.
- Hedonism teaches that pleasure is all that is good and that there are no limitations to pleasure based on morals.
- Existentialism is the belief that the individual is solely responsible for giving their life meaning despite all the existential obstacles distractions like despair, angst, absurdity, alienation and boredom.
- Materialism states that all that exists is matter, material without deities and souls.
- Agnosticism teaches that God, nor His existence cannot be known.
- Atheism teaches that there is no God, the word means, “without God,” and Nihilism says that all is meaningless without any existence of God.
- Nihilism is further broken down into existential nihilism which claims life is meaningless, moral nihilism which denies objective morality and epistemological nihilism which questions the possibility of absolute knowledge or truth.
