Fight for the Faith: Worldview Apologetics
What is a worldview? It’s your starting point. It’s the filter through which you see everything. It’s the foundation upon which you build everything; your beliefs flow from your worldview. You’ve got to start somewhere. <relate story about Inclusion and Diversity training and Microagressions training> We start from the biblical Christian worldview. With that in mind, let’s start with scripture.
1 Peter 3:15 says, But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear (gentleness and respect)
The Greek word for “give a defense” is “apologia”; from which we get our word “apologetics”. The “always be ready to give a defense” is where most people start when quoting that verse, they either forget or don’t place enough emphasis on the beginning of this verse. Sanctify the LORD God in your hearts. The only way we’ll ever possibly/properly give an answer for our faith is when we’ve sanctified Jesus as LORD in our hearts. We need to start any apologetic encounter or conversation about apologetics by sanctifying (setting apart as holy) Jesus as Lord in our hearts.
Let’s pray Psalms 43:3 (NASB95) O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your dwelling places.
There are some formal, logical proofs that God exists. For a logical argument to be valid, it has to follow the rules of logic. These logical arguments are really for philosophy textbooks, but they do actually work themselves out practically.
The cosmological argument: The universe had a beginning. Everything that has a beginning must have a beginner. Therefore God.
Example: You see a building. Every building has a builder because buildings don’t build themselves. Or, you see a painting. Every painting has a painter, because paintings don’t paint themselves.The teleological argument: The universe exhibits characteristics of purpose and design. Everything designed has a designer. Therefore God.
Example: There must have been a designer of the 747 airplane. That thing is incredibly complex. It contains multiple parts that all have to work together at the same time.
The Transcendental argument: Without God, you can’t prove anything.
Example: Unless you start with God you can’t account for (or justify) logic, knowledge, reason.
I want to specifically narrow in on the subject of “Knowledge”. The formal word for this is “epistemology” (the theory of knowledge). To the non-believer I’d say, “how do you know what you know?” They might answer, “jBy my experience and evidence and logic and reading and correlating that with others' experience.” I’d respond, “All that boils down to, you know things by your senses and reasoning. Then I’d ask, “Is it possible there’s something you don’t know that could invalidate (or contradict) everything you think you know?” In other words, is it possible you’re in the Matrix. If they’re honest, they’d have to say, “I don’t know, I could be”. I’d offer this;”to really know something, you’d either have to know everything, or you’d have to know someone who does.” That is the Christian worldview. We know the one who knows everything. Every fact that is a fact, is so because God made it that way. If you don’t start with God, you’re building your house on sand.
Presuppositions
Atheist’s
Psalm 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
The LORD is not resorting to an ad hominem attack; in other words, He isn’t just calling the atheist a pejorative name. He’s making a moral indictment against someone who says “There is no God”. The atheist’s starting point is the belief that there is no God. Their axiom (their given), their foundation is that there is no God, so God doesn’t factor into anything. Their explanation for anything and everything omits God. Some example atheistic explanations would be; Morality is what we define it to be. Science can explain everything. Nothing new there; I just want to impress on you, we’re talking about presuppositions. I don’t know if you’ve heard this one, but many atheists will tell you; they’ll say, “you’re an atheist too”. “what? I’m no atheist, I believe in God”. They’ll say, “yeah, you’re an atheist, you don’t believe in the existence of any of the gods of other religions. There are hundreds of gods you don’t believe in, I’ve just gone one further than you”. As if to say, “take that next intellectual step and become a complete atheist… it’s so liberating.” (about as liberating as stepping off a cliff) And yes, in a sense, being an atheist would be liberating, they just ignore their conscience with impunity.
Christian’s
For us, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”, Proverbs 1:7. And, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the holy is understanding”, Proverbs 9:10. Colossians 2:3 Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. So for us everything starts with God. We’d say, morality is a reflection of God’s nature and character. We’d say, because God created the universe, we can study it scientifically and understand it. And we’d say you can have no true knowledge or wisdom or understanding without acknowledging God first. Let me predict your first objection; “But the unbeliever (the atheist), they have knowledge”, “The unbeliever has an intellect”, “They know things”. Yes they do. I’m not saying the unbeliever can’t know things, I’m just saying they can’t justify or account for that knowledge.
So, we have this different starting point (presupposition, worldview) than the unbeliever. Let me ask a question: Do you think it would be wise to assume the non-believer’s position? Not according to scripture, wisdom begins with God. Another question: Do you think it would honor God and glorify Him to assume the non-believer’s position? Think about that for a moment. Have you heard of “Pascal’s wager”? “Pascal maintained that we are incapable of knowing whether God exists or not, so we "wager" one way or the other with our life.” It goes something like this;... “if you (the atheist) are right, and there is no God, then when we die, we rot in the ground and that’s the end of it. But if I’m right, when we die, I go to heaven and you go to hell.” I want to ask you, “Do you know God? If you do, then He’s not a bet, he’s not even your best bet. Either you know Him or you don’t. So let me ask you again; do you know God?
Romans 1:18-22 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown [it] to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible [attributes] are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify [Him] as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
Do you believe the Bible? Do you really, really, really believe the Bible? When someone says they don’t believe in God, do you believe them or do you believe the Bible. So, what is the first thing you and I usually do when we’re talking with an unbeliever and they say I don’t believe in God? We believe them and offer them some evidence for God’s existence. You haven’t ever had to offer evidence to anyone that you have a mom. Why do that with God. Since they’re without excuse, they already have all the evidence they need to believe God is. Why do unbelievers reject evidence for God? A big part of the answer comes from verse 21, they’d be required to glorify and thank Him. So how shouldn’t we answer the unbeliever? Proverbs 26:4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. So that’s how NOT to answer the unbeliever. Don’t afford them their presupposition. Don’t believe them when they say they don’t know if God exists. Don’t meet them half-way so-to-speak. So how do we answer the unbeliever? The very next verse tells us how we ought to answer the non-believer. Proverbs 26:5 Answer a fool as his folly deserves, That he not be wise in his own eyes. The logical method here is called “reductio ad absurdum”, which means you climb into someone’s worldview (as though it were a car) and drive it into a tree. Show them how their worldview results in absurdity. Caution: do it with meekness and gentleness and respect.
You can ask them why they’ve concluded no God exists. Their answer will usually fall into one of two different categories:
They have a moral beef against God. I.e. the bible teaches slavery or the bible sanctions rape, or God prescribed genocide, or Christians are hypocrites, or why is there pain and suffering in the world, or Why do innocent babies get cancer and die? I knew a man who said he used to be a christian but God didn’t heal his wife of cancer and he no longer believed in God.
ORThey say they have an intellectual beef against God. I.e. Evolution disproves the bible, or the bible can’t be trusted because it has been passed down and translated so many times that it contains errors, or I can’t believe the Bible because there are some abnormal things in it like a man rising from the dead or a donkey talking or an ax head floating, etc. It’s a smokescreen; they really have a moral beef against God too.
How to Answer the Fool
Morality
To follow Proverbs 26:4, you can expose the folly of their premise. When they make a moral accusation against God, you can ask them, where do they get a standard for right and wrong without the God of the Bible? That’ll stop ‘em in their tracks. They might say they know inherently that slavery is wrong, or that genocide is wrong or that hypocrisy is wrong. That hasn’t always been true; there have been those in history that inherently thought slavery was ok. Were they right or are you right? If there is no objective standard (higher than you or I) who’s to say whether they were right or you’re right.
They might say, “well society dictates what’s right and wrong”. Ok, some societies said genocide was good. Some societies say honor killing is good. Were they right? Proverbs 11:21 says “Though hand join in hand, the wicked will not go unpunished”. In other words, we don’t ascertain right and wrong by consensus.
On pain and suffering, you and I know why there’s pain and suffering; the Bible tells us we live in a fallen sin cursed world, and pain and suffering comes from that. But why does pain and suffering matter in the atheistic worldview?” If there’s no ultimate meaning to life and we just cease to exist after we die, then none of this matters ultimately. If we’re all just evolving, then pain and suffering is just part of the evolutionary process. If pain and suffering is bad, according to you, where do you get your standard for “good and bad”? What does the atheistic worldview offer to anyone going through pain and suffering? They can only say “Just suck it up, that’s the way things are. Just grin and bear it, it’ll get better in the end (maybe). To be consistent with an atheistic worldview, pain and suffering are just random, and there’s no plan or purpose to pain and suffering.
From a Biblical worldview, we know God offers help, comfort and an ultimate (eternal) solution for pain and suffering. We’re told in Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. We’re told in 2 Corinthians 1:3-9 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
Ultimately and eternally we have God’s promise
Revelation 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Not only that, but we’re promised we’ll have trials, tribulations and pain and suffering in this life, but it is by God’s will and decree and there is a good purpose and plan behind it and we can trust God through it: Job 13:15 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him… For us, God can take evil and use it for good, like Joseph said in Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
Intellectual
The second category I mentioned is where the non-believer has an intellectual beef with God. Remember when Hillary was running for president, and she said, “I believe in science!”. That was a poke directly at us believers in Jesus Christ. As if science disproves or at least negates the need for God. You all know that science just means, “to know or knowledge”. Regarding the non-believer’s assertion that science somehow disproves the bible, the first question you ask is “how do you know?” Tell them, “If I can rephrase what you’re saying; you’re saying science is true and the Bible is false, right? So you’re telling me you have a standard of truth, right? So what is your standard of truth and where do you get it from?” You and I know where we get the truth from. Pontious Pilate questioned Jesus, in John 18:38 and he said, “What is truth?” Jesus pre-answered that question in John 14:6, where He said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”.
How do you get through to someone who denies their only hope of having a foundation for truth. Think about it like this; If you’ve ever interacted with kids, they ask you a question, like “why is the sky blue?”, and you say “Well, the light shining through the atmosphere produces the blue color”. And they say, “why?” and you say well the atmosphere is made up of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide and the photons of light are refracted through the air and show the color blue. And they say, “Why?” And finally you say, because God made it that way. That’s what we’re trying to get to with the non-believer.
Did you know the scientific method itself relies on a Christian worldview.
You have a question that needs answering
Formulate a hypothesis (what do you think the answer is)
Test your hypothesis
Form a conclusion
Simple enough… The scientific method is based on the theory of induction; in other words, we build up a history of observations, to predict what will happen in the future. Inductive reasoning means you look to the past to predict the future. Without God though, how does the atheist account for this? His logic goes something like this, “the future will be like the past, because it’s always been that way”. That’s a vicious circle. That’s the logical fallacy called “begging the question”. We christians can account for why induction is valid. We know it’s only God who controls the future, as it says in Colossians 1:17 “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” We can trust things will be in the future as they were in the past by Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.”
Without God the atheist’s arguments are reduced to absurdity. All of this is based on the “Transcendental Argument” given by Corneilius Van Til in the mid 1900s.
Knowledge
How do we as Christians know things? The same way non-Christians do. Deuteronomy 29:29
“The secret [things belong] to the LORD our God, but those [things which are] revealed [belong] to us and to our children forever, that [we] may do all the words of this law.
We believe in a revelational theory of knowledge. The technical term for theory of knowledge is “revelational epistemology “. Ask a non-Christian how they know what they know?
Just a few verses about this subject:
Psalms 94:10 (NASB95) He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke, Even He who teaches man knowledge?
Matthew 10:26 “Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from [the] wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.
Matthew 11:27 “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and [the one] to whom the Son wills to reveal [Him.]
Matthew 16:17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed [this] to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Luke 1:4 so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
Luke 2:32 A light to [bring] revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.”
Ephesians 3:3-5 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
1John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
So, how does the atheist/non-believer know things, the same way you and I do.
Your Mission
2Corinthians 10:5 [We are] destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and [we are] taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
Be wise men:
Matthew 7:24-29 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and [yet] it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." 28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as [one] having authority, and not as their scribes.
