Condemns what he calls, The lunatic influence of religious belief. He goes so far as to say that,...
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Transcript of Condemns what he calls, The lunatic influence of religious belief. He goes so far as to say that,...
• Condemns what he calls, “The lunatic influence of religious
belief.” He goes so far as to say that, “Theology is now little
more than a branch of human ignorance.
- Sam Harris, neuroscientist and author of the New York Times
bestseller, The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation
• Claims, “We brights don’t believe in ghosts or elves or the
Easter Bunny - or God.”
- Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer and cognitive scientist
whose research centers on the philosophy of mind
WHY BELIEVE IN GOD?
Has He become too small for the sophisticated mind?
1. Every Effect Must Have an Adequate Cause
(For every house is built by someone, but
the builder of all things is God.)
(Hebrews 3:4 ESV)
• “a doorway into something
fundamental and deep we don’t
know about nature.”
• Article also mentions “no
cosmic speed limit” or
• an “undiscovered 5th
dimension.”
- Matthew Strassler,
Rutgers University,
-T HIS WEEK
1. Every Effect Must Have an Adequate Cause
(For every house is built by someone, but
the builder of all things is God.)
(Hebrews 3:4 ESV)
Arno Penzias, Nobel Prize winner
for discovering the radiation echo
corroborating a Big Bang, hence a
beginning to the universe admits,
“The best data we have are
exactly what I would have
predicted had I nothing to go on
but the five books of Moses, the
Psalms, and the Bible as a
whole.”
2. Design Demands a Designer
For what can be known about God is plain to
them, because God has shown it to them. For his
invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine
nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the
creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
(Romans 1:19-20 ESV)
2. Design Demands a Designer
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created,
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or
authorities — all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in
him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17 ESV)
Both Creator and Sustainer
2. Design Demands a Designer
In 1983 physicist Paul Davies argued for an
atheistic interpretation of the universe. By 1998 he had changed his view in THE
COSMIC BLUEPRINT, writing…
“…powerful evidence that there is something going on behind it all. The impression of design is overwhelming..”
2. Design Demands a Designer
“Darwin’s theory encounters its
greatest difficulties when it
comes to the development of
the cell. Many cellular systems
are ...irreducibly complex. ...the
system needs several
components before it can work
properly.”
- Michael Behe, Biologist,
DARWIN’S BLACK BOX
SIMPLE CELLS ARE NOT REALLY ALL THAT SIMPLE!!
3. OUR MORAL SENSE DEMANDS A PERFECT SOURCE
Nazis just following orders?
Exterminating Jews?
What of Christians?
The infirm?
The elderly?
The unborn?
3. OUR MORAL SENSE DEMANDS A PERFECT SOURCE
Every good gift and every
perfect gift is from above, coming
down from the Father of lights with
whom there is no variation or
shadow due to change.
(James 1:17 ESV)
Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today and forever.
(Hebrews 13:8 ESV)
3. OUR MORAL SENSE DEMANDS A PERFECT SOURCE
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, …So God
created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27 ESV)
The end of the matter; after all has been heard. Fear
God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ESV)If no accountability, no right/wrong, then no purpose
The Bible Does Not Argue for the Existence of God
• It just assumes that everyone know He exists
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has
shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of
the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without
excuse. (Romans 1:19-20 ESV)
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. (Psalm 14:1 ESV)