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Does it matter whatpeople believe?

Feedback from Mr Brandon Looney, who gave permission for his full name to be used.His letter seems to promote a increasingly common errorthat ofpostmodernism or

relativisma denial of absolute objective truth. This contrasts with many atheists whoclaim that we are wrong (usually without the slightest justification), but such a claim

presupposes that there is such a thing as absolute truth. A response by Dr Jonathan Sarfati(AiG-Australia) immediately follows his letter, first in its entirety.

I will gladly oblige in providing you with a negative response to your organization. Not

because Im an evolutionist, I believe atheism is as much a religion as Christianity in thatboth are equally dogmatic and unbending, but because I see that there are more problems

that Christians should try and solve.

You should be spreading the word of God and his Son to the people of America

strengthening your numbers. I've tried arguing with a scientist before, its pointless. Nomatter what you say to these people their beliefs arent going to change any more than

yours are.

Is it important where we came from? Some say yes and some say no, but the truth of the

matter is its not. Do you believe in God today? Do you believe that God created man andGod created Earth. Its not important what the world believes. Its important what you

belive.

Response:

I will gladly oblige in providing you with a negative response to your organization. Notbecause Im an evolutionist, I believe atheism is as much a religion as Christianity in that

both are equally dogmatic and unbending,,

I must say that its a refreshing change for someone to realise that atheism is also a

dogmatic belief system. In fact, all belief systems start with axioms, or propositions heldto be true without proof, and from which other propositions are deduced. These axioms

form a framework by which facts are interpreted. As we often emphasise, creationists

and evolutionists have the same facts; the difference is how they are interpreted, and thedifference is due to the different axioms. For more information, see Creation: Wheres

the proof?

but because I see that there are more problems that Christians should try and solve.

On what basis do you decide that something is a problem, or how great a problem it is? Apersons axioms play a huge role in this, and what might be serious problems under some

axioms would not be under others.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/feedback/negative8-15-2000.asp#responsehttp://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/bios/j_sarfati.asphttp://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/feedback/negative8-15-2000.asp#letterhttp://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4179.asphttp://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4179.asphttp://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/feedback/negative8-15-2000.asp#responsehttp://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/bios/j_sarfati.asphttp://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/feedback/negative8-15-2000.asp#letterhttp://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4179.asphttp://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/4179.asp

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You should be spreading the word of God and his Son

This is precisely what we are doing. But I must ask you, which God and Son are you

talking about, if not the God of the Bible who created the universe, through and by HisSon?

to the people of America

It might surprise you to learn that there are other countries in the world ;)

strengthening your numbers. Ive tried arguing with a scientist before, its pointless.

Does this mean that your own limited experience should be normative for us all?

Respectfully, Im not surprised at your lack of success if this letter illustrates yourgeneral way of arguing, that is, unsupported assertions and (as will be shown below) self-

refuting statements.

No matter what you say to these people their beliefs arent going to change any more than

yours are.

Actually, our experience is different from yours. Some of our staff scientists and board

members themselves are scientists who didchange their minds, which means a

fundamental change of axioms. And we have hundreds of letters on file of many others. It

shows the fallacy of basing too much on a single persons experience. In fact, althoughwe have plenty of experience to the contrary, our position is not based on experience but

on biblical commands such as 2 Corinthians 10:5, We demolish arguments and every

pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every

thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Is it important where we came from? Some say yes and some say no, but the truth of the

matter is its not.

Do you have any basis for this assertion? In fact, it makes all the difference in the world.If God made us, then He owns us, and has the right to make the rules for usand because

He made us, He knows whats best for us. Andthis is most important of allwe are

accountable to Him, worthy of infinite punishment for violating His infinite holiness, and

have only one way out: this is to believe that Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, borethe punishment we deserve.

But if no-one made us, then rules are simply conventions from culture or have evolved

for survival value, and there is no objective basis for deciding right and wrong. Andultimately we are accountable to no-one but ourselves. Is it any wonder that

schoolchildren, wearing T-shirts emblazoned with natural selection, go on shooting

sprees against their classmates? If humans are really just rearranged pond scumthe

results of survival of the fittestthen what could possibly be the basis for saying thatthey did wrong?

http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=2COR%2B10:5)#uage=english&version=KJV&showfn=onhttp://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=2COR%2B10:5)#uage=english&version=KJV&showfn=onhttp://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?passage=2COR%2B10:5)#uage=english&version=KJV&showfn=on

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Do you believe in God today? Do you believe that God created man and God created

Earth. its not important what the world believes

This presupposes that beliefs have no consequences. But as shown above, they mostcertainly do. And if you mean that it shouldnt matter to us what the rest of the world

believes, and given that you are a part of the rest of the world, it follows that it shouldntmatter to us whatyoubelieveso why, given your own assumptions, would you expect

us to take your comments seriously?

its important what you belive.

Well, I believethat it is important what the world believes, and that relativism has

baneful consequences for personal and social life, as well as grave eternal consequences.

So according to your own words, this belief of mine is important.