Engage Week 3

ENGAGE WEEK 3 The human condition 1 Peter 3:15(nasb) - but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. The Human Condition.....Our pursuit of truth can be started with the understanding of the nature of humanity, which comes largely from our internal knowledge. 1) Make sense of our existence......(religious impulse) 2) We feel we have some kind of moral significance to our lives 3) We have an emptiness that cannot be filled with things around us 4) We realize that if the universe had a beginning it must have had a cause 2 Corinthians 10:5 (nasb) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; The greatest proof of Christianity for others is not how far a man can logically analyze his reasons for believing, but how far in practice he will stake his life on his belief T.S Eliot "Cogito Ergo Credo" I think therefore I believe" Psalm 14:1(niv) - The fool ( morally insufficient) says in his heart there is no God, they are corrupt, their deeds are vile, there is no one who does good. GOD a) He makes us AWARE of Him-Our human nature (moral fiber) suggests to us that there must be something beyond ourselves. Ecclesiastes 3:11-(niv) Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. b) He gave us the BIBLE- Our awareness leads us to look for God. The bible is the evidence that God has left us' a self autographed documentation of His nature and plans. 2 Timothy 3:16-17(nasb)16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. c) We can see His CREATION- One of the general revelations about God surrounds us each day, we see miracles of creation everywhere. Romans 1:20(nasb) 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. The Moral Argument Is right and wrong objective realities with claims on all people at all times, or are they subjective realities only, matters of opinion?(Hitler was he bad or just have a different opinion) Relativism- Society and/or individuals decide what is right and wrong and it varies from culture to culture. There are three different forms of relativism, cultural...conventionalism, and ethical subjectivism. Cultural Relativism- Since each culture has different views of morality then there must no right or wrong answer. (Aborition....USA.....Mexico....China) 1) Does this deal with morals 2) Or observing how a culture is based a) Just because a culture does something a certain way does not mean it is right. b) The simple fact of disagreement on morality does not mean that there is no moral truth. Conventionalism- The view that each society decides what is right and wrong. > Morality becomes what is legal. Example...A law is passed saying having blue eyes is illegal, this would not only be against the law but to have blue eyes would be immoral. (Hitler example) Ethical Subjectivism- Individuals decide what is right and wrong for themselves only. > Morality becomes personal preference. > What's true for you may not be true for me. Objective Morality- Morals are not opinions, they are not personal private decisions and they are not descriptions of behavior. They are prescriptions for behavior. > In order to understand our moral obligation we do not do it scientifically > Morals cannot be based on descriptions of the world neither can it be derived from reason. > Morality consists of prescriptions for behavior and motives- not descriptions of the world > Morality consist of commands, not suggestions...This is right and this is wrong(10 commandments) > Morality is universal in scope > Morality is objective, right and wrong exist outside of and regardless of our beliefs > Morality is authoritative. Why do we have guilt? Where do God's morals come from? "There can be no command if no one is speaking" Romans- 2:14-15- 14 Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. 15 They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.