Outline: Atheism and the Existence of God

Introduction

Week One: Atheism and the Existence of God

1. Introduction

a. What is Apologetics?

i. We are not to have blind faith

b. Scriptural Support

c. Why it’s Needed

d. What Apologetics is not

2. Atheism Worldview

a. General Beliefs

b. Trends

c. Why it is Attractive

3. Can Truth be Known?

a. Law of Non-Contradiction

i. ALL religions claim they have the exclusive truth

b. Truth is discovered, not invented

c. Truth transcends cultures

d. Beliefs do not change facts

e. The self-defeating of agnosticism and skepticism

i. Believe truth can’t be known, but yet claim their view is true

ii. All truth is relative (Is that a relative truth?)

iii. There are no absolutes (Are you absolutely sure?)

4. Proof of God

a. Abductive Reasoning (p.121)

b. Are the Big Bang and the Bible in agreement?

i. Did the Universe have a beginning?

1. Albert Einstein’s General Relativity 1916 (Einstein held pantheistic views (God in all)

2. Law of Thermodynamics

a. Winding up a toy

3. Ex Nihilo

a. Why is there something instead of nothing?

i. Either no one created something out of nothing, or someone created something out of nothing

4. Who made God and the Law of Causality

5. The “Big Banger” and infinite regress

c. Finely Tuned

i. A Fragile Universe

1. Nuclear force, weak nuclear force, electromagnetic force, and force of gravity

a. If value of the ratio of protons to electrons deviates more than 1 in 1037 = no life

2. Expansion rate of universe

a. If rate deviated more than 1 in 1037 = no life

b. If mass density of universe varied more than 1 in 1059 = no life

3. Comprehending these numbers

a. Dimes example

b. Measuring tape example

c. Firing a bullet example

4. Our Earth

a. Distance from Sun

b. Orbital Tilt

c. Length of Rotation

d. Our Atmosphere

e. Our Moon

5. A Fine Tuner is necessary

a. Implies intentionality and purpose

d. Origins of Life

DARWIN

i. DNA and the “Chicken and the Egg” dilemma

1. Scientists admit they have no reasonable answer

2. A Hostile Earth

3. The Problem of Chance

4. DNA – An Instruction Book

5. Laws and forces of Nature can’t explain it

e. Mind over Matter

i. No scientific explanation of relationship of our nonmaterial minds to our physical brains

ii. Physics vs. Logic

1. Thomas Nagel quote

f. Free Will

i. The Atheist’s Stumbling Block

1. Believe it is an illusion, our choices are purely dictated by prior chemical and electrical reactions in our brains

2. We cannot be held accountable for our actions (no moral accountability)

3. The problem of planning for the atheist

g. Morality

i. Is it just relative to each individual (objectivism)?

1. Hitler and Mother Teresa example

ii. Is it cultural?

1. Problem of group coherence

iii. Is it biological?

1. Atheism and well-being

h. Problem of Evil

i. Why does it exist if God exists?

ii. Back to free will

1. Without love, how could we define evil?

5. Summary

a. The arguments point us to the necessary characteristics of responsible party

i. Nonspatial

ii. Atemporal

iii. Nonmaterial

iv. Uncaused

v. Powerful

vi. Intelligent

vii. Creative

viii. Resourceful

Week One: Atheism and the Existence of God

Introduction

What is Apologetics?

Scriptural Support

Scriptural Support

Scriptural Support

Why it’s Needed

Trends in Youth and Christianity

What Apologetics is not

Atheism Worldview

General Beliefs

Trends

Why it is Attractive

Can Truth be Known?

Can Truth be Known?

Can Truth be Known?

Law of Non-Contradiction

The self-defeating of agnosticism and skepticism

Truth is discovered, not invented

Truth transcends cultures

Beliefs do not change facts

The self-defeating of agnosticism and skepticism

Proof of God

All truth is relative (Is that a relative truth?)

There are no absolutes (Are you absolutely sure?)

Proof of God

Abductive Reasoning

Are the Big Bang and the Bible in agreement?

Did the Universe have a beginning?

Albert Einstein’s General Relativity 1916

Law of Thermodynamics

Law of Thermodynamics

Ex Nihilo

Ex Nihilo

Why is there something instead of nothing?

Who made God and the Law of Causality

Who made God and the Law of Causality

The “Big Banger” and infinite regress

Finely Tuned

A Fragile Universe

Nuclear force, weak nuclear force, electromagnetic force, and force of gravity

Expansion rate of universe

Expansion rate of universe

Comprehending these numbers

If mass density of universe varied more than 1 in 1059 = no life

Comprehending these numbers

Dimes example

Measuring tape example

Firing a bullet example

Our Earth

Distance from Sun

Orbital Tilt

Length of Rotation

Our Atmosphere

Our Moon

Fine Tuner is necessary

Origins of Life

Origins of Life

Exposing Darwinism

Microevolution vs. Macroevolution

The Fossil record

DNA and the “Chicken and the Egg” dilemma

A Hostile Earth

A Hostile Earth

The Problem of Chance

DNA – An Instruction Book

Mind over Matter

Mind over Matter

Non-material minds vs. our physical brains

Physics vs. Logic

Free Will

Free Will

The Atheist’s Stumbling Block

Morality

We cannot be held accountable for our actions (no moral accountability)

The problem of planning for the atheist

Morality

Is it just relative to each individual (objectivism)?

Is it cultural?

Is it cultural?

Is it biological?

Is it biological?

Problem of Evil

Problem of Evil

Why does it exist if God exists?

Summary

Without love, how could we define evil?

Summary

The arguments point us to the necessary characteristics of responsible party

Nonspatial

Atemporal

Nonmaterial

Uncaused

Powerful

Intelligent

Creative

Resourceful

References and Suggested Reading for Further Study

Craig, William Lane. (2010). On Guard: Defending your Faith with Reason and Precision. Colorado Springs, CO: David Cook Publishers.

Geisler, Norman L., & Turek, Frank. (2004). I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Meyer, Stephen C. (2013). Darwin’s Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Wallace, J. Warner. (2013). Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. Colorado Springs, CO: David Cook Publishers.

Wallace, J. Warner. (2015). God’s Crime Scene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe. Colorado Springs, CO: David Cook Publishers.

Zacharias, Ravi. (2007). Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.