Is Christianity irrational? Is believing in God intellectually vacuous? Jerry Wierwille will address the criticism of skeptics that Christian belief is arrogant, unjustified, and irrational. Next, he’ll describe the popular secular belief in scientism before exposing its deleterious effects.
Arrogant, Unjustified, & Irrational? ————————————- Justified – a belief is justified if after careful reflection and investigation of a matter, including objections and counter-arguments, it is still found to be strongly compelling.
Rational – a belief is rational if it is produced by cognitive faculties that are functioning properly and successfully aimed at discovering what is true.
Warrant – a belief is warranted if it is produced by cognitive faculties that are functioning properly in an appropriate framework of knowledge according to a design plan successfully aimed at discovering what is true.
Science & Scientism ——————— Science – the investigation and study of the structure and behavior of the physical world through observation and experimentation.
Scientism – the belief that science alone has the intellectual authority to give us knowledge of reality.
Sean and Jerry,
I thank you for this series of podcasts. It is a helpful summary of the core – well-trodden ground of basic apologetic arguments which are made on both sides of the coin (perhaps more theist than atheist?)
Anyway, I do understand that due to time constraints this podcast series is necessarily restricted as to the depth of content it can cover.
It is also essentially a primer – let’s face it – for existing Christians to be able to provide a rational response to a ‘casual’ comment/opportunity to ‘DEFEND’ our Christian faith from a ‘dismissive’ Bertrand Russell / Locke view that only observable/ objectively testable facts count in understanding the origins and existence and meaning of life and the cosmos.
My, hopefully constructive observation/criticism of your approach to this series is:
A. It doesn’t adopt your usual compelling format if respectful dialogue between those who share differing / even diametrically opposed views;
B. “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”!
We live in a world where:
A. Christians (& other theists – eg Muslim Uiweigars in China) are being:
1. incarcerated; and
2. politically, economically and mentally tortured and oppressed; and worse, 3. massacred and ethnically cleansed (Syria, Mianmar, throughout Africa)
either by:
1. other theist’s (who believe that their religious view is not only the ‘correct one’ but that they are entitled, indeed directed to forcefully convert or kill all non- believers); or
2. modern Communist AND Western society atheists, who currently restrict their actions to:
* incarceration and mental re-training;
or
* social and educational and economic loss of freedoms – (eg the banning of free speech, the banning of exposing students to anything other than secular materialism and scientific empirical studies – eg Intelligent Design).
For nearly 75yrs now, our Christian churches and members, and especially our church leaders, (& I acknowledge my own failings here), have permitted new atheism to take hold, which has also emboldened other theist faiths to join band wagon (while of course brutally and strenuously denying any possible criticism let alone social mocking of their faith).
Instead, the dwindling remnant of our Christian flock have been content to hole up in our little churches or move to mega churches to feel better, and have basically decided that “God will eventually give these heathens their cumuppence” when Christ returns to take up his earthly Kingdom – and for now, all we can do is “remain faithful”, keep coming along each Sunday to church to gain personal encouragement from pleasant words from our pastors and ministers and the church member ‘social club’; and that’s really it!!
Actually, increasingly I feel that – yes God over all if what’s going on, and His will will be done, but I think that He wanted it done by us – and we have all whimped out of recognising that our faith and now our basic human right to hold it, and practise it (which includes seeking to tell others about it), have been under intense attack from all sides.
Instead of actively and ferociously ‘defending’ it from such attacks, we’ve permitted it to be not merely challenged, but openly mocked and ridiculed- all in the name of “inclusiveness”, or “ not wanting to offend” or “permitting ‘free speech’”.
We have reached a point now globally, where we need to be facing up to reality, and adopting a wholly different and ‘active’ defence.
As a retired Naval Officer, I remember being amused by a US Navy Officer’s description of diplomacy – 1. Passive Diplomacy (being what diplomats do); and 2. Active Diplomacy (what English called GunBoat diplomacy – involving the use of threatened or actual force) to achieve one’s purpose and desired outcomes.
It is therefore time for us to be engaging in Active Christian Diplomacy. (Attack is the best means of defence.). In this, I am not advocating any abandonment of our unique Christian ethics and practises of Loving our neighbours as ourselves – and “turning the other cheek” – rather – I am speaking of the importance if recognising that God has made clear – those who mock and blaspheme against the name of Christ and the Holy Spirit – take a step too far – and it is our job as Christians to let that be known and stand up for our faith.
So to that end:
A. I would be REALLY grateful if you and Jerry would consider putting together references to materials on each of your audio blog series topics. (References for arguments and positions taken which are “For” and “Against” each proposition) together with clear encouragement to us all – to not sit back and say “ oh that’s good – I’m sure there are arguments that support my belief so I’ll just leave alone” – rather, that we each get off our backsides – and start training and honing our battle skills and tactics / so that not only can we faithfully challenge and indeed ‘correct’ the flippantly, or unconsidered or even deliberately challenging atheist comment or argument challenging or seeking to dismiss our faith as irrelevant, but more, go on active duty into the battlegrounds of our community- to reverse anti-freedom of speech and freedom of religious expression in our education systems, our sciences, commerce, and politics institutions and communities.
While I wholly respect and take my hat off to you guys for the fact that you are in fact getting off your backsides each day, and engaging the enemy and trying to encourage and equip members of your Christian flock to do likewise, I just feel that it’s time we all took a reality check, developed a backbone, and were willing to call a spade a shovel – by handing out and respectfully accepting ‘hard’ criticism of our individual and collective inaction, laziness and, frankly, gutlessness as Christians.
The first Apostles, St Paul and all who have lived and given their lives (often as martyrs) for us to know Christ and the Good News of his Kingdom of Heaven deserve better from us today!
Anyway – please do consider giving us for and against in depth reference materials – and possibly following this series up – with more indepth ‘respectful dialogue blogs where real advocates of various positions – respectfully engage with you as a moderator – so all can find ‘truth’. Never be afraid of truth!
Cheers,
Durham
Mr. Grigg What you suggest sounds like the flesh. We are to get things done by God’s spirit. You want to use the same tactics as the Jesuits, Crusaders and the old catholic church.
Good job guys. Thanks.
Sean and Jerry,
I thank you for this series of podcasts. It is a helpful summary of the core – well-trodden ground of basic apologetic arguments which are made on both sides of the coin (perhaps more theist than atheist?)
Anyway, I do understand that due to time constraints this podcast series is necessarily restricted as to the depth of content it can cover.
It is also essentially a primer – let’s face it – for existing Christians to be able to provide a rational response to a ‘casual’ comment/opportunity to ‘DEFEND’ our Christian faith from a ‘dismissive’ Bertrand Russell / Locke view that only observable/ objectively testable facts count in understanding the origins and existence and meaning of life and the cosmos.
My, hopefully constructive observation/criticism of your approach to this series is:
A. It doesn’t adopt your usual compelling format if respectful dialogue between those who share differing / even diametrically opposed views;
B. “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”!
We live in a world where:
A. Christians (& other theists – eg Muslim Uiweigars in China) are being:
1. incarcerated; and
2. politically, economically and mentally tortured and oppressed; and worse, 3. massacred and ethnically cleansed (Syria, Mianmar, throughout Africa)
either by:
1. other theist’s (who believe that their religious view is not only the ‘correct one’ but that they are entitled, indeed directed to forcefully convert or kill all non- believers); or
2. modern Communist AND Western society atheists, who currently restrict their actions to:
* incarceration and mental re-training;
or
* social and educational and economic loss of freedoms – (eg the banning of free speech, the banning of exposing students to anything other than secular materialism and scientific empirical studies – eg Intelligent Design).
For nearly 75yrs now, our Christian churches and members, and especially our church leaders, (& I acknowledge my own failings here), have permitted new atheism to take hold, which has also emboldened other theist faiths to join band wagon (while of course brutally and strenuously denying any possible criticism let alone social mocking of their faith).
Instead, the dwindling remnant of our Christian flock have been content to hole up in our little churches or move to mega churches to feel better, and have basically decided that “God will eventually give these heathens their cumuppence” when Christ returns to take up his earthly Kingdom – and for now, all we can do is “remain faithful”, keep coming along each Sunday to church to gain personal encouragement from pleasant words from our pastors and ministers and the church member ‘social club’; and that’s really it!!
Actually, increasingly I feel that – yes God over all if what’s going on, and His will will be done, but I think that He wanted it done by us – and we have all whimped out of recognising that our faith and now our basic human right to hold it, and practise it (which includes seeking to tell others about it), have been under intense attack from all sides.
Instead of actively and ferociously ‘defending’ it from such attacks, we’ve permitted it to be not merely challenged, but openly mocked and ridiculed- all in the name of “inclusiveness”, or “ not wanting to offend” or “permitting ‘free speech’”.
We have reached a point now globally, where we need to be facing up to reality, and adopting a wholly different and ‘active’ defence.
As a retired Naval Officer, I remember being amused by a US Navy Officer’s description of diplomacy – 1. Passive Diplomacy (being what diplomats do); and 2. Active Diplomacy (what English called GunBoat diplomacy – involving the use of threatened or actual force) to achieve one’s purpose and desired outcomes.
It is therefore time for us to be engaging in Active Christian Diplomacy. (Attack is the best means of defence.). In this, I am not advocating any abandonment of our unique Christian ethics and practises of Loving our neighbours as ourselves – and “turning the other cheek” – rather – I am speaking of the importance if recognising that God has made clear – those who mock and blaspheme against the name of Christ and the Holy Spirit – take a step too far – and it is our job as Christians to let that be known and stand up for our faith.
So to that end:
A. I would be REALLY grateful if you and Jerry would consider putting together references to materials on each of your audio blog series topics. (References for arguments and positions taken which are “For” and “Against” each proposition) together with clear encouragement to us all – to not sit back and say “ oh that’s good – I’m sure there are arguments that support my belief so I’ll just leave alone” – rather, that we each get off our backsides – and start training and honing our battle skills and tactics / so that not only can we faithfully challenge and indeed ‘correct’ the flippantly, or unconsidered or even deliberately challenging atheist comment or argument challenging or seeking to dismiss our faith as irrelevant, but more, go on active duty into the battlegrounds of our community- to reverse anti-freedom of speech and freedom of religious expression in our education systems, our sciences, commerce, and politics institutions and communities.
While I wholly respect and take my hat off to you guys for the fact that you are in fact getting off your backsides each day, and engaging the enemy and trying to encourage and equip members of your Christian flock to do likewise, I just feel that it’s time we all took a reality check, developed a backbone, and were willing to call a spade a shovel – by handing out and respectfully accepting ‘hard’ criticism of our individual and collective inaction, laziness and, frankly, gutlessness as Christians.
The first Apostles, St Paul and all who have lived and given their lives (often as martyrs) for us to know Christ and the Good News of his Kingdom of Heaven deserve better from us today!
Anyway – please do consider giving us for and against in depth reference materials – and possibly following this series up – with more indepth ‘respectful dialogue blogs where real advocates of various positions – respectfully engage with you as a moderator – so all can find ‘truth’. Never be afraid of truth!
Cheers,
Durham
Durham – You make some good points. By the way, John Locke was a keen Unitarian Christian.
Mr. Grigg What you suggest sounds like the flesh. We are to get things done by God’s spirit. You want to use the same tactics as the Jesuits, Crusaders and the old catholic church.