Supporting Faith with Reason and Evidence

We can support our faith with reason and evidence We can support our faith with reason and evidence

Session 1 Intro, strategy, questions, challenges Session 2 Truth, God exists - arguments Session 3 Science key terms & issues Session 4 Bible reliability & Jesus1 Session 5 Jesus2, Trinity, Atheism/Agnosticism, POE Session 6 Islam, Cults, other religions Session 7 Predestination/free will, those who never hear, NDE Session 8 Review & Final Q&A I Don t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist Geisler/Turek Tactics Greg Koukl Who Moved the Stone Frank Morison

Terms/definitions Science Search for natural causes logical fallacy Theory/hypothesis Cannot be just an idea to be accepted evidence needed Must be testable via scientific method Proof Almost nothing is certain. Probabilities based on evidence Nothing Not a thing. Cannot redefine to fit scientific claim. Atheism Belief there is no God. Cannot redefine to no beliefs about God or unbelief in God. That is agnosticism.

Terms/definitions Human Science says any hominid primate with two feet walks upright But modern humans only homo sapiens sapiens around 50k-100k years ago Species Based on anthropology/taxonomy org chart Different species of birds or dogs are still birds and dogs

Other key topics Transitional fossils ie between reptile and bird where are they? Should be millions or billions Bad definition includes any that have similar traits as transitional species Who created God Claim: If universe needs a cause, God needs a cause No - God is uncreated Impossibility of an infinite regress Must be an uncaused first cause of all causes

Other key topics Multiverse Theory to address fine-tuning problem Claims to be a theory but no evidence Infinite number of universes So one like ours is bound to exist Conveniently never know outside our universe Unfalsifiable But even if so needs a cause Now all the universes need a cause Does not prevent the need for a cause

Other key topics Miracles Science - only natural world exists Ignores unnatural Supernatural outside definition Fallacy - assumption before looking at evidence Creation of the universe and first life No natural explanation Miracles Craig Keener

Other key topics Evolution definition of terms is key Macro evolution all living things from a single organism Micro evolution things change over time Science infers macro evolution from micro evolution Evolution cannot explain first life Evolution cannot explain DNA Mutations usually neutral or harmful copying error Mutations do not add new biological information No transitional fossils to speak of No common ancestor proof Inferred based on body plans (taxonomy) assumes evolution Definitions of human, species, transitional are tricky Genetic Entropy Dr. John Sanford Icons of Evolution Jonathan Wells Darwin s Black Box Michael Behe

Evolution cont. Survival of fittest contradicts morality Self-sacrifice, compassion Free will is an illusion Then we are unaccountable Then nothing wrong with belief in God Why is nonbelief better or true? Molecules in motion No way to ground any argument Ultimately makes evolution irrational No grounding for moral values

Other key topics Humans and apes descended from common ancestor Human DNA closer to chicken than chimp Per geneticist Dr. John Sanford No common ancestor identified (missing link) All common ancestors inferred Best identification requires soft tissue Almost all fossils are only bones often a piece Voicebox is major problem Chimps cannot create sounds needed for language Symbology is major problem Arts, worship, language

Other topics Cambrian explosion 35 major animal phyla created 543 million years ago w/in a 5 million year period Sudden appearance defies principle of evolution Evolution cannot explain the complexity involved to create new body plans so fast Evolution does not create new biological information This event corresponds to day 6 of Genesis Darwin s Doubt Stephen Meyer

Other topics Flood global or regional? Science -not enough water to be global But ignore oceans beneath earth crust, underwater springs Hebrew for covered (kasah) also resided upon Hebrew for all the high mountains (kol heharim hugebohim) hill or mountain or slope Mountains of Ararat not Mt. Ararat whole world could be a metaphor - perspective Mesopotamia area was considered the whole world Kinds is not every species No need for insects, fish, all cat family, etc Could hold 16k-50k animals Maybe only 2k animals needed space equiv. 569 railroad cars Genesis Question Hugh Ross

Other key topics Age of the earth (YE vs OE) Not a salvation or inerrancy issue Difficult to engage strong science supporters from a YE view Not a decision about science vs the Bible Evolution and age of earth totally separate issues Take a neutral position Bible supports either one/Bible does not say how old the earth is Unaware of non-Christian published YE scientist but many Christian OE scientists Key issue interpretation of scripture Day (yom) 4 meanings Create (bara) no prior existence Made (asah)- past event Morning boqer also means beginning of Evening ereb also means end of Genesis Question Hugh Ross Genesis, Science & the Beginning Ben Smith

www.resurgensconsulting .com www.ratiochristi.org Science Dr. Hugh Ross Genesis Question Why the Universe is the way it is Jonathan Wells Icons of Evolution Michael Behe Darwin s Black Box Dr. Stephen Meyer Darwin s Doubt Signature in the Cell Dr. Craig Keener - Miracles www.resurgensconsulting .com - - My site/blog General I Don t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist More than a Carpenter - Josh McDowell The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel Mere Christianity - C.S. Lewis Tactics Greg Koukl Islam Nabeel Qureshi Seeking Allah Finding Jesus, No God but One I Don t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist Geisler/ Geisler/Turek Turek

Tom Griffin, tjgconsult@aol.com www.resurgensconsulting.com tjgconsult@aol.com 770-597-2654 www.resurgensconsulting.com Apologetics for Tweens Books by Thomas J. Griffin Apologetics for Tweens 5th-8thgrade curriculum $170-$245 complete set $40-$86 per year w/Leader s Guide The Last Premise - $4.99 on Amazon Kindle Geopolitical fictional novel nearing apocalypse apologetics, romance, black ops Letters from Art Private/Unpublished Historical romance novel from the depression era Legacy of a Christian Father Private/Unpublished Guidance from a father to his son Books by Thomas J. Griffin