Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
What is Truth?
Naturalism/Scientism/Materialism
Postmodernism:
Delos B. McKown:
Christianity is scientifically unsupported
and probably insupportable, philosophically
suspect at best and disreputable at worst, and
historically fraudulent.
World View
It is true
Naturalism/Scientism/Materialism
Materialism
Richard Dawkins
LaPlace
(17491827)
About God:
I have no
need of that
hypothesis
It is mere rubbish
to think at this
point of the origin
of life. One might
as well think of the
origin of matter.
Charles Darwin
Enter, Postmodernism!
Scientific Materialism
Only
Scientific Materialism
Scientific Materialism
There is no God,
No angels
No Devil
No good
No evil
No survival of physical death,
No non-physical realities, and
No ultimate meaning or purpose to life
No Heaven
No afterlife
A Response to Naturalism/Materialism/Scientism
Circular Reasoning
Unprovable assumptions of science.
The universe is ordered and essentially unchanging.
The universe is observable and understandable.
The universe is governed by mathematically precise
laws.
None of these assumptions can be proved by
experiment. In
a sense, science is not scientific.
many?
By what means?
Etc.
Postmodernism/Cultural Relativism
Positive Contributions
Problems
Very confusing.
No world view is preferred.
The idea of truth, for all practical purposes,
disappears.
Theories of Truth
Self-refuting.
If nothing is true, then postmodernism is not true.
Its authors insist on authorial privilege.
It can be dangerous.
Which is better, the Nazi culture or Christianity?
On what basis?
Sin is a cultural creation. Why prefer one
moral system to another?
Why listen to reformers like Jesus Christ or
Siddhartha Buddha? By definition, our culture
is always right!
a. real
b. created
and
c. essentially good.
Evil exists.
Why am I here?
Where am I going?
Science
Civil Rights
Womens Rights
World Views
Deism
Pantheism
Animism/Polytheism
Dualism
Definitions
Another Point of
View: Different
Paths to the
Same Goal?
God
Islam
Mysticis
m
Bahai
Buddhis
m
HINDUISM
Approximately 900,000,000
adherents.
Began as animism/polytheism
Evolved into
polytheism/pantheism
Lakshmi
Krishna
Scriptures of Hinduism
Tantras
Religious discussions/teachings.
Hindu Cosmology
Time is cycliclike a snake that bites its own tail.
Remember, the world is not real.
Hindu apologetics?
Brahman.
The Hindu world view has man looking inward, not outward.
Is it true?
Hindu cosmology (cyclic time, earth on the back of four
elephants on a turtle swimming in a bowl of milk) is
patently false.
The physical world is real and it is good.
Evil is NOT an illusion
Buddhism
400,000,000 adherents.
Nirvana
Bodhi
Bodhisattva
Dharma
Sangha
nuns.
Maitreya
awakenment, enlightenment.
an awakened being.
Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
Schools/Sects of Buddhism
Buddhist Scripture
Buddhist
Scripture
Practices of Buddhism
Buddhist
Cosmology
Suffering is an illusion.
Is it true?
The world is an illusion?
Cosmology appears to be refuted by science.
Jainism
Jaina Theology
The Svastika
a symbol of
samsara
(rebirth)
Reincarnation
Karma
Pantheistic
Jaina Scriptures
Jaina Sects
Digambaras: Monks are nude, only
males can reach enlightenment.
Jaina Worldview
Pantheism.
Reincarnation/karma.
Sikhism
Nanak, founder
of Jaina
Scriptures of Sikkhism
Sikh Practices
Monotheistic
Karma, reincarnation.
Works salvation.
Confucianism
Confucianism (cont.)
Confucian Scriptures
Dualism
Is it true?
Taoism (Daoism)
Pantheistic.
Pantheism
Bahai
No priests, no ceremony.
Monotheistic.
Baha-Ullah claimed to be
The
The
The
The
Bahai Theology
Jesus did not die for our sins, because he did not
have to. We are imperfect, but not lost.
You are God, I am God, the trees are God, we all are
God!
MOHAMMED
Islamic Theology
Islamic Theology
Surely good deeds take away evil deeds
(11:114).
Kabira (big sins)murder, adultery, drunkenness,
disobeying parents, neglecting Ramadan or Friday
prayers, gambling, dancing, shaving the beard,
forgetting the Koran after reading it, usury
Forgiveness with repentance.
Saghira (little sins)deceit, anger, lust. Forgiveness if
greater sins are avoided and good deeds are performed.
Shirkassociation (of other gods with Allah). No
forgiveness.
grace.
Earn favor of Allah.
Earn salvation.
Earn paradise.
Initiative
Human approach
God
Mankind
Truth
God
Mankind
Works Salvation:
Man reaches out to
God.
Salvation by Grace:
God reaches out to
man.
Islam
Judaism
Hinduism
Christianity
Jaina
Sikkhism
Gnosticism
New Age
Buddhism?
Islamic Worldview:
Obviously closer to the Christian world view than Eastern
Religions, but
God is very distant from mankind
In Islam, Allah determines everything, even who will
choose to follow him.
Sura 2:142, 6:39 6:125
Inshallah God willing. It is Gods will that people suffer.
Fifteen wives
Massacre of 700 Jews
Doctrine of Abrogation
Science errors
Summary