Transcript Naturalism vs. Christianity

What Christianity explains that
Naturalism cannot
Naturalism (materialism) and
Christianity (theism) are considered the
two possible positions or worldviews.
Naturalism: Naturalism is a theory
denying that any event can have a
supernatural cause. It’s a belief that
scientific laws are adequate to account
for all phenomena and that nature,
chemistry, or matter is all there is.
Naturalism excludes the idea of God.
Nine questions to be
considered:
1.0 Why is there something instead of nothing? Why is
there anything at all?
This is said to be life’s most basic philosophical question.
Wouldn’t it be more logical for there to be nothing instead of something?
The best a naturalist can come up with is that matter has always existed;
that it is eternal and they can’t say why. This is a major assumption. With
the wide acceptance of the Big Bang theory, it is now presumed that the
universe came from a small concentrated amount of matter but there is
no explanation where that came from or why.
Christianity says that God is the unseen presence, power and intelligence
behind the material universe; that he is the author of all matter and that
this is the most logical explanation for this question. It says that it was
God’s will, design and work by which everything exists except evil and sin.
2.0 - How can nothing produce something?
How could the universe just create itself- all this matter and
the basic building blocks of everything in the universe? The
Naturalist has no explanation.
The Bible says God created original matter out of nothing and
everything else came out of this by his design or the natural
processes he devised.
Why are we moral beings?
Why do we think in moral categories of right and wrong? Why
do we have a sense of morality? Why do we have something
we call a conscience in our psyche that tells us what we
should and shouldn’t do? Wouldn’t it be more logical for us
be amoral creatures? Shouldn’t we just think that “whatever
is” is “right.”
We even come up with values and ideals which only a perfect
man or society can meet. We come up with behaviors for
ourselves that we cannot even meet. Why is this the case?
3.0 Why are we moral beings? Continued
Why do we believe strongly that certain things are just wrong and
others are right? Why do we have a sense of right or wrong about
murder, rape, corruption, theft, bribery, adultery, lying, selfishness,
goodness, kindness, and the like? If naturalism is true why
shouldn’t we just accept everything as the way things are?
Wouldn’t evolution just be working out its purposes and therefore
everything is as it should be?
Christianity’s answer is that God made us in his image and likeness
which includes having a moral nature like his… though ours has
been affected by sin and our consciences, thinking and behavior
are imperfect.
4.0 What is the basis for right and wrong?
Naturalism has no basis for saying something is right and or
something is wrong. Sometimes it appeals to evolution as though
evolution has some moral guiding force, but evolution operates by
blind chance. Look what Hitler did with “survival of the fittest”
from an evolutionary position. Is this acceptable?
Christianity says God Himself is the standard and that he gives the
moral law- that is, the standard for what is right and wrong. Bottom
line there can only be right and wrong if God has defined it. We are
otherwise left with varying opinions of men, cultures and societies.
5.0 How can the universe exist in its size,
complexity, design and beauty?
The “observable” universe is 92 billion light years in diameter and is
infinitely complex. The earth’s diameter is a mere 5,400 miles. How
could all this size and complexity just happen by chance and come
out of nothing even if there were a big bang?
Only an infinitely powerful being could be behind something so
staggering.
Look at the complexity of a single cell organism.
5.0 How can the universe exist in its size,
complexity, design and beauty? Continued
Observe the infinite design and beauty of this universe, the earth
and human beings.
Humans alone have 75 trillion differentiated cells. There is
muscular-skeleton system, the circulatory system with the heart, a
nervous system with a brain, the digestive system with mouth,
stomach, and intestines; just to mention a few. All these come from
one cell.
Do not these point to God? Does no logic argue that there is a God
behind reality as we know it?
6.0 Where did human personality and
consciousness come from? How does
impersonal, inanimate matter produce
personality ?
Man has personality, consciousness, capacity of thought and
reason, emotions, a will (choice), creativity, a social nature with an
enjoyment of relationships, the capacity to work, a belief in love,
an appreciation of beauty, a sense of morality, and a search for
truth, identity, and meaning. What is the origin of these manlike
qualities? How did all this just come from pure inanimate matter?
Christianity says God made us miniatures of himself with all these
characteristics. He made us in his image and likeness.
7.0 What’s wrong with the world and the human
race?
The Bible says it is from human sin and corruption. We deified
ourselves, rejected God as the God of our lives and thereby
ruined ourselves and the world around us.
8.0 Who God is and what he is like?
What answers can naturalism give us about God?
God explained himself to us in the Bible, or “special”
revelation, and in Jesus Christ. He has told us who he is and
what he is like. We also see certain evidence of God in the
universe, the world and in human beings. He has not left us in
the dark.
9.0 What is the meaning of life?
What can naturalism tell us about this?
The naturalist says we come from nothing by chance occurrences of
evolution, will die, and go back into nothingness? Is this all there
really is?
Christianity says we are here by God’s will and design, and our
purpose is to glorify Him, enjoy him forever, and do his will while
trusting him during our lives. It says we can have a personal,
meaningful relationship with God himself through Jesus Christ.
The Questions in Summary
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1.0 Why is there something instead of nothing?
2.0 How can nothing produce something?
3.0 Why are we moral beings?
4.0 What is the basis for right and wrong?
5.0 How can the universe exist in its size, complexity,
design and beauty?
6.0 Where did human personality come from? How
does impersonal matter produce personality ?
7.0 What’s wrong with the world and the human race?
8.0 Who God is and what he is like?
9.0 What is the meaning of life?
With Christianity you are on a firm intellectual
foundation. With Naturalism you are not. Christianity
gives answers to all the basic questions. Naturalistic
modern man has concluded there are no answers
and says the best we can do is courageously face a
meaningless existence.
• I would also add that the only reason to
believe Christianity is that it’s true and best
squares with observable reality. Christianity
explains reality and the facts as we know
them. It is the most solid worldview of all. A
worldview must deal with issues of origin,
existence, design, man, sin, purpose, morality,
truth, etc. Christianity does this. Christianity is
not myth, legend, tradition, or superstition.
• The only reason to believe in God is He exists.
It is reasonable for him to exist. The existence
of God is based on logic. The existence of
man, the existence of the universe and the
world, the revelation in the Bible, the person
of Jesus, and human experience all point to
the existence of God. We are not talking about
myth and superstition. It’s a question of what
is true.
What Can I Do?
• Investigate the claims of Christianity for their
truthfulness and carefully think through the
questions.
• Drop your conceit as a mere man and humble
yourself even though you are a scientist.
• Come to God through Jesus Christ which he calls
all men to do.
• Put your faith in this personal God and begin a
relationship with him. Jesus said, “ Believe in
God, believe also in me.”
• Commit your life to God.
• Science without religion is lame. Religion
without science is blind. Einstein.