Transcript Slide 1

Ethical Answers in an Unethical World
What is Truth?
John Oakes, PhD
APLA Jan, 2010
Christian and Other World Views
Suggested Resources on World View






Copan, Paul. That’s Just Your Interpretation. Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 2001.
Oakes, John. “Apologetics and the Christian Worldview”
www.evidenceforchristianity.org.
Copan, Paul. True for You, But Not for Me. Minneapolis:
Bethany House, 1998.
Pearcey, Nancy J. Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from
Its Cultural Captivity. Study Guide ed. Wheaton, Ill.:
Crossway Books, 2004.
Sire, James W. The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview
Catalog. 4th ed. Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter Varsity Press,
2004.
Why Should Anyone Believe Anything At All? Downers
Grove, Ill.: Inter Varsity Press, 1994.
Jesus Christ: “I came to testify to the truth.”
Pontius Pilate: “What is truth?”
The Problem as I See It

The Secularization of Culture

The Loss of Morality

The Loss of God

The Loss of the Intellectual High Ground
at the University to Non-Believers.
The Culprits: The Leading Philosophies of Our
Day

Naturalism/Scientism/Materialism

Postmodernism:
The Loss of Truth
Delos B. McKown:
“Christianity is scientifically unsupported
and probably insupportable, philosophically
suspect at best and disreputable at worst, and
historically fraudulent.”
World View


The perspective one uses to process and
interpret information received about the
world.
James W. Sire “A world view is a set of
presuppositions (ie. assumptions) which
we hold about the basic makeup of our
world.”
James W. Sire, TheUniverse Next Door
What Makes for a “Good” World View
1.
It is “true”
2.
It successfully answers the important
questions humans ask
3. Those who ascribe to it are better human
beings for having taken this as their world
view.
Questions That Need an Answer
1. What is the prime reality? (What is the
nature of God?)
2. What am I?
3. What happens to a person at death?
4. Why is it possible for us to know anything
at all?
5. How do we know what is right and wrong?
6. What is my purpose in life?
7. What is the nature of my relationship, with
the “prime reality?”
Naturalism/Scientism/Materialism


The belief that the only reliable or valid
instrument to deciding the truth or even
the value of any proposition is the
scientific method.
No basis for ethics or morality, no
supernatural, no God, no truth (except
that found by science), no consciousness,
no “I.” Justice is a figment of our
imagination.
Materialism

“We exist as material beings in a material world, all
of whose phenomena are the consequences of
material relations among material entities." In a word,
the public needs to accept materialism, which means
that they must put God in the trash can of history
where such myths belong.”
Richard Lewontin
Retrospective essay on Carl Sagan in the January 9, 1997 New York Review of Books,
Richard Dawkins

In the universe of blind physical forces and
genetic replication, some people are going to
get hurt and other people are going to get
lucky: and you won’t find any rhyme or reason
to it, nor any justice. The universe we
observe has precisely the properties we should
expect if there is at the bottom, no design, no
purpose, no evil and no good. Nothing but
blind, pitiless indifference. DNA neither knows
nor cares. DNA just is, and we dance to its
music.
Postmodernism: The Loss of Truth

Truth, if such a thing exists, is the
property of culture. There is no absolute
truth. All truth is relative. It is created by
societies. There is no ultimate moral
authority or moral absolute.
A (ridiculously) Brief Intellectual History of
The West:
Roger Bacon (1214-1292)
Bacon’s advice:
To study Natural Philosophy, use;
“External experience, aided by
instruments, and made precise by
mathematics.”
Christianity invents science
LaPlace
(1749-1827)
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
The 20th Century

Science appears triumphant

Scientism proposed. Beyond Morality. Eugenics.

Quantum Mechanics. Is determinism reality?



WWI WWII Hiroshima Modernity loses its
luster. Humans are not getting better and better.
Scientific Materialism cannot answer our deepest
questions. Scientism is hubris.
Enter, Postmodernism!
Scientific Materialism
 Only
that which can be observed and measured
through the technique of Scientific Method is
real, and everything else is unreal.
Scientific Materialism

Scientific Materialism accepts only one
reality: the physical universe, composed
as it is of matter and energy. Everything
that is not physical, measurable, or
deducible from scientific observations, is
considered unreal. Life is explained in
purely mechanical terms, and phenomena
such as Mind and Consciousness are
considered nothing but epiphenomena curious by-products, of certain complex
physical processes (such as brain
metabolism)
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




It is a faith/religious belief based on
circular reasoning.
It cannot answer the questions human
beings care about.
It is patently and demonstrably false.
As a world view it is does not tend to make
its followers “better.” If fact it is downright
dangerous.
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.
A recent BBC broadcast forum:




Questioner: How do you know that physical reality is
all there is: that there is no God?
Response of a vehement materialist (after much
prodding): I simply believe it to be true.
Questioner: Well, now we at least have it out on the
table!
In other words, the strongest argument I have that
physical reality is “all there is” is that I believe
physical reality is “all there is.”
Questions Science Can Answer
 When?
 What?
 Where?
 How
many?
 By what means?
Questions Science Cannot Answer:
(That Christianity Does Answer)
– Why am I here?
– Is that the right thing to do?
– How valuable am I?
– Does God exist? Does God act
(theism)?
– Will that God respond if I pray?
– Do supernatural events (miracles)
happen?
Materialism is Patently False
If Materialism/Naturalism is right then;





“I” do not exist. Consciousness is just random
moving around of chemicals.
No soul, no spirit, no non-physical reality.
Belief in God is just a “meme” the unfortunate
accidental result of brain evolution.
Life has no value. Human beings have no value.
What is value?
Love is chemicals moving around (vs. God is love)
If the Materialist is right, then…

Religious thought is absolute nonsense.
Prayer is chemical moving around in your
brain.

Art, Literature, Music have no intrinsic
value.

Justice is a meaningless word.

Human rights have no basis.

Etc….
Scientism is Patently False Because….

The universe was created.

Life was created.



The Anthropic Principle. The universe is
ridiculously well fine-tuned for us to exist.
No one in their right mind can deny the
existence of right and wrong
The Bible is inspired by God.
Naturalism does not tend to make its believers
better people. Dangerous?
If the naturalist is right then:





Good and evil are meaningless ideas.
Our purpose, if it exists at all, is to pass on
our DNA.
Any kind of sexual behavior is as right as
any other. Stealing is probably good.
There is nothing inherently evil about
genocide.
Racism, slavery etc can be defended.
If the Materialist is Right Then…

Violence and greed are acceptable behavior.

Justice is a meaningless construct.

The words “ought and should” are meaningless.

There is no such thing as sin or wrong behavior.


Consider the only societies in human history
controlled by atheists. USSR, Communist China,
Khmer Rouge….
Is this where human beings want to head?
If the Materialist is Right Then…

Violence selfishness greed are acceptable behavior.

Justice is a meaningless construct.

The words “ought and should” are meaningless.

There is no such thing as sin or wrong behavior.


Consider the only societies in human history
controlled by atheists. French Revolution, USSR,
Communist China, Khmer Rouge, North Korea….
Is this where human beings want to head?
No wonder intellectuals (over)reacted
With the result being postmodernism!
Now, let us discuss postmodernism.
Postmodernism/Cultural Relativism

Positive Contributions
– Importance of groups and relationships between
groups.
– Gives honor to culture, beauty, wonder,
imagination.
– More accurate description of history (including the
history of science).
– The Western mindset is not the only valid one.

Problems
– Very confusing.
– No world view is preferred.
– The idea of truth, for all practical purposes,
disappears.
Postmodernism: Cultural Relativism




Reality is a social construction.
Truth: It is true for you, but it is not true for
me.
Meaning, if it exists, lies in a community of
believers.
No rational way to discover which is the
best world view.
Theories of Truth


Correspondence Theory of Truth: A
statement is true if reality corresponds to
that which is predicted by the statement.
Relativism (postmodernism): A claim is
made true for those who accept it by that
very act (of accepting it).
Truth is either discovered or created.
 Truth is either absolute or relative.

If The Postmodernists are Right Then…






Reality is a social construction.
“It is true for you, but it is not true for me.”
Truth is found in an accepted narrative.
No universal trans-cultural standard of truth or
value.
No authorial prerogative. The truth of a text is
determined by the culture reading the text.
There is no such thing as the book of Romans.
– Methodist Romans, Lutheran Romans, Buddhist Romans,
Atheist Romans.
Can You Accept This???



Consciousness is social, not individual. Self is a
construction (mother, British, grad student…)
All truth is relative. All truth is cultural.
Individual has no authority to determine what is
true.
Problems With Postmodernism

Self-refuting.
– If nothing is true, then postmodernism is not true.
– Its authors insist on authorial privilege.



I do not care what they say, some things are
just true.
Either God is real or he is not. Even if I cannot
prove it one way or another.
If you culture told you it was safe to jump off a
cliff, would you jump?
Scientism is Bogus, But Science is Not

The naturally convincing explanation of the
success of science is that it is gaining a
tightening grasp of an actual reality. The goal of
scientific endeavor is to gain an understanding of
the structure of the physical world. The
conclusions are always tentative, but they are
dictated by the way things actually are.
What is Wrong With Postmodernism?


It does not agree with reality—with the
world as it is. Our understanding of truth
may be relative, but truth is not.
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!
The Christian World View
1. The physical world is: (Genesis 1)
a. real
b. created
and
c. essentially good.
2. There exists a parallel unseen spiritual reality which is not
limited to or defined by the physical reality.
3. The creator of both the physical and spiritual realm is the
God who is revealed and who reveals himself in the Bible.
4. Human beings have both a physical and a spiritual nature,
but the spiritual nature is more essential as it is eternal.
5. Although the physical world is good, evil does exist. Such
evil is the result of freedom of will given to created beings
and their subsequent decision to use that freedom to “sin”
(defined as transgressing the will of God).
6. There is a definite right and wrong for human behavior
which is determined by God.
The Christian World View Is True

The Universe is Real

The creation is good.

Evil exists.


Despite what Naturalists say, there is a spiritual
reality. For example, “I” exist. Consciousness is not
simply an epiphenomenon.
Science and the Christian world view do not
contradict.
Christian World View Answers the Big
Questions

How did I get here?

Why am I here?

Where am I going?


Why are human beings able to comprehend the
universe?
Why is there pain and suffering and evil in the
world?
Christianity Offers Solutions to the Big Problems of
Human Beings

The Problem of Sin (the substitutionary death of
Jesus)
– Romans 7:24,25

The Problem of Suffering (compassion)
– Matthew 9:35-36

The Problem of Death
– 1 Corinthians 15:54-56
The Christian World View Has Given Us:

Science

Abolition of Slavery (Wilberforce)

Civil Rights

Women’s Rights

Christian groups do a majority of all benevolent
work in the world (James 1:27, Micah 6:8)
World Views

Naturalism (already discussed)

Postmodernism: No World View (already discussed)

Deism

Pantheism

Animism/Polytheism

Dualism

Biblical Theism
(already discussed)
The Naturalist’s Response:

What about the evil done in the name of Christianity?

What about the Crusades and the Inquisition?

Response: So you DO believe in evil?

At least we have a standard which tells us that these
things are to be condemned. Christianity gives us a
basis to know that these things should not be done
by Christians or anyone else for that matter.
Definitions





Animism: Anima = spirit. A religious system which
includes the belief that spirits inhabit inanimate objects
and phenomena
Polytheism: Poly = many. A belief that the universe is
governed by many gods. (Hinduism, Shinto)
Pantheism: Pan = all. A belief that a spirit fills the
universe. God is the universe, and we are part of God.
(Hinduism, Epicureanism)
Dualism: A belief that the universe is governed by
nearly equally matched forces of good and evil.
(Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism)
Deism: A monotheistic view which sees God as distant
and not involved in human affairs. (Stoicism)
One Point of View:
“Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that
leads to life, and only a few find it.”
-Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew
7:13-14)
I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.
Jesus of Nazareth (John 14:6)
Another Point of
View: Different
Paths to the Same
Goal?
God
Islam
Mysticism
Ba’hai
Buddhis
m
The Bible and Other World Views


If Genesis 1:1 is true, then animism, polytheism,
pantheism, dualism, naturalism, deism,
postmodernism and every other ism is false.
Conflicting world views cannot be accommodated
with one another. Biblical theism is incompatable
with all these other world views.
The Bible and Other World Views (cont.)

Acts 17:16-34 Paul shares the gospel by
arguing for the Christian World View.
– v. 22-23 Paul finds common ground.
– v. 24-28 Paul argues for the superiority and the
truth of the Christian world view as opposed to
Epicureanism/pantheism and Stoicism/deism
– v. 28 Paul quotes from Aretas a Stoic philosopher.
“ For we are his offspring.”
– v. 29-31 Having laid the groundwork, Paul points
them to Jesus.
– v. 32-34 Some, but not all were converted.
World View and Other Religions
HINDUISM





The principle religion of India.
Approximately 900,000,000
adherents.
Began as animism/polytheism
Evolved into
polytheism/pantheism
Syncretistic. Hinduism is not
really a single religion.
Ganesh: a Hindu deity
God of wisdom and
intellect
Principle gods of Hinduism


Brahma Chief god of the pantheon.
Shiva God of destruction. Worshipped
as a male phalus.

Vishnu Preserver and protector.

Krishna



Lakshmi
The eighth emanation of Vishna.
Rama Seventh incarnation of Vishna. Hero of the
Ramayana.
Devi Chief female deity. The power (shakti) that animates
the cosmos.
Lakshmi Female consort of Vishnu. Godess of prosperity.
Krishna, Incarnation of deity
Rama, Hero of the Ramayana
Scriptures of Hinduism





Vedas Poems. Ritualistic, priestly. 1500-1000 BC.
Especially the Rig Veda. Include the Brahmanas.
Upanishads Highly philosophical essays about brahman,
atman, transmigration of atman, karma and so forth. 800600 BC.
Epics (Ramayana, Mahabarata, Bhagavad Gita) Mythic
adventures of Rama, Krishna and others.
Puranas Largely local legends, myths, many local deities.
AD 400-1000. This is the “scripture” of most local Hindus.
Tantras
Religious discussions/teachings.
Hindu Cosmology
Time is cyclic—like a snake that bites its own tail.
Remember, the world is not real.
Hindu apologetics?
Hindu World View






Maya. The physical world is an illusion. The physical world is
evil. Suffering is an illusion.
Brahman.
Universal soul. Pantheism.
Atman (soul). When we die, atman is swallowed up in
Brahman
The goal: Escape cycle of karma and reincarnation
Nirvana; oneness with the universal soul which is within
yourself.
The Hindu world view has man looking inward, not outward.
Is The Hindu World View a Good One?

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

Does it answer the important questions?
– It does better than postmodernism or naturalism!

Does accepting this world view make one a better
person?
– Debatable. Better than naturalism. Karma. Self-focus
and dispassion are not helpful.
– Suffering is not real.
– Evil is not real.
Buddhism




Principle religion of Korea, Japan,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand,
Burma Sri Lanka and China?
400,000,000 adherents.
A reaction against the rigid
priestly system of Hinduism.
Pantheistic, or arguably nontheistic. A philosophy, a
psychology.
Life of Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)




Born into a wealthy family in north India about
550 BC.
Renounced his birthright. Sought nirvana/god
through asceticism.
Decided on a middle path between asceticism and
sensuality.
Created the eight-fold path to enlightenment
(nirvana).
Important Terms to Understand Buddhism

Nirvana

Bodhi

Bodhisattva

Dharma
the Buddha’s teachings.
Sangha
nuns.
the Buddhist community of monks and


awakened state, lack of suffering.
awakenment, enlightenment.
an awakened being.
Maitreya the second coming of Buddha
prophesied.
The Four Noble Truths of Siddhartha




Suffering is not getting what one wants.
The cause of suffering is desire which leads to
rebirth.
The way to end suffering is to end desire.
The way to the end of desire and of suffering is
the eight-fold path.
The eight-fold path to bodhi/dharma/nirvana/lack of
suffering








Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
Right
viewpoint (the four noble truths).
values.
speech.
actions.
livelihood
effort
mindfulness
meditation
Schools/Sects of Buddhism




Mahayana (the greater vehicle) China, Korea,
Japan. Ideal of the bodhisattva. Stresses the
divine nature of the Buddha. Many minibuddhas (bodhisattvas).
Theravada Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma. A more
pure form of Buddhism?
Zen. An offshoot of Mahayana which emphasizes
meditation to achieve nirvana.
Vajrayana Stresses tantric practices, rituals,
initiations, mystical power. Tibet, Mongolia.
Similar to Gnosticism.
Buddhist Scripture



The Tripitaka “three baskets” Three sets of the
supposedly original sayings and teachings and
philosophy of Buddha. These were oral only for
about 400 years.
Disputes over the content of the Tripitaka led
eventually to the Theravada, Mahayana and other
sects.
Jatakas Mahayana stories of previous
incarnations of Siddhartha Buddha. Buddhism is
a striving through many lives to come to a
bodhisattva state.
Buddhist
Scripture
Practices of Buddhism



Many monks and nuns who live ascetic lives
“Lay” Buddhists follow the five precepts, which
are, 1. do not kill 2. do not steal. 3. do not
have sex. 4. do not lie and 5. do not get
drunk
Meditation is a big part of many Buddhist
traditions, involving the saying of a mantra. (Om
Mani Padme Hum).
Buddhist
Cosmology
The Buddhist World View

Is Buddhism pantheist or agnostic?

The physical world is an illusion and not good.

Suffering is an illusion.

Cyclic cosmology. Reincarnation.

The goal to lose oneself
Is the Buddhist World View a Good One?

Is it true?
– The world is an illusion?
– Cosmology appears to be refuted by science.

Does in answer the important questions?
– Like Hinduism, superior to Naturalism, Postmodernism
– Does not answer the question of God

Does it make one a better person?
– Less self-focused than Hinduism
– Suffering is not real.
– Goal: dispassion, rather than compassion
Jainism


Founder: Mahavira ~600-540
BC
Last of 24 gurus. Parshva 750
BC?

Location: India mostly.

About 5,000,000 practitioners

A reaction to worldly, priestly
Hinduism
Jaina Theology



The Svastika
a symbol of
samsara
(rebirth)
Very strong emphasis on asceticism
Siddhartha may have been a follower
before finding a middle way.
We are souls trapped in a body. The
goal: escape the body to reach nirvana
through ascetic practices.

Reincarnation

Karma

Pantheistic
Jaina Scriptures


The Purvas. Sayings of the 24 gurus
all the original Purvas were lost.
Agama Sutras Sayings of Mahavira
Jaina Sects
Digambaras: Monks are nude, only
males can reach enlightenment.
Shvetambaras: Wear white robes.
Women can be ordained as nuns.
The Heart of Jainism: Asceticism

Five Mahavrata or rules of ascetic living
– Ahimsa. Non-harming (fly-whisk, strain liquids,
etc…)
– Satya. Truthfulness
– Asteya. Non-stealing
– Celibacy
– Non-attachment
Jaina Worldview


A very strange cosmology. The universe is an
infinitely repeating pattern of cycles of time.
One of the gurus lived 70 trillion years and was 3000
ft. tall.

The earth is the center of the universe.

The universe has existed forever.

Pantheism.

Reincarnation/karma.

The physical world is evil.

Is this a “good” world view? (essentially same as
Hindu)
Sikhism



Nanak, founder
of Jaina

Location: India, especially the
Punjab. 25,000,000 adherents.
Founder: Nanak (1469-1539)
A compromise between Islam and
Hinduism.
Avowedly monotheistic, but with
many Hindu ideas.
Sikh Teaching and Theology





Reject polytheism but keep ideas
of maya (illusion), samsara
(reincarnation), karma
Reject priestly system. All are
equal before the “True Name.”
Reject caste system.
Opposition to idolatry and to
asceticism.
Sikhs do not try to escape the
world, but to participate in it.
The Golden Temple
Amristar, India
Scriptures of Sikkhism



The Adi Granth
in 1604
Compiled by the fifth guru Arjun
The Ganth of the Tenth King: Written by the last
of the ten great gurus of Sikhism Gobind Singh.
The Janamsakhis Legends. Obviously mythical
accounts of the life of Nanak, including miracles.
(Nanak never claimed to be a miracle worker).
Works salvation: “Sin and sorrow are destroyed by
hearkening.”
Sikh Practices





The wearing of the male turban is
very characteristic.
Baptism in sugar water holding a
dagger.
Sikhs have been warriors. They
have been very militaristic.
Sikhs are immersed in worldly
affairs. Businessmen, merchants
etc.
Think of Sikhs as the opposite of
Jains.
Sikh World View

Monotheistic

Yet it maintains much of the Hindu World View

Maya. The world is an illusion

Karma, reincarnation.

Works salvation.

Is it a “good” world view?
– True? Cyclic cosmology.
– Much in common with Islam.
Confucianism





Founded by Confucius Kung Fu Tzu 551478 BC.
Principle religion in China? Is it a
religion?
Also influential in Korea and Viet Nam.
Not a religious leader—he accepted the
religious superstition of his day as
sufficient.
Agnostic—“Keep aloof from spiritual
matters, but perform the ceremony
correctly.”
Utilitarian, conservative philosophy.
Each person should accept his position in
society for righteousness and stability.
Strong emphasis on proper government,
training for holding government office.
Confucianism (cont.)

Practical rather than esoteric.

Ancestor worship stressed.

Later Confucian philosophy involved emphasis on
ying and yang—the competing balance between
good vs. evil, physical vs. spiritual, hate vs. love.
(Dualism)
Confucianism competed with two other
philosophies: Taoism and Moism. Confucianism,
being more practical, generally won out.
Confucian Scriptures
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
I-Ching 1000 BC. Book of divination, magic.
Shu-Ching. History, ancient documents,
speeches.
Shin-Ching 800-600 BC. Poetry used extensively
by Confucius. Customs concerning courtship,
marriage, war, agriculture, feasts, sacrifices, etc.
Li Chi. Book of ceremonial etiquite. 200 BC –
200 AD.
Ch’un Chiu. History of one Chinese province.
Collected by Confucius?
Lun Yu. Written down 400 BC. The sayings of
Confucius, especially on ethics and government
Analects of Confucius, etc…
Confucian World View


Dualism
In some ways world-view neutral, as it is more a
collection of aphorisms and wise advice than a
religion.

Is it a good world view?

Is it “true”?

Individual not assigned much value
Does chi exist?
Taoism (Daoism)



Founded by Lao Tzu—a contemporary of Confucius.
Scripture: The Tao Te Ching. Tao = way Te = power Ching
= teaching
Basic doctrine: Through non-involvement and withdrawal,
we come to know god/deity. Emphasis on self-interest.
“The religion of selfishness.”

Pantheistic.
Experience God by contemplating nature.

Emphasis on mysticism and magic.
“He would not pluck so much as a hair out of his head for
the benefit of his fellow man.”
Taoist World View

Pantheism

Self-focus, emphasis on mysticism and magic.
Baha’i

Founded by Baha-Ullah 1817-1892

The Bab 1819-1850 The John the Baptist of Baha’i



Begun in Iran, moved to Iraq, Lebanon. Very
widely spread today.
About 7,000,000 adherents.
A reform movement within Islam?
History and Teaching




The Bab was martyred in 1850
in 1852 Baha-Ullah claims to have received a
vision, while in prison, of a divine woman who
declared him to be “The Beauty of God amongst
you.” ie the next prophet.
Ba’hai is the culmination of all the world’s
religions. Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus,
Muhammad, Baha’Ullah.
No priests, no ceremony.
Theology and Teaching

Monotheistic.

God is unknowable “The most Exalted, the Inaccessible.”

Baha-Ullah claimed to be
–
–
–
–


The
The
The
The
second coming of Christ—that John 14:16 was about him.
Maitreya—the second coming of Buddha.
new incarnation of Krishna
fulfillment of the “Day of God” in the Koran.
Strong emphasis on equality, education, peace.
Progressive Revelation. “Religious truth is not absolute but
relative.”
Ba’hai Theology




Salvation through keeping the law as handed
down by Baha-Ullah
Emphasis on good deeds, helping the poor,
education
Jesus did not die for our sins, because he did not
have to. We are imperfect, but not lost.
Scripture: The writings of Baha-Ullah. There
are many!
New Age: A Very Confusing Religion
Is it:
Palm reading?
Channeling?
Seances?
Meditation?
Reincarnation?
Occultism?
Gurus?
Paganism?
Gnosticism?
Mother Goddess
worship?
Yes… all the above.
So, What is New Age, Really?




You are God, I am God, the trees are God, we all are
God!
New Age is Western pantheism
New Age is a syncretistic blend of Gnosticism,
Hinduism, Spiritualism, Mysticism, Buddhism and
Paganism.
New Age is Monism! God is everything I am God!!!
“Once we begin to see that we are all God, then I
think the whole purpose of life is to re-own the Godlikeness within us.”
ISLAM & JIHAD:
A RELIGION OF PEACE?
ISLAM, 7th century AD
FIVE PILLARS
Confession
 Almsgiving
 Prayer
 Fasting
(Ramadan)
 Pilgrimage
(Hadj)

ISLAM, 7th century AD
SIX PILLARS?
Confession
 Almsgiving
 Prayer
 Fasting
(Ramadan)
 Pilgrimage
(Hadj)
 Jihad

MOHAMMED
•
Claimed Gabriel spoke to him
when he was 40 (610 AD)
 Turned from persuasion to warfare
 Attacked caravans  attack
cities/nations
 Conversion at sword-point
 Mohammed ordered assassination of
those who mocked him in their
poems.
• Massacred 700 Jews in Medina
 Fifteen wives
• Early Period in Mecca. Muhammad sees
himself as following tradition of Judaism.
Muslims pray toward Jerusalem.
• Early Medina period. Mohammad begins
to be politically powerful. The idea of Jihad
introduced.
• Later Medina and Meccan period.
Muhammad strongly opposed to Jews and
Christianity. Islam definitely a distinct
religion.
Qur’an and women
“Men have authority over women
because Allah has made the one
superior to the other, and because
they spend their wealth to support
them. Good women are obedient…
If they are rebellious, rebuke them,
beat them, and send them to bed.”
-- 4:34
Qur’an and Jihad
“Wage war on them until the infidels are no
more
and Allah’s religion reigns
supreme.”
8:12 Cut off their finger tips, stab them in
the neck.
48:16,17 Atone for sin by killing in war.
47:4-6 Martyrdom  Heaven.
Qur’an and punishment of enemies
“The punishment of those who
wage war against God and his
Apostle, and strive with might and
main for mischief through the land
is: execution, or crucifixion, or
cutting off of hands and feet from
opposite sides, or exile from the
land.” (5:36)
Islamic Theology



Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is
monotheistic
But there are several differences in the theology
of these religions.
In Islam God is more like the neo-Platonic idea of
God—very distant and removed from man.
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.
Shirk—association (of other gods with Allah). No
forgiveness.
Salvation by own
effort
(40:9, 39:61, 7:43)
Charity atones for sins
(2:271,277)
 Earn
grace.
 Earn favor of Allah.
 Earn salvation.
 Earn paradise.
Islam: Salvation is earned through the
efforts of those who were pre-selected by
Allah to inhabit a very sensual paradise.
Christianity: Salvation is granted by
the grace of a loving God to those who,
through faith and repentance and
baptism accept that love.
A Question: Who reaches out to whom?
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?
Islam: Salvation is earned through the
efforts of those who were pre-selected by
Allah to inhabit a very sensual paradise.
Christianity: Salvation is granted by
the grace of a loving God to those who,
through faith and repentance and
baptism accept that love.
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 God’s will that people suffer.
Is Islam a Good World View?

Is it true? Is Mohammed a prophet?
–
–
–
–

Fifteen wives
Massacre of 700 Jews
Doctrine of Abrogation
Science errors
Does it make its followers better?
– Motivation to help others?
– Are women respected?
– Does emphasis on Jihad lead to loving non-Muslims?
Summary



The theologies of world religions are fundamentally
and diametrically opposed to one another. Many
paths to the same God is a ludicrous philosophy.
The world view of Christianity is radically different
from any other religion. They cannot both be right!
The truth of the Bible is confirmed by
– Clear evidence of inspiration (fulfilled prophecy,
types and foreshadows, historical accuracy,
scientific evidence, etc…)
– Public miracles worked by Moses, Elijah and
others, and especially by Jesus Christ (Hebrews
2:3,4).
So, What is Truth?


John 14:6 I AM the way the TRUTH and the life.
no one comes to the Father, except by me.
Why are Postmodernism, Scientism, Animism,
Polytheism, Pantheism, Dualism and every other
ism wrong?

Genesis Chapter One

Because Jesus is truth.
Two Possibilities:
not…..
Either Jesus is truth or he is
How Do I Know Jesus is Truth?

Fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah.

John 6:48

John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life.

I am the bread of life.
John 2:19 Destroy this temple and I will raise it
in three days. Jesus was resurrected from the
dead.