Introduction

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Letter about the fear is what we call a summary of a much longer tape seminary course or college course is one thing apologetics let me explain what the summary course: understand I can imagine teaching some courses for biblical training.org where the summary might be just an abbreviated slightly abbreviated version of the 40 hour version for example if I were giving a summary of what saved the Old Testament course if I'd been asked to teach that I would just eliminate material from each of the sections in order to bring down the whole 40 hours of tape to loan about three hours but it won't work with with my work that will work with all the courses I teach which are all primarily philosophy and the reason for that is so much philosophy constitutes the development of arguments and sometimes it's not only difficult and perhaps impossible to give a shorthand version of what is a very complicated argument for some belief for some plan or some proposition so what I've had the edit out is not just extraneous material I've sometimes had to leave out very important argument that I would love to include and that's just the nature of the beast want to give you the short version three-hour session that will help you discover whether you want to begin on the longer journey that constitutes the 3536 hour version of course recognizing that even after you start listening to the first 345 hours of the longer tape you're under no obligation to continue with that particular body of material or even the entire text align sure many of you will want to know this course and apologetics from decline and explain what apologetics is briefly but I want to invite you that you will get a whole lot more from even this short summary version if you have at least one or two of the textbooks on hand and patient textbook for my apologetics course is the book faith and reason subtitle searching for a rational faith on the author Ronald Nash the book is available in paperback from Zondervan publishing Company and you couldn't you want to be able to get it from Amazon.com or from any of the other Internet bookselling thought company's like it's good that probably all you would really need unless later in this later in a state like I decide to move in a somewhat different direction or you would really need right now would be the fate of recent book but as it's the case post with the summary tapes and with the long version you can just sit there and listen in your car or some other place and can benefit in the best way possible without the textbook but you will learn more if you have a book to read faith out what it apologetics height I remember first hearing that word when I was still in high school and I had no idea what it was all about I actually thought that if I ever got to that point in my education where I studied apologetics whatever it might be learning Egyptian hieroglyphics or something like that I advanced totally uninformed apologetics is a word that comes from a Greek word apology up Plato actually wrote a dialogue called up the apology it's the defense Socrates made at this trial to the basic idea to apologetics is defending something one can be an apologist for all kinds of things one could be an apologist for vegetarianism one could be an apologist for a political party but one could be an apologist for a baseball or football team in my case regrettably that would be the Cleveland Indians for the Cleveland Browns it takes a real strong apologetic to keep in that neighborhood so apologetics has to do with defending thanks in our case that we are seeking to defend it the Christian faith are two kinds of Apollo fifth social for remember they sometimes go on to the label possible apologetics and negative apologetics and negative apologetics the burden of proof in this term from legal language for burden of proof rests upon the non-church he insists that this obligation to make a case against the Christian faith to develop one or more arguments against various facets of the Christian faith and soul if I'm doing negative apologetics by task if somewhat easier for me but typically under normal circumstance if each year to up to donate apologetics and it is positive apologetics the burden of proof on the non-Christian all I have to do an ideal world to show that his arguments of faith that they do not make the case impossible apologetics five but say the burden of proof upon efficient for here he has some the task of offering proofs for the Christian faith offering arguments for efficient faith now there are people who argue that in apologetics the burden of proof is always upon the belief for which you believe if that's kind of academic imperialism but when I have an obligation to prove a point but to offer an argument for .5 will not shy away from that responsibility for typical kind of case where I have that burden of proof is when for example I'm expected at this stage of the Bible offer proofs let us say for the existence of God for you must be careful if because Rick quickly in this process I'm going to argue but I don't think the kitchen has to prove that God exists I think there's a fundamental state made by people who make that insistence but if if one so much that thought that it's an obligation that I have to fulfill that I must do positive apologetics and the burden of proof be upon me off in science the burden of proof is on the other person later in this tape I expect to give you a significant body of material on what is probably the most serious objection to the church and faith that which we call the problem of evil and I will argue the air that the burden of proof rests upon the non-fresh in my opinion it is role on the ball with us but the burden of proof always rests upon the believer let's be fair and recognize that sometimes I've got to offer arguments in some science and nonbeliever has got to offer arguments and let's not be fooled into this nonsense of thinking that the burden of proof never rests upon the but we called it a seal which faith mouth if you're familiar with many of my books for my other courses in this framing.com program I believe the best approach to use an approaching subjects like this is a worldview approach and explains its first term so worldview set of beliefs about the most important issues in life. Systems a great thinker such as Plato and Aristotle were worldviews every mature rational human being every reader of my books ever listen to my tapes has his or her own worldview just as surely as Plato did it since some science if you have any idea what that worldview with her even if they have once yet achieving awareness of our worldview if the most important things we can do hence self understanding and insight into the world of others such standing forth makes them tick for more important things we can do for other sister help them achieve a better understanding of their worldview but also a system for improvement which means eliminating inconsistencies in providing new information I have here a great quotation for highly respected philosopher at the University of Michigan George produce for now retired and George Beverly shares this view of the importance of worldview thinking; he says from his book of belief in God providing a man store for the university mission providing a man with a conceptual framework in which concede this life has been lived in the presence of God is analogous to teaching a man to read a strange script for getting the key sort of process off by telling him the meaning of one particular conscription if he believes us think and then understand that inscription but the test of whether he has really learned how to read the script and also the confirmation of the translation we gave him was accurate, 14th offers all the other prescription so scattered throughout his world if you cannot read them than he has not yet learned that languish and he is still subject to the doubt that what we gave you may not have been a translation at all but rather a message quite unrelated to what was written for this fresh fish floss VP all such foolish head of the philosophy department at a number of major universities the loss since it can be argued on the basis of facts concerning the nature of man and the conditions of human life that human beings have a deep-seated need to form some general picture of the total universe in which they live in order to relate their own fragmentary activities to the universe as a whole and await meaningful that the life in which this is not ferried through with a life impoverished in a most significant respects the right eyeglasses can put the world in the clearer focus in the correct worldview function in much the same way when someone looks at the world from the perspective of the wrong worldview of the worldview won't make much sense for what he thinks may make sense will in fact be wrong in important respects now in other places I argue that there are five major parts to a worldview for one believes about God but one believes both reality and beliefs about the knowledge and beliefs about ethics and what we believe about human nature five mentioned that it's real on so many occasions but really this shouldn't be necessary to follow that up for what I do want to move to hear this the important question of how to choose a worldview surely all of us are smart enough to know such us S. their can be better worldviews sold her to the worldview that are dangerous misleading and wrong efficiency is only one of many competing worldviews on what grounds can people make a recent choice among the system's fourth worldview is most likely to be true with the best and most promising way to approach this kind of question when faced with a choice among competing touchtone proposition for different worldviews should choose the one that applied to the whole of reality gets us the most cold spirits picture of the world as one philosopher explain this for if one system can provide possible solutions to many problems while another leaf too many questions unanswered if one system defenseless skepticism and if more meaningful life if one worldview was consistent while others are self-contradictory. I guess since we choose the right to choose the more promise worldview but should this next discussion is to pursue this general line of thought and fill in many of the mystery details now when I talk about testing for world youth I think there are three or four major tests that we should applaud the test of recent the test of experience in the test of practice if any worldview and I believe this through a prescient worldview answers these tests better than any other competing worldview it serves our respect and our acceptance of start first with the test of recent for entirely too late for shoes recently seen somehow this enemy of efficient faith fight this agree strongly with that widely held but self-destructive thesis by the test of recent finding watch for to be more specific loft on contradiction for touch to define the logon contradiction self-induced much in the way of excitement but I offer a definition if the law of non-contradiction states that a should be anything whatever cannot be both DNI and the same time and in the same sense first -- a proposition cannot be through and false at the same time and in the same sense an object cannot be both round and square for living being cannot be both human and dog at the same time and same sex fresh for contradiction if always assigned of error fall which chance we have a right to expect a conceptual system to be watching this both of its parts for this individual proposition and in the whole conceptual system is an obvious rubble if they'll stuff hang together logically logical incoherence can be more or less fatal for the confidential consists among the essential beliefs or whether it lies the very heart of the system is because of the second more serious kind of feeling that such system for skepticism and soft system self struck for negative example bus south such finished fourth SOL IP SI this solipsism serious salsa for belief that the person holding it is the only person with this for two short release I believe it should purchase the skeptical naturalist anti-Christian British philosopher for much of the 20th century went through one stage in his life when he was a solipsist be offered arguments why nobody subsisted for reading somewhere about a lady who walked up to Dr. ruffle one day and said Dr. Russell your arguments supporting solipsist artier refutable fish tank with is affected very much out of nowhere was talking to us for the lady then went on to safe your arguments so if some are so irrefutable I don't know why more people both for your supposed to laugh this soleus socks for speaking at a conference in California and it can match it came time for lunch and I sat next to a young man and I asked him what he did for a living in the city worked for a resource to believe very fine television history. But for you Ross is fine staff and the addition mass task was to answer some alert letters that people putting on television program sometimes get from their viewers -- a man suddenly I wish of good health because I've got faith 5.A. person who is writing our ministry. Since this is sufficient rating people who don't exist for some... is the only person that exists and he says I know all the arguments against such that I've used them and none of them work with this man would shoot only thought I can get him. I said sure grief fighting one more letter from memory and a switcher site for more letter said dear Mr. Brown I have good boots and I have death for good news if you've converted me to solipsist fine I'll hold the position that you roll the bad news this sin shall longer exist this last letter on French well final before next month there are logically self-defeating physicians in the world solace from skepticism is another one and the pencil the second chess that we apply to world views the test of experience worldviews which passed not only the test of reason they must also satisfy the test of experience worldviews should be relevant to what we know about the world and they should be relevant to what we know about our south and important station must be introduced at this time certainly the human experience that functions as a test of worldview beliefs includes our experience of the world outside of this is proper for people to object when a worldview claim conflicts with what we know to be through fiscal universe this is one reason why no one listening to my voice right now believes that the world is flat it does appear however that many who urge objective validation for our worldview failed to give proper credit to the subjective validation for both of our consciousness for inner world for that reason that my account for the test of experience will be divided into two parts the need for a worldview that fit the test of the world outside of this feminine for world youth of the chess of the inner world world inside of us state the world outside of its first three have a right to expect worldviews to touch base with our experience of the world outside of us this spring should help us understand what we see a number of worldview beliefs fall short of this test find following pain and death are illusions all human beings are inherently good for miracles are impossible the inability of the proposition pain and death Lucius to pass the test of our experience we are world is one I think about often because of a set experience I had many years ago many years ago I was before this orderly new stuff for the efficient scientist was admitted with cancer for where the Christian science denied the reality of such a thing to death I wondered why this woman was enough but then I learned this cancer spread in her condition grew desperate the order from her deceased flesh became so unbearable that her family put her and asked if three of the house for such she died within a few days one can reach repeat the words all this is only an illusion all one wants the claims are contradicted by the test of the outer world best for the test of the inner world for world views should fit what we know about the world inside of this worldview should fit what we know about our south examples of the second kind of information following final being thanks folks experience pleasure and pain beliefs desired from also being was often conscious of right and wrong feels guilty and sinful for having failed to do what was right for being who remembers the past is conscious of the press and anticipates the future I can think about things that do not exist I can plan and execute my plants I am able to act intentionally instead of merely responding to stimuli-will do something for them actually do him a person who loves other human being's fives with others and share their sorrow and joy final to someday I will botch and I have faith that I will survive the death of my body and as I explained five and some of my writings by often seem to be overcome by move some emotions that suggested the open satisfaction but I seek is unattainable in this life matter how hard it may be to look honestly at Arthur South we are right in being suspicious of those defensible worldview ignores or rejects the inner world the third testable worldview is the test of practice worldview should be tested not only in the philosophy classroom but also in the laboratory of life is one thing for worldview that certain theoretical tests like reason and experience is enough of the worldview also the pass and imports practical test mainly from the person who professes that worldview with consistently in harmony with this professor's or do we find that he is forced to live according to bleach far from a competing system such discovered a suggestion produced more than embarrassment factor protests live in a world view played an important part in the work of the question for France Schaeffer philosopher Tom Morris explains Schaeffer's position forth no non-Christian can be consistent in the correspondence of the lease off of their daily thoughts and actions with the relevant conclusion which are logically follow from their basic sets of presuppositions the orientation of safe position was that non-Christians would have a difficult time of consistently working out the suppositions as they lived in the context of their own inner world for the extra shapers practical or accidental test helped lay the foundation for Morris flied folk for the presuppositions of historic Christianity both adequately explained and correspond with the two environments in which every human being must live the extra world with its form and complexity in the internal world of the man's own characteristics human being this inner world include such human qualities this sire for significance love and meaning and fear of not being among others one thing should be clear any reader who comes to believe that Schaeffer's comments are through phone for reasons which for some worldview should keep his words in mind as we continue such less close sake of argument that we can make a case that the fishing worldview which roof for all the faults if we have managed to do this if efficient world Jewish roof if we've proven that this word of God the Bible is the word of God Jesus Christ this God God exists God has created the universe so everybody has a worldview first and can make the case for the heiress they have made the case for the Christian faith they have made the case that Jesus is the only safe if we fail in making that case then we leave the unbeliever in a situation where he's deluded thinking that this naturalism or whatever his other whatever else worldview may be stronger case for it the first faith so let us get to let us get informed about world thinking let us know how we'd let us recognize how we forfeited us that we defend the Christian worldview and were on our way to doing an important part of the apologetic task.