Defending the FaithDefending the Faith

RespondingRespondingToTo

IslamIslam

“Who do people say that I am?”

Defending the FaithDefending the Faith

Truth, the Existence of God, and Truth, the Existence of God, and the Problem of Evil (continued)the Problem of Evil (continued)

Five Life-Changing QuestionsFive Life-Changing Questions

• Is there Truth?

• Does God Exist?

• Is there Revelation?

• Is Jesus God?

• Did Jesus start the Catholic Church?

Is there Truth?Is there Truth?

What is Truth?What is Truth?

• Truth is the mind’s correspondence to reality–When our mind perceives reality the way it

really is

• Objective vs. Subjective Truth–Objective Truth – something is true

independent of whether I believe it

– Subjective Truth – something is true if I believe it so

Is There a God?Is There a God?

• Pascal's Wager–Not sure? What is the best bet? Only two

options...either believe or not believe

– If you believe in God• If He doesn't exist → live a good life & die• If He does exist → live a good life & heaven

– If you don't believe in God• If He doesn't exist → live a sinful life & die• If He does exist → live a sinful life & hell

What about Evil?What about Evil?

IIf God is good and All-f God is good and All-Powerful, then how can Powerful, then how can

evil exist?evil exist?

What about Evil?What about Evil?

IIf God is good and All-f God is good and All-Powerful, then how can Powerful, then how can

evil exist?evil exist?

The Problem of EvilThe Problem of Evil

• All from the Fall of Adam & Eve

• Evils of Nature – only a problem because we are in the way

–Never meant to be outside the Garden

– Entropy: Material reality falls apart

• Evils from Sin – whether ours or others

– Free will

– The preciousness of love is worth the risk of free will

• Still Not Enough of an Answer

What is Islam?What is Islam?

• The word “Islam” • Followers of Islam are called “Muslims”• Islam was founded by Mohammed in the 7th

century• There are several sects of Muslims – The Sunni are the largest group – 80-90% of

all Muslims– The Shiites are their major rival and are a

majority only in Iran

Who was Mohammed?Who was Mohammed?

• Mohammed was born in Mecca around 570AD • In 610AD, Mohammed claimed to hear the voice of God

(or the Angel Gabriel) while meditating in a cave on Mount Hirah outside of Mecca.

• He moved to Yathrib in 623, now called Medina, where he began to have more success

• Mohammed and his forces seized Mecca in 630 and purged the Ka’bah shrine of its idols

• Mohammed died in 632.• After his death, Mohammed’s successors, the khalifs,

conducted an aggressive campaign of expansion

What do Muslims believe?What do Muslims believe?

• The principle sources of Muslim belief are the Qur’an (or Koran) and the Hadith.• Basic profession of faith – “There is no

god but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.”

• Allah is the Arabic word used for God

• Islam’s Christian connection

• Other beliefs

How do Muslims practice their How do Muslims practice their religion?religion? • The Five Pillars of Islam–Confession of Faith (shahadah)– Prayer (salat) – Muslims are required to pray

five times a day– Fasting (saum) – during the month of

Rammadan, there is a complete fast from food and water during the day– Alms (zakat) – a percentage of their income is

give to charity– Pilgrimage (hajj) – once in their lifetime, it is

necessary to go to Mecca if possible

Is ThereIs ThereRevelatioRevelatio

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Supernatural TruthsSupernatural Truths

• Life’s Greatest Questions–Why does anything exist?–What is the meaning of life?–Why did God make me?–Who is God?

• We could never fully know the answers to these questions and more if God had not revealed them to us.

The Need for RevelationThe Need for Revelation

• We desire more than just truth, we desire God Himself– “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts

are restless until they rest in you.” – St. Augustine

• How does God reveal Himself & His Truth?– “It pleased God, in his goodness and wisdom, to reveal

himself and to make known the mystery of his will. His will was that men should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, and thus become sharers in the divine nature.” CCC #51

• God Reveals Himself in Words and Deeds

The Reliability of the BibleThe Reliability of the Bible

• If the Scriptures, particularly the Gospels are shown to be corrupt, then they couldn’t be used as a reliable source of history, nor a source of Divine Revelation.– How can the Old Testament be reliable if the oldest complete

copy we have of the Hebrew is from 900AD?– What about the New Testament? Could Constantine really

change it?

• So when was the New Testament written?• The Gnostic Gospels, including the Gospel of Mary,

Gospel of Thomas, and the Gospel of Phillip were not written before the early 2nd century and many are dated in the third, fourth, and fifth centuries.

• Did Constantine establish the canon of Scripture?

The Divinity of Jesus ChristThe Divinity of Jesus Christ

• Impact of the divinity of Christ• The argument: Jesus claimed to be God– Sources for this claim– Three options• Jesus is a liar• Jesus is a lunatic• Jesus is Lord

• What if Jesus’ disciples were the one who invented the “myth” of Jesus’ divinity?

The Divinity of Jesus ChristThe Divinity of Jesus Christ • Second argument: The Resurrection– If Jesus rose from the dead, then He validated His claim to be

the Son of God.– Sources for this claim– Possible replies

• Maybe Jesus didn’t die on the cross • Maybe Jesus never rose from the dead. • Maybe the apostles stole the body, made up the resurrection, or were

hallucinating.

• The facts point to the only reasonable conclusion: Jesus really rose from the dead– The tomb was empty– Hundreds of people, including the apostles, saw Christ risen,

touched Him and spoke with Him.– They were willing to die horrible martyrdoms for this truth.

The Final Word on TruthThe Final Word on Truth

• "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32

ResourcesResources

• Handbook of Catholic Apologetics by Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli

• The Journey by Peter Kreeft

• www.peterkreeft.com

• Prove It! God by Amy Welborn

• Because God is Real: Sixteen Questions, One Answer by Peter Kreeft