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reason faith4January 17th Knowledge, Tactics, AttitudesFebruary 14th God: the argumentsFebruary 28th God: the argumentsMarch 21st Objections to beliefApril 18th Problem of evil & sufferingMay 9th Religious pluralismJune 14th Miracles / Resurrection[Sunday]
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The existence of GodThe Kalām Cosmological Argument
Whatever begins to exist has a cause
The universe began to exist
Therefore ….
The universe has a cause
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The existence of God
The Moral Argument
If God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist
Objective moral values do exist
Therefore ….
God exists
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The existence of God
The fine-tuning* of the universe is due to either physical necessity, chance, or design.
It is not due to physical necessity or chance.
Therefore
The universe is due to design
The Design Argument
The existence of God
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Objections to the existence of God
Epistemological
Metaphysical
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Objections to the existence of God
Epistemological
• Verificationism
• The presumption of atheism
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Objections to the existence of God
Verificationism
Anything that cannot be verified by the five senses is meaningless.No truth value. Neither true nor false –
meaningless
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Objections to the existence of God
The presumption of atheism
The claim that there is no God is a claim to knowledge and therefore bears a burden of proof.
Atheists need to present some evidence.
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The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence!
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Objections to the existence of God
Problem of evil and sufferingIntellectual
Logical [deductive ] Probabilistic [evidential ]
How could an all powerful and all loving god allow evil to exist?
Metaphysical
Emotional
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Evil and sufferingNatural / Moral
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Crops fail
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Illness strikes
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War ravages
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People are selfish
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Why?
Earthquake
Tornado
Hurricane
Tsunami
Typhoon
CycloneMudslide
Avalanche
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"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?
Epicurus.
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Objections to the existence of God
It is not possible for an all powerful and all loving God to co-exist with evil.Evil exists.Therefore – God does not exist
Logical or Deductive objection
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The Barber Paradox
There is an island where all the men are clean shaven.The men either shave themselves or they are shaved by the barber.
The barber shaves all and only those who do not shave themselves.The question is …
Who shaves the barber?
reason4faith
The Barber Paradox
There is an island where all the men are clean shaven.The men either shave themselves or they are shaved by the barber.
The barber shaves all and only those who do not shave themselves.The question is …
Who shaves the barber?
The barber shaves himself if and only if he does not.
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Objections to the existence of God
It is not possible for an all powerful and all loving God to co-exist with evil.Evil exists.Therefore – God does not exist
There is no logical contradiction!
Logical or Deductive objection
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Objections to the existence of God
It is not possible for an all powerful and all loving God to co-exist with evil.If God is all powerful he could arrange a world in which free creatures would always choose the good option.If God is all loving, He would prefer a world in which evil does not exist.Evil exists.
Therefore –God does not exist
Logical or Deductive objection
Contradiction
Presumption
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The Free Will Defence
Just because God is all powerful does not mean that he can do anything.
He cannot do things which are logically impossible.
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Objections to the existence of God
Probabilistic objection
Given the evil and suffering in the world the existence of God is improbable
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Objections to the existence of God
Probabilistic objection
The probability of something should always be considered relative to the background information
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Background information
95% of male students at the University of Glasgow drink more than 15 units of
alcohol per week.
2% of male Christian students at the University
of Glasgow drink more than 5 units of alcohol per week.
Despite all that – some of them can look a little dorky!
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Consider only the evil and suffering in the world?
Background information
You might consider it improbable that God exists.
Consider all the relevant background information?
You might consider it highly probable that God exists.
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The evidence for the historical accuracy of the record of the resurrection.
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Objections to the existence of God
Probabilistic objection
Background information
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Objections to the existence of God
Probabilistic objection
Background informationChaos theory
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Chaos theory
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Butterfly effect
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Utilitarianism
The desire for maximum happiness for the maximum number of people is what should guide our ethical behaviour.
The trouble is that we have no way of making the necessary calculation.
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The trouble is that we have no way of
making the necessary
calculation.
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4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.
Genesis 45
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Objections to the existence of God
Probabilistic objection
Background informationGod’s existence more likely that not.
Chaos theoryGod may well have a morally sufficient
reason the nature of the world – evil and good.
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“No one can sit at the bedside
of a dying child and still believe
in God. “
Bertrand Russell 1872-1970
Emotional problem
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Dealing with evil in a Christian worldview
Complex!
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God is fully aware of man's spiritual reality.
Physical destruction is not an end to our existence.
From God's perspective, our physical suffering is relatively insignificant.
God is not unsympathetic or oblivious to our pain.
Is God is morally responsible?
No
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Moralit
y
Mortalit
y
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• Pain and suffering motivates us to depend upon God.
33”I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16
• As we experience God’s comfort through trials, we are then able to comfort others in the same way .
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
2 Corinthians 1
Purpose of suffering - 1
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• He proves to us that our faith is real.• Suffering can refine faith.
6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1 Peter 1
Purpose of suffering - 2
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2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
James 1
Purpose of suffering - 2
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• Focus on the future
18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Romans 8
Purpose of suffering - 3
