Introduction
Each
human designer has always depended on an earlier design, as the one who
invented the chariot had to value the mind of the one who invented the wheel.
The first cause of all innovative ideas is of course the mind, a mind capable
of recognizing what is truly valuable for the sake of progress. The
mind was designed to seek after truth, and without the ability to think
rationally one could not argue for the eternal truth revealed in Christ and His
Word. The need to
depend on the minds of others is an observable truth, for even the writer is
dependent on the one who invented the written word. The human mind is quite
brilliant but can never progress without the mind of another. At the same time
the mind is very vulnerable and easily misguided, so when seeking after direction
one must recognize the truth from a persuasive lie. In this advanced age of
discovery new evidence has emerged in support of the one true God. These
discoveries have left the non-believer confused and frustrated. Today the
faithful can provide logical arguments for aspects of God initially beyond
human comprehension. The one who trusts in God expects to discover new ways of
sharing the gospel in a rational manner, and thus anticipates scientific
discoveries supportive of the ultimate truth. The truth is there to be found,
but the renewed mind must trust in the provider of all truth when sifting
through the lies in this world.
I The Truth
For the truth to ever
be shared and recognized on a wider scale language was necessary, and thus the
ability for the mind to create a written language is essential. Multiple
experts from respected fields of study including evolutionists,
anthropologists, computer scientists, and linguistics have discovered no
plausible explanation for how and why language exists from an evolutionary
perspective.[1] Regarding this study Tom Wolfe remarked, “I
had never heard of a group of experts coming together to announce what abject
failures they were…”[2] Since the idea of Darwinism came into being
scientists in other fields of study have discovered so many valuable and
advancing truths. Meanwhile the atheistic evolutionists have discovered nothing
of progressive value. From the naturalist perspective
the mystery of language, thus the mystery of the human mind, has never been
resolved. As an engineering technologist and Christian ethicist Paul Golata
argued, “God provides the best framework from which to understand
intelligence.”[3] God
is relational and has even communicated with humanity through the language of
mathematics. This language was not invented by humans but was discovered. Regarding
physics Werner Heisenberg observed, “…the fact that we can explain nature by
simple mathematical laws tells us that here we have met some genuine feature of
reality, not something that we have — in any meaning of the word — invented
ourselves.”[4] What sets humans far
above the animals is the ability to communicate ideas or express emotions
through speech, the written word, and in discovering and sharing mathematical
truths. The human mind was purposely designed and should not be wasted.
Language has always been a gift from God intended for people to
comprehend, appreciate, and share the truth. As Wolfe argued, “Speech is 95
percent plus of what lifts man above animal!”[5] The relational aspect
of language is expected if one believes humankind is made in the image of a
loving and relational God. This ability for the mind to communicate truth
and express selfless love is one of the first pieces of evidence for the human
mind being designed by the Triune God. This gift of course led to the writing
of God’s revelation resulting in the Bible, where the ultimate truth about the
Designer is made known. Jesus said I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John
14:6 NIV).[6] All believers accept Jesus is the way to the
Father, the way to eternal life. All believers recognize in Christ one obtains eternal
life and sees the life worth living is found in Him. Where the deist believes
in a God who does not or has not revealed His identity, the Christian is
faithful to a God who has revealed Himself. Without fearing opposing views, the
Christian should investigate and grow in their knowledge of what is true, for
their faith is in the Provider of all truth.[7] In Christ being the Truth, one sees there
must be a deeper understanding about what truth is. Truth is not subjective,
nor can one simply argue truth is objective, but truth is alive and eternal.
Jesus came into the world to testify to this truth, and everyone on the side of
truth listens to Him (John 18:37). God desires for the Christian to love Him
with all their mind, and Jesus expects the Christian to worship God in Spirit
and in truth (Matt. 22:37; John 4:21-24). The Christian should seek
after a deeper understanding in the fields of science, philosophy, and theology
to better articulate the truth to any person who believes contrary.[8] For what can be discovered in these subjects
are supportive of biblical truths.
Absolute Truth and the Rational Mind
One cannot ignore the
necessity of a stable mind when seeking after truth, for the recognition of
self is the first observable truth no person can honestly deny. When analyzing
what others have designed one cannot deny the necessity of their being a mind
apart from oneself. When observing the signs of design in nature one cannot
rightfully deny the necessity of an intelligent first cause, for intelligence
has always proven to be necessary for complex design.[9] One may argue against the manner in which the
Designer created and feel there are flaws in creation, but there is no true
evidence against the clear signs of design in nature. Even when one points
towards the problem of suffering and what evils have come upon the world the
best answer is found in Christ. Ultimately, what can be discovered about God in
nature and through divine revelation connects to Christ who brings light to the
Christian ability to reason.[10] In Christ one finds although not every aspect
of God may be understood in this world Christ proved God is love. In Hebrews
the writer reflects on what mankind is where God is mindful of them and cares
for them, crowning them with honor and putting everything under their feet
(Heb. 2:6-8). People inherited a responsibility in this world, for this world.
Every person feels this in some way. Influenced by Hebrews 2:6-8 Anne Runehoy
wrote, “…human beings need special capacities, for example, the capacity to
analyze, reflect, make decisions, and possess awareness in relation to their
own person and others.”[11] People were intended to live united and in
pursuit of the greater good. In Christ one discovers the way, the ultimate
truth, and the greater good found in the life He gives. As will be argued for
and shown in this paper, there is nothing to be discovered in any field of
study disproving the Christian view of God. In fact, because of the research
done by a variety of intellectuals much has been discovered supportive of the
biblical claims. The rational mind is always dependent on another mind when
seeking to progress in life, and as will be analyzed here many great minds have
even unintentionally provided support for Christianity. For those honestly
pursuing truth there comes a point where one must either accept Christianity is
true or choose to be intellectually dishonest.
Sadly, for those who deny absolute truth even
the existence of their own mind is questioned. As Descartes defended the truth
one is certain of is “I think, therefore I am.”[12] The individual can know their mind exists,
hence why one can question anything. In recognizing this is true at the same
time the individual knows this cannot be the greatest truth, for no human mind
must exist apart from all other minds. To deny this absolute truth is
completely illogical. Since one recognizes their existence is not a necessary
truth which all other truths depend on, there must be a greater truth. The
greater truth must be an eternal truth, an eternal mind who must be for all
other minds to exist. Philosopher William Lane Craig presents the Cosmological
Argument, contending for the necessity of the first cause being the mind of
God;
1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
2. The universe began to exist.
3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
To fully appreciate the significance of this
argument one must first believe there are absolute truths in logic. The first
premise is key to understanding for those who argue God needed a cause, and the
need for causes would then go back for infinity. Time began at the Big Bang, so
there was no existence of time until the creation of space and time. If
there is complex design in nature an eternal mind must have designed the
universe, and this Designer wants to be recognized. Before presenting a logical argument in
defense of this claim one must first understand what fallacies to be aware of
when seeking after logical truth. There are those who are hindered from recognizing
truth because of never having learned how to think objectively. For these cases
the individual usually comes to conclusions for emotional reasons, or because
of not taking the initiative to question what the majority accepts to be true.
Cultural practices and traditions often govern the decisions one makes, leaving
so many with a false sense of reality. The acceptance of there being eternal
truth is so important for as the faithful know the ultimate truth is found in
Christ. No matter how smart a person is the one seeking
to grow in knowledge will become more confused if the ultimate truth is rejected.
Logical Fallacies
Distracting from the Truth
Before accepting what
is eternally true and of lasting value one must humbly recognize their method
of reasoning is likely faulty. People are easily influenced, easily misguided,
and prone to being dishonest with themselves. As Groothuis warns, “We must be
ruthless with ourselves in the process of pursuing truth, given the manifold
temptations to self-deception and denial.”[14] In recognizing people commonly have their
worldview formed by logical fallacies, one will understand how the majority can
be wrong, even amongst the smartest of people. The three logical fallacies to
be shared here are taught in university college math classes and are
universally recognized. An appeal to
emotions is a logical fallacy focused on manipulating the emotions of
another to win an argument without the use of factual evidence. This logical
fallacy is often used by politicians and in debates between a theist and an
atheist. One may argue against a certain idea or worldview such as Christianity
and in doing so appeal to the emotions of the audience. Even Christians often
argue for their faith being based on feelings. People often express their views
beginning with “it just feels right to me,” or “it just doesn’t feel right to
me.” Arguing from an appeal to emotions does not provide evidence for anything
being true or false. The embracing of this illogical reasoning will result in
self-centered people who care more about what emotionally affects the person
than caring for the truth.
The human mind was created to work with
others for the purpose of taking care of this world (Gen. 1:28). After the fall
greed crept in, self-centeredness, envy, and the desire to follow others before
God. Consequently, sin resulted in the human mind becoming weaker and more
vulnerable. People are often prone to being lazy
thinkers, being easily persuaded because of an appeal to ignorance. This
logical fallacy is where one is choosing to believe or not believe while not considering
the possibility of their being evidence against their worldview. With this
fallacy a proposition is true because it has not yet been proven false or vice
versa. This view does not consider perhaps one has done insufficient research,
therefore insufficient information resulted in one concluding a proposition
true or false. In debates, appeal to ignorance is sometimes used to shift the
burden of proof. If a teacher declares to a class there
is scientific evidence for evolution and no evidence for God, this is appealing
to the ignorance of the students. Often Christians’ choose to be ignorant
of certain subjects because of their fear in discovering some truth contrary to
their faith. The one who claims to be faithful, but fears truth will not be
able to grow spiritually, and neither prove very productive in helping others
to grow. When the faithful one grows in their knowledge
of science, culture, history, religion, etc. one grows in their confidence to
better engage with a diverse group of people. The humble yet educated
learner will listen and wait for the right opportunity to share their
understanding on the subject in question. Concerning Darwinism, the Christian
must first understand the arguments for and against atheistic evolution before
attempting to persuade the naturalist to believe in God.
Appeal to popularity is using the popularity
of an idea as evidence for this being true. In America today the idea of
socialism being a good thing is growing in popularity, despite historical
evidence to the contrary. Often people will want to accept what the majority
believe out of fear of being treated as an outcast. Companies make use of this
deception to sell their products with clever marketing through the media.
Social and political figures seek to win the approval of others by claiming to
support whatever belief or idea is trending. Sadly, appeal to popularity is a
common logical fallacy used to indoctrinate young minds. The Christian needs to
come to a point in their life where doubts and questions about the faith are no
longer pushed to the side. One must seek after the truth individually while
still depending on the research done by other minds. This journey of discovery
is most exciting as one sees how science and history are supportive friends of
Christianity.
As vulnerable as the
human mind is, the mind is the most significant creation. If there is absolute
truth, being the human mind able to reason and question, everything cannot be
meaningless. Instead of just accepting what can be observed as true and simply
seeking out the essentials for survival, the human mind cannot rest. The human
mind could have easily never existed but at the same time is the most
significant observable truth, therefore the most necessary truth must be an
eternal invulnerable mind. The Christian believes God is responsible for all
creation, and Christ has created humans in His image with a mind made to think
logically and objectively (Col. 1:15-17; John 1:2-3). If the universe had a
first cause, this means space and time came into being from a source outside of
the natural realm, thus the first cause is supernatural and eternal. The reason
the universe appears to be designed and finetuned for life is because the
universe has been designed. Regarding the complexity of living organisms as discovered
in micro-biology scientists admit there is evidence for design, yet many do not
accept the Designer being the God of the Bible.
Perhaps for a combination of reasons the average scientist does not
confess to believing the Biblical account of creation. Popular opinion among
peers who presuppose belief in God is unscientific, or perhaps emotional
reasons is more often why the God of the Bible is rejected. The most
intelligent of minds can often be the most stubborn and prideful. When faced
with the evidence for God the naturalist will often take their own leap of
faith when proposing a counterhypothesis. Directed panspermia is the idea some
advanced intelligent beings were necessary for planting the seeds of life on this
planet.[15] After discovering the complexity of DNA,
molecular biologist Francis Crick proposed the explanation for the uniformity
of the genetic code could possibly be extraterrestrial in origin.[16] This hypothesis is not as outlandish as the
multiverse theory, because the evidence for design can be observed. One is
still left wondering who created the aliens responsible for creating the
complex building blocks of life on Earth.
The ET origins for human intelligence does not stand well against
scrutiny because of how very old scientists believe the universe is. If
atheistic evolution is true advanced ET would have to consistently seek out
Earth like planets, always needing resources. As can be observed on Earth
intelligent life tends to use up more natural resources as technology advances.
According to the Fermi Paradox argument if intelligent ET life existed humanity
would know at this point in history.[17] When considering how quickly technology is
leading towards AI on Earth, certainly some other civilization in the universe
has already sent out advanced probes to other galaxies. Computer experts
believe within a century there will be AI capable of duplicating itself.[18] Combining this technology with rocket
technology would lead to AI programmed space probes adept to reaching the
nearest star system in 40,000 years, from where duplicates could be made and
sent out to other galaxies.[19] The human mind is intelligent enough to know
eventually the Sun will destroy the Earth, and the only hope for survival is to
plan on how humanity can escape this fate. The AI thinkers today strongly hold
to the belief in “survival of the fittest,” and as Golata has observed the
driving desire for advanced technologists is to “explore new frontiers without
limits.”[20] Great human minds are
already seeking after creating artificial superintelligence, and pursuing
advanced rocket technology capable of sending a probe further into space at a
faster rate. From this perspective one must ponder on the improbability of
there not being advanced ET life since most planets are billions of years older
than Earth. With the technology humans now possess there should at least be
some detection of alien probes. The ET origins for human intelligence is
improbable when one considers the hundreds of anthropic constants necessary for
intelligent life on this planet to be possible. As astrophysicist Hugh Ross
calculated when considering the necessary requirements for intelligent life to
arise and survive on Earth the chances are one in 10138.[21] One can argue there is no chance the human
mind was created by ET intelligence just as there is no chance the universe
came into being without the first cause being an eternal mind beyond space and
time. Ultimately the argument for advanced ET creating the human
mind is an appeal to ignorance.
Unlike other religious
texts in antiquity the Bible was the first to describe the universe as being created
by one God, and then this same God created each living organism. The Christian
would not be surprised by the discovery of the universe having a first cause,
or the discovery of complex design in living organisms. Instead these recent
discoveries would mean in this present age God has willed for the human mind to
discover the evidence for what was already divinely revealed in scripture. The
observable truth is the origin of the universe and the complexity of life is
supported by the biblical text. Upon accepting there is absolute truth, when
seeking to discover a greater truth one should keep in mind observable truths
cannot be dependent on logical fallacies. The argument below is an example on how a
logical argument is formed without depending on logically fallacious
assumptions, and each premise will be defended in this paper;
(1)
The human
mind can observe evidence the universe is designed.
(2)
The human
mind coming into being by chance is improbable.
(3)
The
universe is complexly designed thus a higher intelligence created the universe.
(4)
The
universe is fine-tuned to support human life.
(5)
The human
mind was intended to recognize there is a Designer.
Another problem keeping people from accepting
what is logically true, or observably true, is the human tendency to
exaggerate, or defend unnecessary claims. All people are prone towards
embellishing on the truth, even if unintentionally, which often proves
counterproductive. When the Christian claims to be an apologist but begins a
debate insisting one must believe in six literal days of creation, this
is not necessarily true. This is not a productive claim for either the
Christian or the non-believer. As argued throughout this paper the human mind
is designed to understand how God has revealed Himself in nature and in His
word. In Genesis one finds there was not a twenty-four-hour cycle of the Earth
spinning around the sun until the fourth day of creation (Gen. 1:14-19). For
God a day is not a twenty-four-hour cycle, so both divine revelation and nature
are not in conflict if the universe is older than thousands of years (2 Pet.
3:8). Perhaps the universe and the Earth only appear to be quite old, either way
it does not really matter. Another reason arguing for the literal days of
creation is not necessary is because atheistic evolution resulting in an
intelligent mind is an illogical hypothesis. The opposing side often promotes
lies in the schools and in the media. For example, the founders of the supposed
Lucy ancestor confessed to being biased and admitted this ape should not be in
the family tree.[22] The
insistence of atheistic evolution being true is not based on solid observable
evidence. The evolutionists not only tend to exaggerate on their claims but
insist on their worldview being true despite the evidence to the contrary,
which will be further examined later in this text. What
will be noted here is on the ultimate level even Darwin believed there are no
“random events,” and there must be a first cause.[23] When factoring in the improbability of
intelligent life emerging by chance, one should humbly accept the first cause
is a superior intelligence.
Readers may question
how one could claim to think rationally while at the same time believing in God
and miracles like those mentioned in the Bible. The naturalist argues against
the possibility of supernatural occurrences, thus there can be no God capable
of superseding the natural laws. However, there is a rational argument for the
supernatural supported by discoveries in science, especially in astrophysics.
Although known for writing one of the more famous objections to miracles, David
Hume also stated, “The whole frame of nature bespeaks an intelligent author;
and no rational enquirer can, after serious reflection, suspend his belief a
moment with regard to the primary principles of genuine Theism and Religion.”[24] Perhaps if Hume knew
evolutionists would believe intelligent life emerging in the universe is quoted
as being “less than 10 to the minus one million power” The Natural History
of Religion would have never been written.[25] Not
only is the existence of the universe a miracle but so is intelligent life. One should recognize the natural laws are set in place for
good reason, but the mind is also designed to identify when an event supersedes
the natural laws. If not for understanding and respecting the laws of
nature one could not appreciate the greatest miracles being the incarnation and
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Christ God proves who He is, being a God
who is trustworthy and deserving of our love. When seeking to argue for the existence of an
eternal mind the Christian must remember the goal is to reach souls for Christ.
Every step in a fruitful journey of discovering truth must involve a rational
mind faithful to Christ will.
The human mind was designed to recognize and
understand what God has revealed about Himself. When presenting the evidence
for God the Christian must accept when one rejects Christ the reason is
not because there is a lack of evidence. In Ephesians readers see Paul prayed
for the initial readers to receive the Spirit of wisdom to better know God
(Eph. 1:17). As argued earlier people will often choose to believe or not to
believe in something for logically fallacious reasons. Ultimately when one
accepts Christ this person cannot boast about having received this truth based
on human reasoning alone (Eph. 2:8-10). This does not take from the fact the
human mind must be dependent on the eternal mind of God, but further proves
this to be the case. Faith will always be necessary, as like in a marriage
faithfulness and true love go hand in hand. The Christian desire to grow in
their understanding of science, mathematics, and nature begins with faith, for
all such knowledge cannot be understood philosophically without faith in
Christ.[26] Before
any significant discoveries in science the Christian lived by faith having
experienced the love of Christ, and having observed how this love changes
hearts and minds. Questioning how there could be a time before time where only
the eternal God existed was probably of no concern for the early Christians.
For the Christian living today, there are certain scientific discoveries
proving useful for helping one respond to the skeptic who depends on science
and philosophy before religious faith. After arguing for the cause of the
universe being God, the next step would be to present some evidence for this
temporary realm being dependent on an eternal realm. If the temporary realm is
dependent on the eternal realm, accordingly the human mind could not exist if
not for the eternal mind of God.
When studying gravitational anomalies astrophysicists have observed
gravity is capable of jumping between dimensions faster than the speed of
light, thus gravity is not bound by nor dependent on the laws in the natural
realm.[27] In
this realm God provides people with a limited understanding of His mind and His
ways, and accordingly the human perception of what is possible is limited as
well. However, seeing as how gravity is dependent on an unseen realm, one can
argue the natural realm is dependent on the eternal realm.[28] One
can also argue for miracles being possible if gravity functions in ways
superseding natural laws. But surely only the One who holds all things together
is capable of superseding natural laws. The faithful can only understand what
God has revealed in nature and in His Word, but in Christ the most valued
eternal qualities of God are made known (1 Cor. 2:11). All the beauty to be
discovered in nature, down to the shimmering drop of water on a blade of grass,
is represent of the holy love of God.
The skeptic may argue if Christ went through
changes in human form the argument for God always being eternal and unchanging
is illogical. The Bible has a beginning and an end and people living today feel
the story is not yet over, but this is a misperception. There are two
realities, the eternal and the perceived temporary reality. In Revelation John
witnessed a future event where God created a new Heaven and a new Earth. John
was standing in this future reality while still being alive in the temporary
one. The victorious saints John saw in the future were Christians living today,
those living in John’s day, and those saved before John received the
revelation. This recalls how Paul encouraged the Christians in Ephesus when
writing on how these faithful ones were seated with Christ in the Heavenly
realms (Eph. 2:6). These saints were with the eternal God but from time’s
perspective were still bound by the laws of this observable reality. A growing
number of physicists and philosophers have argued for the present reality being
a “block universe” where the past, present, and future are coexisting, which
from God’s perspective this would make sense.[29] From
the human perspective time is a journey forward one hour at a time and one day
at a time. In recognizing there is an eternal realm beyond space and time the
truth is humans are moving forward in a completed story with a beginning and an
unchanging end. Considering the block universe in physics the human mind has
once again proven able to discover what has already been revealed in God’s Word.
The Trinity may be seen by non-believers as an
illogical concept, which many skeptics use as an argument against the faith. If
the Triune nature of God can be logically argued for than the only God who is
more than a one-dimensional concept is the only God who qualifies. The seeker
of truth must ask why any humans would ever make up the complex idea of the
Trinity. This will be addressed in more depth later, but for now suffices to
say the human mind could not imagine a concept beyond a combination of what can
be observed. As Todd Tremlin states, “The human capacity for imagination is
immense, but it is also constrained by the functional design of our minds.”[30] The
reason the Christian belief in God is so centered on love and unity is because
within the Trinity the three persons of God were in a close relationship before
mankind was ever created. All three persons of the Trinity eternally freely
give and receive from each other in perfect unity, an unselfish love human
minds should not be able to comprehend.[31]
However, in this present reality the sacrificial love of Christ provides the
evidence for God’s eternal love, and the Holy Spirit enters in to unite all members
of the Church in Christ. The human mind was made to be united with the eternal
mind of God. If the human mind reaches the point of discovering the universe is
dependent on an unseen realm, one must consider the possibility of there being
an eternal mind wanting to be known. The obstacles in life have only ever
fostered intellectual and spiritual growth, which can potentially lead to a
deeper understanding of who God is. Someday the redeemed will be in an eternal
reality where there will be no evil, suffering, or death. In this eternal
reality, in a new Heaven, there will be no necessary possibility of evil (Rev.
21:27). Only in this temporary reality is a knowledge of evil necessary for
humanity, which this issue will be further addressed later. Ultimately, everything
Christ did was for people to understand the love the Trinity already knew to be
true.
The Christian must remember whatever the mind can comprehend in this
realm is only so because of what God chooses to make known. Scientists have
discovered there are colors undetectable by the human eye, the reason being the
human eye was designed to only observe what can be seen in the
three-dimensional realm.[32] God
seems to always in His timing reveal just enough to keep people seeking after
more, but not all truths must be seen to be recognized. As Michael Behe argues,
“…the effects of a mind can be recognized by the purposeful arrangement of
parts, even when the possessor of the mind that arranged them is nowhere to be
seen.”[33] As
argued in this text there is evidence for intelligent design in the universe,
but what would be truly fascinating is if people discovered evidence in support
of the Triune God being the Designer.
Before
presenting a logical explanation for the Trinity one must question how to make
sense of the beautiful cosmos if God was not loving and relational before
creation. As argued earlier what the individual mind designs has in some way
been influenced by another mind. As for the artist who paints landscapes God
provided the influence. The Big Bang alone proves a good starting point in
defending Christianity, for physicists were not blind to the fact if the
universe had a beginning one would not be irrational to believe God was the
cause.[34]
However, the next step would be supporting evidence verifying the universe is
dependent on unseen forces beyond space and time. Scientists have felt
compelled to discover an equation explaining how all the forces of nature
operate, and the best way to explain the observable universe is to factor in
the existence of extra-dimensions.[35] For the physicist the answers to why the
universe even exists can only be discovered by reaching beyond the natural
realm. There are four fundamental forces, the strong nuclear force,
electromagnetic, weak nuclear, and the weakest gravitational force, which all
came into being at the same time.[36] Physicists have discovered gravity is so
distinct from the stronger forces one is forced to look far beyond the
observable realm, onto higher dimensions to discover how gravity relates with
the other three forces.[37]
The naturalist claims the answers to life can be discovered only by
studying what can be observed in nature. The astrophysicist who factors extra-dimensions
into their equations presupposes there exists a reality beyond what can be seen.
When studying gravity physicists’ factor in there being at least a fourth
dimension and believe the realm beyond is so fundamentally real this universe
is a projection from the higher dimension.[38] This
would mean the present observed reality is dependent on the unseen realm. This
would be in accordance with the Christian belief in the greater reality being
in the eternal realm, from which comes the cause our observable universe is
dependent on. In seeing how gravity can jump between dimensions faster than the
speed of light, this must be the case because gravity is not bound by laws in
the observable realm.[39] Considering
the impossibility of the complex universe coming into being by chance and
seeing as how this realm is dependent on an unseen realm, an eternal mind must
be the necessary cause.
The argument against the skeptic has already
been proven easier upon considering the above truths alone, and their stubborn
bias even in the face of the evidence should be clearly recognized. First,
despite the naturalist giving no consideration to discoveries in physics, these
thinkers give no regard to the greatest discoveries in their own field of
study. What has been observed in DNA and the many other discoveries in
micro-biology proves there is a complex Designer. For even
the chance of a single functioning protein coming into being apart from a
Designer is less than one out of trillion trillion, thus the experts in biology
know the complex building blocks of life coming into being by chance is
impossible.[40]
Regarding the Trinity being the most likely
candidate for God one should assume this is the case because only the Trinity
has the characteristics of an extra-dimensional God. The one true God cannot be
a one-dimensional character bound by the laws of the observable
three-dimensional realm, otherwise such a being would not truly be God. In the
observable realm there are individual objects and living beings are obviously
disconnected from one another physically, but the Bible speaks on how all
Christians are a united body. Christ prayed for believers to be one with Him
and the Father, united in their love (John 17:21 NIV). One may assume this is
just intimately symbolic language, however the Trinity is very much three
persons united in one being. Advanced geometry shows how in the
fourth-dimension multiple shapes can be one, as observed in a hypercube.[41] There
is evidence for there being a fourth spatial dimension and the quantum hall
effect shows a three-dimensional shadow is cast from a four-dimensional object.[42] The
triune God is unique to Christianity, and this idea of three persons equaling
one being would at first seem illogical. Advanced geometry and discoveries in
physics prove useful for the one who seeks to provide a logical explanation for
the Trinity. The Christian knows there is a realm unseen by the human eye, and
now science has once again provided evidence for the faith.
What has been argued so far is the best
candidate for God is the Triune God, a God united in love. This love is
unchanging, being by nature who God is, and likewise the Church should first be
recognized by their unifying love (1 John 4:8). This love is most clearly
recognized in contrast to the opposite. The human mind properly determines
truth based on what can be observed, and to choose between what is right or
wrong is only possible because of the knowledge of opposites. Only a free mind
can accept the truth and reject the lies. Love is not truly love unless one can
choose to reject it. To forgive or hold a grudge, to be faithful or faithless,
to have mercy or seek vengeance, such choices define freedom. In creating a world
capable of evil and suffering God is no less than all powerful. God is no less
powerful in a world capable of evil if the evil tolerated can potentially help emphasize
the greater good. The temporary evil must prove to be subservient to the
greater good. If the temporary evil can magnify an understanding of the greater
good, the evil proves necessary for the free mind to understand and receive the
greater good. The human mind must have been intentionally designed to recognize
the greatest of love is sacrificial love. This truth is most clearly understood
in Christ suffering, death, and resurrection.
For the human mind to fully appreciate love in
this fallen world a knowledge of suffering is inevitable. One should not have
any natural reason to trust in love for another person, for some way or another
this love will come with pain. One should not trust in something guaranteed to
bring pain. Only in Christ does one find a dependable love which will last
forever, the most valuable eternal truth. Naturally one may question if this
love from Christ is real. Since the resurrection there have been those who had
to lose all hope in what this world has to offer before accepting the ultimate
truth of God’s great love. God was pleased with the eternal love shared in the
Triune relationship, and Christ desired to share this love with humanity, thus
everything was made through Christ (John 1:3, Col. 1:16). Because God’s love
was perfect before creation, to share this love with those naturally beneath
the Creator a certain reality was made. In this reality what is contrary to God
was able to come into being. This place became the dominion of sin, suffering,
and death, and all of this was allowed for the greater good. For the great love
of God to be appreciated and freely received by those made in His image this
world filled with suffering and death is necessary. Christ made clear there is
no greater love than the love of one who lays down their life for their friends
(John 15:13). To make the unchanging love of God known in this realm sacrifice
would be necessary. No person can honestly deny the greater love is recognized
because the human mind can appreciate the need for sacrificial love.
The devil made a free choice to rebel against
God, but being thrown to Earth was no accident, in fact this was in accordance
with God’s will. Before being arrested Jesus told the disciples the enemy was
coming for Him, and the reason was clearly stated, “…so that the world may
learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me…”
(John 14:31). The eternal divine love shared within the Trinity, and God’s
great love for humanity, was evident when Christ surrendered Himself and
displayed sacrificial love.[43]
Everything the enemy did, every evil tolerated, these were necessary sacrifices
leading up to the cross, where Christ eternal love for the Father, and God’s
love for humanity is made known. In the parable about the shepherd and His
sheep, Jesus spoke on how just like His sheep know Him, this is akin to Jesus
knowing the Father, and for this reason He was going to lay down His life (John
10:14-15). Earlier in this same passage Jesus mentioned the thief who comes to
kill and destroy, and in contrast Jesus came so people could have life to the
fullest (v. 10:10). The works of the enemy were and are allowed so in contrast
the great love of God can be known. In recognizing the enemy unknowingly had a
part to play in God’s divine will one gains a deeper understanding of what was
necessary for humanity to recognize and freely trust in the love of God.[44] This
may seem ironic when considering how a knowledge of suffering and God allowing
evil to exist is the means through which Christ makes the love of God known. The
intellectually honest person will confess the deeper understanding of love in
this realm would be impossible if not for the knowledge of sacrificial love.
All people now have a choice between the One who died for the sins of the world
or eternal separation from the One who proved His love.
Christ conquered sin and death by taking on
sin and death. Christ proved God is all powerful in being the life which
conquers death. Christ proved God is all knowing after He felt the effects of
sin and tasted death. God did what is impossible for humanity and proved to be
the greater love all people desperately need. The one who loves the Lord is
eternally secure in the Heavenly realm, and this temporary life is an
opportunity to share the love of Christ with others. God did not promise there
would be no pain or suffering in this realm. By enduring suffering Christ
showed in this world suffering should be expected and only in Christ can one
find eternal peace (John 16:33). Because Christ overcame the world the
Christian can trust in His eternal power and unchanging love. A knowledge of
suffering is necessary in this realm, and from this knowledge one recognizes
the need to depend on Christ and the promises of God. Those in Christ should be
grateful, knowing this temporary life will be justly dealt with. An eternity of
peace in the presence of true Love far outweighs a temporary period of grief.
All of this would be impossible to comprehend if the human mind was not created
to seek after truth, and to long for more than temporary satisfaction.
The ability to reason properly is hindered
when a person chooses to reject the One who is the source of all truth. As
Golata argued, “If God is not the creator of both the universe and mankind,
then mankind is not under any ethical obligation to God; hence, man himself
becomes the measure of all things, including morality.”[45] A
sense of morality proves difficult to define for those who reject God as the
source of moral truths. As argued earlier God desires for humans to understand
His love and share this love with others, but instead a growing number of
people judge Christianity as intolerant and immoral. Obviously, the
non-Christian can use their sense of reason to discover some truths in life,
but eventually one must accept Christ, or only ever become more confused. Apart
from Christ one will either be deluded into believing this temporary life is
grander than history has proven or become someone who wallows in depression
consistently anticipating regret and despair.[46] The
point being argued here is the mind has the ability to comprehend what God has
revealed about Himself, and despite contrary opinions one can make rational
sense of the truths revealed about God in the Bible.
Upon observing the growing number of atheists
supporting postmodernism or secular humanism what is evident is apart from
Christ one cannot even argue for there being truth. The other dominant
religious views reject a proper understanding of truth in favor of irrational
cultural beliefs. In Hinduism a person believes anything can be deified, as a
recent news article was speaking of a man who created a shrine for the
worshiping of Donald Trump. Clearly this view of God is not even a proper
definition of God, as the true God cannot come from human origins. Where the
Christians already accept the universe had a beginning before science confirmed
this to be true, Hinduism still endorses the belief in space and time never
having an absolute point of origin. Non-Vedic Sanskrit texts and the Puranas
teach on how the universe is endless, and cyclic, thus the universe is eternal.[47] In
Buddhism essentially the same cosmological ideas were adopted, but according to
the Samyutta Nikāya the Buddha believed even thinking on the origins of the
universe was useless.[48]
These ancient beliefs must reject or avoid scientific truth whereas the
post-modernist and secular humanist must reject logical truth. To believe in
Islam one must reject historical truth, for where even secular scholars
recognize Jesus Christ died on the cross, the Muslim denies this to be true.
Regarding how the seeker of truth should understand the diversity of religions
Moreland argued for one thinking of a maze filled with many paths.[49] As
argued at the beginning of this paper logical fallacies keep people from
accepting truth, but for the impartial seeker of truth the right path will be
easier found. As Moreland argued, “The challenge is to find the one path that
leads you to the final destination – the center.”[50] Developing
this mindset is not possible without the help of the Holy Spirit, but for those
who respond to the call the challenge will be accepted.
No other worldview offers such a balanced
perspective on life as Christianity. A balanced understanding for why there is
suffering and death yet still true purpose and hope in life is found only in
Christ.[51] In
Christ does one find rational reason to have hope in eternal love and eternal
life. If in an honest pursuit of truth, the mind created to seek out and
understand the bigger answers in life will discover where the path leads. The
mind can identify the universe had a first cause, appears designed to support
human life, the Triune God is the Designer, and the problem of evil is best
reconciled when one accepts Christ. The one who is open to accepting what has
been shared so far may still have questions with regards to the DNA evidence
seemingly proving the human is closely related to the ape. For if humanity
evolved from apes, one cannot so easily argue for the human mind being made in
the image of God. If this issue could be resolved, the mind pursuing truth will
be left with one other option, to investigate the evidence for Jesus Christ.
What is important to note is whatever can be discovered about the legitimacy of
Christianity was intentionally revealed by God. After having shared the Parable
of the Sower, the twelve disciples and others came up to Jesus seeking an
explanation (Mark 4:10). Christ told these seekers of truth, “The secret of the
Kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is
said in parables so that, "'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be
forgiven” (Mark 4:11-12)! In this passage, one sees how the Kingdom of God is
for those who came to Christ seeking after answers. The seeker must be willing
to accept the truth, and any person who rejects Christ is simply disinterested,
and proves unable to accept the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17).
When pursuing truth, one may first have to
strip away several lies and preconceived notions. For example, the belief in random mutations accounting for the existence
of complex living organisms has been scientifically proven false. Because
of advanced methods used in laboratories today, one can examine molecular life
and find clear evidence against atheistic evolution. Regarding the recent
discoveries in science, micro-biologist Michael Behe writes, “…one higher
category cannot descend from another by means of an unplanned process such
as Darwin’s mechanism.”[52]
Since the first premise of the Darwinian argument proves unable to explain the
process of creation, atheistic evolution is false. Those who still teach the
human mind is an untrustworthy product of evolution are either lying or
misinformed. As Behe states, “Random mutation and natural selection cannot
build a brain or even coherently modify one.”[53] People
have heard about the many hominid fossils discovered verifying the human brain
evolved from these prior ancestors. The Christian who truly trusts in Christ
should take the initiative to investigate such claims instead of ignoring them
out of fear of losing their faith.
The claim of there being multiple hominids in
the family tree leading up to homo-sapiens is a lie. The evidence against the
Lucy claim has already been presented here, and any other extinct monkey people
may dig up is just that, an extinct ape-like creature. There is plenty of
evidence for Neanderthals having once lived, and several humans share some of
their DNA, reason being because the Neanderthal was human. Homo-erectus
certainly lived, and these people could travel far distances across the sea in
a watercraft created with steering and propulsion mechanisms.[54] The
Australian archaeologist who made this discovery, Mike Morwood stated, “We’re
not dealing with glorified chimpanzees here… We’re dealing with a species that
has many of the characteristics of modern people.”[55] The
mind made to worship God should reconsider how Adam and Eve truly looked, for
where people judge by outward appearances the Lord looks at the heart (1 Sam.
16:7). Where the human imagines Adam and Eve were exceptionally beautiful
physically, what is most important is these two humans were created in the
image of God being able to communicate, learn, and create. Macro-evolution does
not happen, devolution happens, as observed with all the different dog breeds.
The cute fluffy dog is not as exceptional as the wolf, and certainly not as
smart. Here is the uncomfortable truth Adam and Eve may have been two rather hairy
and likely short human beings, but these two were very much human, and were
certainly smarter than people are today. The preflood people were exceptionally
intelligent, as Cain went and built the first city, and in a few more
generations people were building bronze and iron tools, and creating stringed
instruments and pipes (Gen. 4:17, 21-22). How humans appear today is the result
of devolution, as where humans may be taller and softer in appearance the
average mind is easily domesticated, easily influenced, and prone to being
enslaved. Hence, the necessity for a Savior, and the need for the human mind to
depend on the mind of God.
Like how schools still teach Lucy was an
ancestor even though the founders confessed to being biased, the teaching on the
genetic similarity between the chimpanzee and human is misrepresented as well. When
analyzing the data for both the human and chimpanzee genome geneticist Richard
Buggs calculated the similarity between these two species could be less than
70%.[56] Separate
studies have shown upon analyzing the base pairs of DNA for the human and
chimpanzee there is a difference of 360 million.[57]
Regardless of the DNA similarities between different species one can argue
similarity in design does not prove one creature evolved from another. The case
grows more confusing because DNA similarities does not always mean similar appearances
in design. At this point research indicates humans are
90% genetically related to a cat.[58] Better yet, genetically speaking a mouse is 99%
equivalent to a human.[59] Perhaps more research needs to be done,
because all this information leaves one feeling confused. Surely the experts in
this field of study have a more profound understanding than the common man
analyzing this data. Regarding an exact percentage difference
between human and chimpanzee geneticist Svante Paabo states, “I don’t think
there’s any way to calculate a number… In the end, it’s a political and social
and cultural thing about how we see our differences.”[60] As Meyer has observed the experts recognize their theories
do not work, but no one is willing to admit this truth.[61] Evidently, these atheistic origin of life
intellectuals are all story tellers, or more accurately these experts are
charlatans.
If the similarity between a chimp and human
was a remaining obstacle one should just accept DNA similarities is not
evidence in support of atheistic evolution, and certainly not evidence against
the mind being designed by God. When examining DNA people are trying to
understand complex information designed by the most advanced mind. One should simply
humbly accept DNA is evidence for God, and the human
mind can comprehend this much to be true. The discovery of DNA is so
amazing the faithful Darwinist who rejects intelligent design is guilty of
trying to make this conflicting truth support their presupposed view. This is
like a stubborn child trying to fit a square into the circle space on a shape
sorter toy. Moreland addresses the obvious elephant in a room filled with
scientists who reject God, stating “Indeed, the amount of information in the
genetic code of a human being is more than all the information in all the books
in the Library of Congress combined!”[62]
Information must come from an intelligent mind, so when arguing for atheistic
evolution being true by starting with supposed DNA evidence seems absurd. The honest atheist is in an awkward place when having to
accept a person is 90% related to a cat, 99% percent related to a mouse, and
70% related to the chimp. If the seeker of truth is
willing to accept the evidence presented thus far, the next step in the journey
will be to investigate the evidence for Jesus Christ.
Where the Evidence Leads
The unbiased seeker of truth will discover the
evidence leads to Christ. When considering the early historical evidence
outside of the Bible there is more mention of Jesus than Tiberius Cesar who was
the ruling emperor during this period.[63] From
non-biblical documents, Jewish, Greek, and Roman historians verify some amazing
truths about Jesus. From these sources one discovers this Rabbi had quite a
following, miraculously healed people and performed exorcisms, was crucified by
Pontius Pilate after being rejected by the Jewish authorities, the skies turned
dark when Christ was crucified, and a short time later people claimed to see
Him resurrected.[64] Critical
scholars recognize the tomb of Jesus was empty, as early accounts from
Tertullian and Justin Martyr attested to the fact being since the enemies could
not show the body as evidence the enemies spread the idea of a body heist.[65] The
empty tomb is significantly important because this means no person can counter
the evidence for the resurrection by claiming the body has not yet been
discovered. Before conversion Paul was an enemy to Christianity, during this
time Paul could have spoken with the Jewish leaders to verify where Jesus had
been buried. Paul must have believed the rumor being the disciples were heretics
who had stolen the body. However, Paul provided the earliest testimony for
Jesus being resurrected, as even the liberal scholar Roy Hoover views Pauls’
testimony as being of the utmost importance.[66] Even
according to skeptical scholars based on the evidence and semantics Paul very
much believed in the empty tomb, and the physical resurrection of Jesus.[67] Many facts in history are attested to being
true based on two to three sources, so since there are several accounts for the
empty tomb and the resurrection this should render the historical claim as
irreproachable.[68] The
early testimony from Paul to the church in Corinth should not be overlooked.
The historian must consider probability when studying historical claims, hence
if Paul spoke to the other eyewitnesses Paul must have heard about the empty
tomb.[69]
There is early eyewitness accounts, there is enemy attestation supportive of
Jesus miracles, and critical scholars recognize the disciples and the apostle
Paul were killed for believing Christ resurrected. There are several books
written about the overwhelming evidence for Jesus life, death, and
resurrection, but the skeptic claims the primary reason one must deny the
evidence is because the dead cannot be resurrected. Christ lives whether people
like it or not, and the mind was designed to recognize this is the most
significant truth.
As argued earlier the very existence of the
universe and the human mind is miraculous, and there are forces not bound by
the natural realm and dependent on an unseen realm. If one can discover
evidence for the Triune God, rational reason to believe miracles are possible,
and historical evidence for the resurrection, one must wonder what else God desires
for the seeker to discover. The limits of the human mind and the flawed fallen
nature of humanity provides further evidence for the one true God. Despite what
some may believe there is a limit to the human imagination and apart from
Christ people are not inherently good but are set on destruction. The reason
these two issues must be addressed is because the only way one can accept what
God has revealed about Himself is if one humbly accepts their limitations,
their desperate need to depend on God, and accept that the one who rejects God
embraces death.
Accepting the Need for Divine Revelation
In ancient times polytheism
was commonly practiced, and each of these gods were created in the image of
fallen humans. From the Sumerians to the ancient Greeks, and
on the other side of the ocean with the Aztecs, the major civilizations were
polytheistic. The answer to this grand mystery is not ancient aliens, but
simply this is the best a unity of human minds could imagine. Some have argued for Zoroastrianism being the earliest mono-theistic
religion, claiming this religion influenced the Jewish exiles in Babylon.
Zoroastrianism was founded about 300 years before Alexander the Great, and
scholars have concluded Zoroaster was born around the time the Jews were taken
captive by the Babylonians.[70] This
is reminiscent on how Islam stole from Christianity, as Zoroastrianism was
inspired by Judaism and not vice versa. Based on the archeological evidence,
like the Moabite Stone dated to 840 BC and graffiti at Kuntillet ‘Ajrud dated
at around 800 BC, the Jews worshiped Yahweh well before being taken captive by
the Babylonians.[71] There
is no evidence in support of the idea being the Judeo-Christian concept of God
was stolen from other religions. When the Jews emerged believing there is one
God with no beginning and no end, the world was presented with the greatest
being one could conceive of existing. Consider the thought people are incapable
of imagining the God of the Bible, a God with no image conceivable by man, with
no beginning or end, three persons in one being. The skeptic should reconsider
the point Anselm of Canturbury was making, “…there is no doubt that something
than which a greater cannot be thought exists both in the understanding and in
reality.”[72] The
only reason one can understand the Judeo-Christian God is the greatest being is
because humans are incapable of imagining such a God. The characters in a novel
could never know of being in a narrative unless somehow the author revealed Himself.
Only then could the characters recognize this Author was somehow able to give
life and understanding to what He imagined into being. Naturally these
characters could not imagine One greater than the Author who gave life to what
He spoke into being. Hence why Anselm states, “This being exists so truly that
it cannot be thought not to exist.”[73] But,
further evidence for this theory needs to be considered.
When compiled together
the recent discoveries in physics, micro-biology, and what has been observed in
the universe argues for the Triune God, the greatest being one can know of
existing. One might argue it is possible to replace God in the ontological
argument with something else by adding supreme or greater before
it. For example, one cannot imagine something greater than the greatest
universe with perfect conditions for intelligent life. Anselm
would argue the difference between the universe and God is the universe does
not necessarily need to exist.[74] As
already argued the existence of a fine-tuned universe is good reason to believe
God is the cause, and the mind was designed to recognize God is the creator.
However, before the discovery of the Big Bang people denying the biblical
account could still claim the universe is eternal. Before
the divine revelation of this truth was shared with Moses polytheistic accounts
had become predominate, and these beliefs did not support the universe being
created by one supreme God. Without knowledge of the biblical God all of
existence could only be understood as temporary, or unnecessary. Creatures live
and then die, and civilizations rise and fall. Nothing lasts forever, and
nothing is perfect, hence why the gods of mythology were all flawed and
relatable to humans. There is no reason for someone to imagine the one true God
into being hence why the God of the Bible is distinct from all creation, beyond
what the human mind could imagine.
Without the knowledge people have of God today
all the human mind would be able to comprehend about existence would be either
something exists, or does not exist, but nothing must exist. Anselm viewed
belief in God as being necessary before one could truly understand more
rational reasons to believe.[75] This
is the argument being presented in this paper, the human mind was designed to
recognize God, seek after God, and discover what He has revealed about Himself.
For those living today God has left evidence to be discovered verifying
everything He has revealed to be true in the Bible. The Cause of the creation
is the only entity whose existence is necessary. Some
may claim one cannot know the first cause, and this would be correct if God did
not reveal Himself. The only reason humans are even capable of believing in
what Plantinga refers to as a “maximal concept” is because the first cause is
more than an imagined concept.[76]
If a “maximal concept” like the Triune God of
the Bible is responsible for creation, ancient humans would have no reason to
believe this is so. Humans can imagine flawed gods with human characteristics,
or aliens with humanoid or animal like characteristics, but cannot imagine into
being something beyond a combination of what is observable.[77] This
is common sense; human imagination is limited. Though a man may have the
audacity to try arguing otherwise, no man can imagine what a woman experiences
when giving birth to a child. The Ontological Argument would not even be
possible unless the maximal first cause revealed His existence to humanity in
some way at some point in recorded history. A maximal concept beyond the
universe could not reveal itself to those bound by space and time, because a
concept cannot make itself known unless the concept lives. The Christian places
their faith in the Triune God beyond space and time. Evidence discovered
supporting the God of the Bible in physics and biology is valuable, but the
Ontological Argument would be incomprehensible without divine revelation. If
not for the Biblical account, there would be no true relational God who wants
to be known. One must accept the Christian understanding of God was revealed by
God. No humans could or would make up the Triune God, hence only in recent
years has there been discoveries useful for one to logically argue for the
Trinity.
Certainly,
a non-believer can think rationally and present rational arguments, however
those opposed to Christianity cannot consistently provide rational reasons for
rejecting Christ. Regarding the evidential reasons for believing in the Triune
God, miracles, and Christ resurrected, one will find those opposed to
Christianity will ultimately fall back on logically fallacious reasoning as
argued earlier in this text. No honest person can deny
if all people lived up to the ethical standard provided by Jesus the world
would be a better place. If all people believed in the one true God, people
would work together being likeminded when pursuing beneficial innovations for
humanity. As Golata argued, “It is God, a super intelligent Designer and
Creator, that provides the answer for how the mind (spiritual) can connect to
the material.”[78] The
human mind was designed to be innovative, but for the sake of caring for what
God has created, and for the benefit of humanity. When analyzing the other
major religions, one will not find a unifying message of hope stretching beyond
the material realm. Atheistic worldviews certainly fail at improving humanity,
and if intelligent atheists pursue innovations harmful for the human species
the argument for survival of the fittest must be false. Being an expert in
engineering technology Golata has observed atheist thinkers are obsessed with
creating artificial superintelligence. Regarding the potential ASI threat to
human survival Golata has observed ironically these highly intelligent people
are indifferent because of their faith in evolution. Golata explains their reasoning
being, “Whatever is progress in and of itself is to be considered to be an
evolutionary success.”[79] Evidently,
apart from faith in God even the most intelligent minds prove to be the most
foolish. If a growing number of atheistic innovators are seeking to create
something destructive to humanity this serves to prove those who reject Christ will
ultimately work against humanity. This is reminiscent of the gathering of great
minds who sought after discovering the naturalistic explanation for language.
These great minds failed because of presupposing God does not exist. For the
number of religious beliefs that emerged after the Bible was completed, like
Islam and Mormonism, what these all have in common is being guilty of
plagiarism. If the Bible never existed, one could conclude there would be only
polytheistic beliefs like Hinduism or secular worldviews like Communism and
Socialism. If there was no Christianity naturally there would be no Christ, and
to imagine a world without Christ one need only look at what comes of the world
when His teachings are ignored. No person can honestly deny if all people loved
their neighbors as themselves, and loved their enemies, there would be no
enemies, there would be world peace (Mark 12:31, Matt. 5:44). The human mind
was designed to seek after truth, and without the ability to think rationally
one could not argue for the eternal truth revealed in Christ and His Word. If
the evidence leads to the God of the Bible, and the lessons from Christ are undeniably
true, Christianity must be true.
Conclusion
The human mind is designed
to seek after truth, and recognize the ultimate truth revealed in Christ, so
one could rationally communicate this knowledge with others. The mind is
designed to ask questions and find answers, but when one denies divine
revelation discovery is limited. Through the human mind God brought forth His
divine revelation, resulting in the Bible. If one rejects the true purpose of
the human mind self-idolatry emerges and dangerous consequences will follow. When
seeking after truth beginning with faith in Christ readers discover the one
true God has revealed Himself in so many fascinating ways. This truth should
inspire one to share this news with others, for apart from Christ there is
nothing of lasting value for one to discover.
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[4] Werner Heisenberg, Physics and
Philosophy, (New York: NY, Penguin Books, 2000), 45.
[6] Unless
otherwise noted, all biblical passages referenced are in the New International Version (Indianapolis,
IN: Zondervan, 1990).
[8] J.P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind,
(Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2012), 63.
[9] Stephen C. Meyer, Darwin’s
Doubt, (Broadway, NY: HarperOne, 2013), 396-397.
[11] Anne L. C. Runehov, The Human
being, the World and God: Studies at the Interface of Philosophy of Religion,
Philosophy of Mind and Neuroscience, (Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2016),
xv.
[12] René
Descartes, Discourse on the Method of
Rightly Conducting the Reason, and Seeking Truth in the Sciences, (Raleigh,
N.C.: Generic NL Freebook Publisher, 1990), 19.
[13] Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case
for Biblical Faith, (Downers Grove: IL, InterVarsity Press, 2011), 214.
[17] Frank J. Tipler, “Intelligent Life in Cosmology,” (International Journal
of Astrobiology, Vol. 2(2): 141-148 (2003), 2.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid., 3
[21] Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek, I
Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, (Wheaton, IL. Crossway Books,
2004), 106.
[23]
Tipler, “Intelligent Life in Cosmology,” 2.
[24]
David Hume, The Natural History of Religion, (London: UK, A.
and H. Bradlaugh Bonner, 1889), Introduction.
[26] Roberto
Di
Ceglie, "Faith, Reason, and Charity in Thomas Aquinas's Thought," (International
Journal for Philosophy of Religion 79, no. 2, 04, 2016), 134.
[27] Paul
Halpern,
The Great Beyond:
Higher Dimensions, Parallel Universes, and the Extraordinary Search for a
Theory of Everything.
(Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2004), 12.
[29] Michael Silberstein, W.M. Stuckey,
and Timothy McDevitt, Beyond the Dynamical Universe: Unifying Block
Universe Physics and Time as Experienced, (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2018. Oxford Scholarship Online, 2018), 11-14.
[30] Todd Tremlin, Minds and Gods:
The Cognitive Foundations of Religion, (New York, US: Oxford University
Press, 2010), 43.
[36] Paul
Halpern, The
Great Beyond:
Higher Dimensions, Parallel Universes, and the Extraordinary Search for a
Theory of Everything. (Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2004), 4.
[37] Ibid.
[42] Michael
Lohse, Christian Schweizer, Hannah M. Price, Oded Zilberberg, and Immanuel
Bloch, "Exploring 4D quantum Hall physics with a 2D topological charge
pump," Nature 553, no. 7686 (2018): 55-62.
[44] Dorner, Divine
Immutability, Chapter 3, Ethical Freedom Not Subordinated to Ethical
Necessity, Kindle.
[46] David Walsh, The Third
Millennium: Reflections on Faith and Reason, (Washington D.C., Georgetown
University Press, 1999), 193.
[47] Dermot Killingley, “KÅMA,” in The Hindu World, ed. Sushi
Mittal and Gene Thursby, (London: UK, Routledge, 2004), 284.
[51] Walsh, The
Third Millennium, 201-202.
[55] Ibid.
[58] Joan U. Pontius, James C. Mullikin,
Douglas R. Smith, Agencourt Sequencing Team, Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, Sante
Gnerre, Michele Clamp et al, "Initial sequence and comparative analysis of
the cat genome," Genome research 17, no. 11 (2007), 1678-1680.
[61] Meyer, Signature in the Cell,
321.
[63] Geisler and Turek, I Don’t Have
Enough Faith to be an Atheist, 222.
[70] Walter A. Elwell, Zoroastrianism,
Evangelical Dictionary of Theology 2nd Edition, (Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Publishing Group, 2001), 1310.
[72] Anselm of Canturbury,
Proslogion with the Replies of Gaunilo
and Anselm (Cambridge,
IN: Hackett Publishing Company, 2001), 7.
[74] Anselm, Proslogion with the Replies of Gaunilo and Anselm, 9.
[75] Cardinal Avery Dulles, A History of Apologetics (Eugene, OR:
Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1999), 99.
[77]
R. W. Beardsmore, “The Limits
of Human Imagination,” (The British Journal Aesthetics, Vol. 20, Issue 2,
Spring 1980), 99.
