2. What is Christian Apologetics?
• Greek: Apologia 1 Peter 3:15
• The dictionary defines Christian Apologetics as "a branch of theology
devoted to the defense of the divine origin and authority of Christianity.“
•Therefore, Christian Apologetics is a type of theological study where
empirical and persuasive evidence is presented in an effort to defend specific
aspects of the Christian faith.
3. My Personal Questions
• What kind of empirical evidence is used to prove God’s
existence?
• What modern scientific discoveries support the claims of the
Intelligent Design theory?
• Why isn’t the intelligent design theory given the same
credibility as the theory of evolution in schools and in the
scientific community?
• Why isn’t this taught in churches?
4. Compare/Contrast
•Intelligent Design (ID)=Scientific Observation
Proposed Explanation (Purposeful Designer)
•Evolution=Scientific Observation Proposed
Explanation (evolution from simple to complex
by chance)
•Creationism=Religious text Science
5. Five Primary Arguments for God’s
Existence
1. The cosmological argument from contingency
(non-necessity)
2. The kalam cosmological argument based on the
beginning of the universe
3. The moral argument based upon objective moral
values and duties
4. The teleological argument from fine-tuning
5. The ontological argument from the possibility of
God’s existence to his actuality (Complicated)
6. 1. The cosmological argument from
contingency (non-necessity)
(1) Everything that exists contingently (without
necessity) has a reason for its existence.
(2) The universe exists contingently.
Therefore:
(3) The universe has a reason for its existence.
(4) If the universe has a reason for its existence
then that reason is God.
Therefore:
(5) God exists.
7. 2. The kalam cosmological argument
based on the beginning of the universe
(1) Everything that has a beginning of its existence
has a cause of its existence. (There are no
counterexamples that we know of for this premise.)
(2) The universe has a beginning of its existence.
(red shift, big bang, etc.)
Therefore:
(3) The universe has a cause of its existence.
(4) If the universe has a cause of its existence then
that cause is God.
Therefore:
(5) God exists.
8. 3. The moral argument based upon
objective moral values and duties
1. If God does not exist, objective moral values and
duties do not exist (objective moral law giver)
2. Objective moral values and duties do exist (Hitler vs.
Mother Teresa; Hitler’s actions objectively, morally wrong,
Mother Teresa’s actions objectively, morally right)
3. Therefore, God exists.
9. Intelligent Design Theory
•“An explanation for the existence of the
universe in which everything in the universe is
most easily and logically explained with an
intelligent cause and directed process.”
10. My Discovery
“Several recent discoveries about the nature of the
universe, the complexity of the cell, and the truth about
the fossil record have provided empirical evidence
that disproves Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.”
11. Evidence of God in Nature
Francis Crick, one of the two main DNA molecular
biologists (Watson & Crick) once said, "Biologists must
constantly keep in mind that what they see was not
designed, but rather evolved."--Suggesting that what
scientists see obviously appears to be designed! If what
we see in nature looks designed, and all the evidence
points to a designer, who's to say it is not designed?
The sad, sad truth is that scientists presuppose that
design is not an option before they even enter a
laboratory.
Example…
12.
13. Essential Question
If the universe appears designed,
why would we go against what our visual
perception of the universe is telling us and
attempt to eliminate the possibility of intelligent
design? It is counterintuitive to the processes of
science.
15. Darwin’s Test
“if it could be demonstrated
that any complex organ
existed, which could not have
been formed by
numerous, successive, slight
modifications, my theory would
absolutely break down.” –
Charles Darwin, Origin of
Species
16. DNA and Darwin
• The evidence speaks of intelligent, information-bearing
design. Complex DNA coding would have been necessary
for even the hypothetical first ‘so-called’ simple
cell(s)…Even Crick himself was quoted as saying,
‘An honest man, armed with all the knowledge available to
us now, could only state that in some sense, the origin of
life appears at the moment to be almost a miracle, so many
are the conditions which would have had to have been
satisfied to get it going.’ Crick reasoned that life could not
have evolved from non-living chemicals under any
conceivable earth conditions. But the idea of a creator was
unacceptable, since it would go against his atheistic faith.
He affirmed this when he said, ‘People like myself get along
perfectly well with no religious views.’
17. Argument #4--Fine-Tuned Universe
“If the rate of expansion one second
after the Big Bang
had been smaller by even one part in a
hundred thousand million million, the
universe would have
recollapsed before it even reached its
present state.”
18. What is the Cosmological Constant?
•The Cosmological Constant is the most
finely-tuned physical property of our universe.
•It makes up for the missing matter in the universe.
19. Max. Deviation of Cosmological
Constant
1
100000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
00000000000000000000000000000000000000
or: 1/10120
From this observation, it is evident that there is a large amount of
faith involved in believing that our universe came about by pure
chance.
20. What was the Cambrian Explosion?
“The Cambrian explosion
is a period of time when
the major animal phyla
emerged over a relatively
short period of time.”
21. Cambrian Explosion
• 540 million years ago
• Often called the “Biological Big Bang”
• Pre-Cambrian: some jellyfish, sponges, and
worms.
• Post-Cambrian: insects (compound
eyes), crabs, modern starfish, sea urchins, and
modern vertebrates.
• Paleontologists have called this the single most
spectacular phenomenon of the fossil record.
22. Conclusion
• The theory of evolution is currently seen as a fact
throughout the scientific community due to the
theological implications of the other side of the
argument.
• A theory can never be proven true (as 2+2=4 can be
proven true), just proven wrong.
• The Cambrian explosion and the irreducible complexity
found in biology are not well explained by
Evolutionists.
• DNA could not have evolved for numerous reasons.
• Charles Darwin had very little knowledge about the
cell; today we know that is it extremely complex.
23. So What?
• Christians are obligated to check out the
evidence for themselves and stand behind the
truth, no matter how politically incorrect or
uncomfortable it may be.
• We must take this knowledge and run with it
with BOLDNESS! (1st century apostles
evangelized with great boldness.)
•The gospel wasn’t intended to be hidden but
rather expressed, shared, explained and
defended.
24. Accepting God of Christianity
• There are strong theological implications of Intelligent
Design Theory
• These contain moral implications that some hesitate to
accept for obvious reasons (homosexuality, fornication,
wild partying, drunkenness, greed, and other Biblical
“don’ts”)
• Therefore, most who have eliminated the possibility of
a Creator-God are extremely resistant to theological
arguments.
• Back to 1 Peter 3:16—Be Gentle and Respectful!
• There is no gain in winning the argument if you lose
the soul!
25. Using Apologetics in Evangelism
• The primary reason for apologetics is evangelism.
• Focus on the seriousness of the “big picture”—Those
who do not accept Christ will be separated from God in a
real place of eternal destruction called Hell!
• Focus, not on winning the argument, but winning the
soul. Even with the most confrontational of non-
believers.
• Losing the soul in a desperate effort to win the argument
will do much more harm to the kingdom than good!
• Give it time!—People may not want to hear everything
you want to say, when you want them to hear it.—Let
The Holy Spirit work in their hearts as well as yours.
26. Using Apologetics in Evangelism
• People want to feel LOVED, not WRONG!
• Be sensitive to their current situation/mindset
(death, anger at God, resentment towards
Christians)
• We want people to LISTEN to us/the gospel, not
just HEAR us/the gospel.
• Be Nice!
• Be Friendly!
• Be Kind!
