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Lessons In Apologetics, Part 1: Introduction & Agnosticism

For anyone pursuing a degree in Apologetics that was given a dollar for every time they were asked "What is that, learning how to say you are sorry" upon answering the question of what it is that they study so many times, many would have financed a considerable portion of their academic pursuits. Unfortunately, such ignorance as to what exactly this theological discipline entails symbolizes the neglect the defense of the faith has fallen into in the contemporary church and is one of the reasons that everywhere the believer and student of religion turns today they find Christianity losing considerable ground both within and without its boundaries to a wide variety of opponents and adversaries. To the serious student of this field of study, one of the best tools around which to build a fundamental understanding of the discipline's ins and outs is "Christian Apologetics" by Norman Geisler, one of the field's foremost living practitioners.

Basic to any academic discipline is the approach or methodology which scholars and researchers apply to the subject matter. The field of Apologetics is no different. Geisler lists the methodologies to knowledge in general and about God in particular as agnosticism, rationalism, fideism, experientialism, evidentialism, pragmatism, and combinationalism. In the course of his analysis, Geisler evaluates each in terms of their epistemology regarding religious matters and how these approaches stack up under the weight of being scrutinized by their own criteria.

The first approach to knowledge of God is agnosticism. Coined by T.H. Huxley, the term agnosticism means "no knowledge" and thus contends one is unable to know anything about God (13).

Agnosticism is itself divided into two branches. The one holds that not yet enough conclusive evidence pointing in one direction or the other regarding the existence of God has been gathered. The other holds that God is not knowable.

Of the agnostics that claim God is not knowable, this claim is based upon their understanding of the nature of knowledge. Drawing upon David Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and A.J. Ayers' Language, Truth, & Logic, these agnostics have divided the tree of actual knowledge into two branches.

The first variety of valid statements are analytic statements meaning they are valid by the terms of their definitions. For example, all bachelors are unmarried. The second type of valid statements are known as synthetic and are what we would refer to as matters of fact as they are about empirically gathered data (17).

Geisler writes of the agnostic views regarding talk about God, "For the term 'God' is neither analytic nor synthetic; that is, it is neither offered by the theist as an empty contentless definition corresponding to nothing in reality nor is it filled with empirical content since 'God' is allegedly a supraempirical being. Hence, it is literally nonsense to talk about God (18)."

To the aspiring apologist hoping to present an objective case for the Christian faith beyond how warm and fuzzy Jesus makes their innards, it may seem that the agnostic methodology has struck an early and potentially crippling blow to this noble effort. However, a bit of careful reflection may even the scales once more between the agnostic and the Christian.

The lofty sounding name given to this epistemology of language is the Verification Principle. If the Christian turns the Verification Principle back on itself, one sees it is self-referentially incoherent as the concept cannot live up to its own criteria as the Verification Principle is neither purely definitional or merely a statement of fact.

Thus to remain consistent, the agnostic must admit that, since our knowledge of the empirical and metaphysical realms is limited, by definition of man's own finitude, this understanding cannot be totally comprehensive. Of those unwilling to admit God may exist in those reaches man cannot fully fathom, Geisler writes, "And there is simply no way short of omniscience that one can make such sweeping and categorical statements about reality...Hence total agnosticism is only self-defeating. Only an omniscient mind could be totally agnostic and finite men do not possess omniscience (27)."

By Frederick Meekins

Are We Heading Over A Spiritual Cliff?

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If a ministry opposed to Halloween posts pictures of its staff in costumes as children, wouldn’t that be akin to posting the picture of someone in a Playboy Bunny outfit that renounced her life at the mansion with Heff in favor of Christ?

Chrislam: Why Blending Faiths Does Not Work

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Army Celebrates Secular Humanism

So does this mean the Pentagon will prepare manuals detailing the threats posed by this belief system the way it has been done with Christianity?

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Halloween: What Are We Celebrating?

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Head Of The Southern Baptist Ethics Commission Urges Believer To Bend Over In Submission To Gay Rights Movement

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Southern Baptist Faction Categorizes Opposition To Homosexuality As "Redneck Theology"

Interesting. Apparently when White Southerners oppose homosexuality, progressive Southern Baptist functionaries condemn the conviction as “redneck theology”. When assorted immigrant communities oppose homosexuality, that sociological fact is coopted by these same ecclesiastical subversives to beat the rest of us over the head as to how far American Christianity has drifted irrespective of whether or not the congregation addressed has embraced the prevailing wave of debauchery.

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Google Delves Deeper Into Transhumanism

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Colbert Exposes Fight Club Church

The Colbert Report
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How Far All Things To All Men?

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Strip Club Church?

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Leftist Archbishop Laments The Post-Christian Regime He Helped Create

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Celtic Cross Foundation For Ministry Announces Major Changes

More Christianity Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Celtic Cross Radio Ministry on BlogTalkRadio

The Family Prayer Book

Scientists Call For Mandatory Microchip Implant

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Reclaiming Francis: How The Saint & The Pope Are Renewing The Church

The Genius Of Anglicanism

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Colbert Bores Infamous Apostate A New One

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Secularists Once Again Call For The Suppression Of Knowledge

Since the 1920’s or thereabouts, secularists have invoked the imagery of the Scopes Monkey Trial as evidence that conservative Evangelicals are bent on suppressing knowledge in the realms of science and literature.

Most following the news are no doubt aware of the ongoing angst on the part of unbelievers and Modernists regarding the propriety of introducing Intelligent Design into the Biology classroom since in their eyes suggesting anything but the materialist hypothesis (itself a faith-based assumption) diminishes the rigor of so-called scientific education. Instead, they suggest such ideas should be considered as part of the Social Studies or Humanities curriculum.

Yet such gestures of enlightened magnanimous compromise are little more than a canard. For when it becomes time to examine the metaphysical issues within what liberals previously promoted as the appropriate venue for such a discussion, they then cry Separation of Church and State. Thus, what they really want is a monopoly on the perspective taught across all of public education.

As could be expected, Americans United For The Separation Of Church And State has demanded that the State of Florida alter an essay contest that encourages students to submit their reaction to The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. The Humanist front group contends some students might be offended by a work that has often been interpreted as a Christian allegory. The agitators suggest alternative titles should be made available for students to select from.

One wonders if the Lynnites would be as prompt about coming to the defense of students that did not want to read Harry Potter or other works of literature even more salacious in their content. Interesting when it comes to the boy wizard the important thing is that Miss Rowling gets the kids to read; shouldn’t this be the same attitude towards Professor Lewis among those that insist we have nothing to fear from books?

No doubt had the White Witch been the hero of the story rather than the villain, those sympathetic to Wicca and the Dark Arts would have no problem with the novel. The thing about contemporary liberals is not so much that they oppose spirituality in the classroom but rather merely traditional forms of it.

Neither do these liberals support the principles of individual mental autonomy to the extent that they claim. Where were they when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals essentially ruled parents have no constitutional right to protect their elementary-age children from perverts masquerading as educators asking these little ones all kinds of questions even an adult would be embarrassed to answer and to which no agent of the government has a right to know their answers.

These sensitive liberals whine students not wanting to read the book do not have an alternative to choose from if they still want to participate in the contest. Any other time these advocates of radical tolerance and inclusion insist that in a pluralistic society the upstanding member of the community has an obligation to subject oneself to ideas one might otherwise find objectionable.

So if students have to be subjected to putting condoms on cucumbers for their own good, then how are they going to be harmed by a novel about a talking lion? Makes you wonder what they are so afraid of.

All the fuss causes the critically minded to speculate if it’s for the sake of the children or rather about something else the hypertolerant malcontents themselves do not want to confront. A child not belonging to the Christian faith is not going to necessarily pick up on any Christian motifs Lewis might have incorporated into the text.

To pick up on any parallels, one would already have to be familiar with Christian doctrine. Thus to be offended by Aslan as a perceived Christ-figure is to have a problem with an intellect more formidable than even that of C.S. Lewis, namely God Himself.

Adherents of absolutist relativism will contend it is not the place of educators to convert students to any particular set of religious ideas. Funny, public educators don’t mind using the persuasive powers of the classroom as to influence the choices pupils make regarding viewpoints on issues such as homosexuality, abortion, and the origins of the universe. If no set of ideas is better than any other and parents are usually seen as being too stupid to decide what is in the best interests of their children, what’s the big deal if a child switches to Christianity if all paths to God or whatever else you happen to see as the supreme universal truth or lack there of really are equal?

In Lewis’ novel, it is revealed that the White Witch has placed a curse on the Land Of Narnia so it is always winter but never Christmas. With the lust of liberals to remove all vestiges of Christianity from Western culture, my guess is that they hate this book because Lewis just hit too close to home.

by Frederick Meekins

The Major Differences Between Roman Catholicism & Confessional Lutheranism

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John Warwick Montgomery Responds To Bart Erhman On The Deity Of Christ

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Will The Pope Surrender To Islam?

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Do Women In Pants Lead To Cannibalism?

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Does Google Intend To Field A Cylon Army?

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Ex-Satanist Claims Christmas Is Pagan

Is Jesus Still Name Above All Names?

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Rick Santorum On Values In Media

The Drug Culture

An interesting analysis of the drug culture.

Good in how it exposes the dangers of certain perscription drugs, but a little too judgemental of those that may need to turn to these compounds in search of healing.

However, is a good counterbalance to many prevalent perspectives.

You & Your Calling

The New Spiritualities

The Battle For The Mind

A sermon about destructive forms of thought such as worry, discontent, and lust.

Are We Alone In The Universe: UFO's, ET's & Emmanuel

Part 1

Part 2

Characteristics Of The New Age Movement

A Review Of Holy Blood, Holy Grail

Is There Life On Other Planets?

The Nephilim

A sermon providing various interpretations on this subject.

The New Age Movement & The Agenda Of Free Masonry

Last Day Deceptions In The Church

These broadcasts examine contemporary ecclesiastical fads such as The Purpose Driven Church and the Emergent church.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Rick Warren, The Da Vinci Code & Other False Teachings

Responding To The Da Vinci Code

UFO's & Apparitions

A series of programs by Dave Hunt of The Berean Call:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

A Biblical Viewpoint Of UFO Phenomena

"A Christian View Of UFO's" by Walter Martin

The Occultic Background Of Wholistic Medicine

The Dynasty Of Jesus

James Sunquist On The Purpose Driven Life

Especially interesting are comments that one thinker admired by Rick Warren advocates astral projection, the occultic practice where the spirit travels beyond body.

Funerals For Animals

Holy Doughnuts In Canada

The Gospel According To Oprah

Video Games From The Pit Of Hell

The Campolo's & Homosexuality

The New Spirituality

Dr. Kennedy examines the spiritual legacies of the 1960's with an old classmate of John Lennon.

A Missouri Synod Lutheran Review Of The Purpose Driven Life

Cracking The Da Vinci Code

What Is A Fanatic?

Issues Etc. Examines The Enlightenment

The European Union & The Rise Of The Anti-Christ

A Southwest Radio Bible Church Audio program regarding this topic.

P.I.D. Radio Takes On The Da Vinci Code

Apologetics.com Examines The Decline Of Western Civilization

Overall an interesting edition as the cast is humorously upbeat despite the gloomy nature of the topic.

However, they go a bit far in placing the blame on the decline of the West on those that have not had children (the Albert Mohler you are a sinner if you have not procreated doctrine). Yet I don't remember them bashing C.S. Lewis for not having any of his own. I guess there are to be two standards: one for the ruling elite and another for the breeding masses that need to produce soldiers for the fatherland since another complaint was fewer people were enlisting in the armed forces.

Maybe motivation to die for one’s country must be sparked by the perception that one’s interests are actually at stake or more importantly that the leaders of the nation actually want to win the war. Furthermore, I don’t remember any of the Bush children volunteering for duty.

To the hosts, one is selfish if one does not keep pumping out offspring beyond the average one or two kids. While there is nothing wrong with large families, isn't it just as selfish to keep having babies without considering whether one can afford to with the expectation of everyone else picking up the bill?

I don't think it is "selfishness" to desire a reasonably comfortable standard of living that isn’t even necessarily luxurious in nature. How many children is one going to be able to afford in the current real estate environment in many regions such as the Washington Metropolitan Area where cramped houses in less than desirable neighborhoods are beginning to push past $350,000?

I don't know what these radio personalities make in terms of salary, but with these mortgages alone coupled with a tax burden in some counties I know of around here topping nearly $3000 a year, how is one then going to afford private school (as many of these Christian leaders insist upon) if one is making a lower than average salary if one is not part of the benighted leadership class, especially if one is going to adhere to the additional stricture that children are better off with the mother at home instead of being neglected or mistreated by daycare personnel?

by Frederick Meekins

Jan Markell Takes On The Growth Movement & The Emergent Church

Harry Potter & The Lord Of The Rings

A message straight from Pennsylvania Dutch Country regarding these pop culture franchises.

Chronciles Of Narnia: Turkish Delight & The Power Of Sin

Chronicles Of Narnia: Always Winter But Never Christmas

The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Sons Of Adam & The Daughters Of Eve

Druckerite Infiltration Of The Church

Southwest Radio Bible Church examines Peter Drucker's influence on the Purpose Driven Hoopla.

Part 1

Part 2

C.S. Lewis On Education

Todd Wilken of Issues Etc discusses the educational thought of the esteemed author.

The Lord Of The RIngs: A Spiritual Journey

A Canadian religion news show examines the ideas underlying the Lord of the Rings.

R.C. Sproul Series On The Psychology Of Atheism

Part 1: A Vested Interest

Part 2: Creating God In Man's Image

Part 3:
Exchanging The Truth For A Lie

Part 4: Hiding From The God Who Sees

Part 5: The Enemies Of God

Christian Symbolism In "The Lord Of The Rings"

"But God Told Me..."

Kevin Swanson of Generations Radio takes a look at a cult that claims God told them to starve one of their children to death.

The Differences Between Narnia & Harry Potter

Kevin Swanson examines the differences between these two fantasy universes.

Christianity & Cartoons

A Lutheran pastor analyzes cartoons (primarily the Simpsons) and why a Christian can enjoy this form of programming,

"Cracking The Da Vinci Code"

Issues Etc examines The Da Vinci Code.

The Theology Of C.S. Lewis

Issues Etc. takes a look at what C.S. Lewis believed. This episode does an admirable job of examining what was both good and bad in the thought of this pivotal thinker.

Hank Hanegraaff Interviews Douglas Gresham, Stepson Of C.S. Lewis

Part 1

Part 2

A Counter Perspective To The Chronicles Of Narnia Hype

Here is a link to a sermon to provide a counter perspective to all the Narnia hype. The purpose of this apologetics site, is after all, to provide as much access to information as possible.

Focus On The Family Interviews Douglas Gresham, Stepson Of C.S. Lewis

"Entering The World Of Narnia Through Film"

Focus On The Family examines the pending film.

St. Nicholas & Good & Evil In The Chronicles Of Narnia

Issues Etc takes a look at the real St. Nicholas and C.S. Lewis' approach to Good and Evil in The Chonicles of Narnia.

Introduction To Narnia

Truths That Transform takes a look at the Chronicles of Narnia & C.S. Lewis.

"Surviving The Secular College"

Bob and Jerri Boyd interview an insightful coed about how at many colleges forbid the Bibles as an academic sourse by it is mandatory for students to purchase a Koran.

The Church Of Oprah

Albert Mohler takes a look at the spirituality of Oprah Winfrey and the impact of her beliefs on Ameria.

He does, in the beginning however, drones on about deliberate childlessness (one of his favorite whipping boys) and how the procreative status of one's marriage is the church's business.

"One Nation Under Which God?": Truths That Transform

Historian William Federer Examines how religious neutrality is not quite as neutral as the likes of the ACLU have led us to believe.

Part 1

Part 2

Christianity & The Modern University

An examination of competing epistemologies and a history of the divergence between the Christian and Secular approaches to knowledge and learning.

John Warwick Montgomery On The Christian Symbolism In The Chronicles Of Narnia

John Warwick Montgomery examines the Christian symbolism in The Chronicles Of Narnia. Though I have never met Dr. Montgomery, three of the classes I had through Trinity Theological Seminary were based on his lectures and books.

Part 1

Part 2

Issues Etc. Examines "Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire"

Todd Wilken examines "Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire". Though a bit pro-Potter, it is an interesting discussion and provides a perspective Christians should be aware of regardless of where they happen to be on the Potter issue.

What Happened To Atlantis

Southwest Radio Bible Church takes a Biblical look at what happened to the Lost Continent.

The Da Vinci Hoax

Kathleen Keating of Enigma Radio interviews Carl Olson, author of The Da Vinci Hoax, exposing the fallacies in the popular novel.

FEMA Concentration Camps

Daniel Ott of The Edge discusses with Al Cuppett how New Orleans was a dry run for the New World Order.

Revolutionary Church Trends

Chuck Crismier of Viewpoint examines a growing trend where an increasing number of Christians are realizing their spiritual needs as the Church universal are not necessarily being met in the Church Institutional since so many of these gathering places have compromised the truth in the name of market share to develop a product of which some conclude why bother.

These sincere individuals are seeking their fellowship and teaching needs through alternative ecclesiastical formats such as house and cyber churches.

Overall interesting, but does criticize individualism too much and talks up community to too great an extent.

Issues Etc. Takes A Look At The Chronicles Of Narnia

Todd Wilken and Gene Edward Veith take a look at the upcoming cinematic adaptation of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe. This interview is at the midpoint of the episode.

Proverbs 1

Christian Author Tackles Moral Tale Set On Ethically Turbulent Seas: A Review Of The Mind Siege Project By Tim LaHaye

In proclaiming truth, Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias has suggested that the principles and concepts postulated on the level of more formalized expressions of thought must often be exhibited in a more literary or artistic manner in order to permeate the broader popular culture. Tim LaHaye attempts to accomplish this by taking the ideas he first elaborated in Mind Siege: The Battle For Truth and translating them into the novel The Mind Siege Project.

In The Mind Siege Project, a group of high school social studies students set on a boat trip on the Chesapeake Bay for a lesson in diversity and moral relativism. The class ends up learning that these ideas have dire consequences not considered in the more sedate setting of academic discussion.

Readers will be both amused and irritated at the hypocritical nature of contemporary understandings of tolerance as exposed by LaHaye and coauthor Bob Demoss. The shortcomings of this widespread ideology are laid bare in the group sessions where the facilitator sponsoring the field trip in the name of diversity upholds the rights of the individual when it comes to abortion but flat-out tells a student whose missionary parents were murdered overseas that they more or less got what they deserved.

The incoherence of the relativistic lifestyle is further brought home when a student is critically injured when she decides she is her own determinant of right and wrong by violating specific rules of safety set down ironically by the very teacher postulating rules do not exist.

Unlike LaHaye's other literary undertakings such as Left Behind that deal with grand cosmic events pertaining to the end of the world over which the average person has little impact whatsoever one way or the other, The Mind Siege Project provides insight into the many mindsets and perspectives one is likely to encounter in an academic setting or the workplace. Furthermore, LaHaye and Demoss are to be commended for their sympathetic portrayal of the spiritual struggle the Christian faces in walking the line between desiring the acceptance of one's peers and the obligation to take a stand for the Lord without regard for the impact upon one's own popularity for doing so.

However, the authors do go overboard in this tale of adventure set on the high seas in insinuating it is somehow a Christian's obligation to donate bodily organs to people little more than strangers or at best mere acquaintances. Such is not really a moral claim one can propagate as an ethical imperative to impose upon the remainder of the Christian community unless one has, shall we say, already given of themselves in this manner. How many kidneys have you given away, Dr. LaHaye?

From The Mind Siege Project, readers will take away the lesson that not everyone is always as they appear to be and that it's not always the quiet people you have to be leery of.

Copyright 2005 by Frederick Meekins

Controversial Pastor Bashes C.S. Lewis

"Mystery Babylon"

Chuck Crismier of Viewpoint examines the various meanings of Babylon both as a geographical location and as a spiritual state of mind.

Vatican Sides With Darwinists Over Fundamentalists

If we are not to accept Genesis as written, then why should we accept Peter as the foundation upon which Christ built His church, the Scriptural justification invoked by Romanists to justify the papacy?

Cultic Infiltration Of The Church

Southwest Radio Bible Church interviews June Summers who details in the form of a novel how cultic doctrines infiltrated the church she attended. She describes how things got so out of hand that the church endorsed wife-swapping.