Peter (host):
Is there any good reason to believe God exists? Is the Bible just a book of fairy tales with moral themes? George Carlin, a stand-up comedian, shares his opinion.
George Carlin:
And for those of you who look to the Bible for moral lessons and literary qualities, I might suggest a couple of other stories for you. You might want to look at the three little pigs. That's a good one. That's a nice happy ending. I'm sure you're like that. Then there's Little Red Riding Hood, although it does have that X-rated part where the big bad wolf actually eats the grandmother, which I didn't care for, by the way. And finally, I've often always drawn a great deal of moral comfort from Humpty Dumpty. The potter like the best All the king's horses and all the king's men Couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again. That's because there is no Humpty Dumpty, and there is no God. None. Not one. No God never was. In fact, I'm going to, I'm going to put it this way. If there is a God, may you strike this audience dead?
Nothing happened. Nothing happened. Everybody's okay.
Peter (host):
Michael Shermer thinks there are no good reasons to believe that Christianity is true. In contrast to Shermer, Neil DeGrasse Tyson says that Christianity is true but only in a subjective, personal sense.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson:
Then you have personal truths.
Peter (host):
The problem with his claim is that the Bible does not present itself as a record of personal truths. Jesus and his disciples were willing to die rather than give up the truths they were proclaiming. And it’s not just Christianity that makes objective claims. The other world religions also make those types of claims which can be seen in how their founders and leaders behave.
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They started treating the Prophet and his followers very cruelly.
Peter (host):
Adherents of other religions, such as Hindus and Bahais, say that all religions are valid. But notice that they’re still making objective claims. They’re not telling you what’s just true for them, they’re making claims about all of reality.
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That’s reality.
For everyone.
Peter (host):
Of course, the fact that people care passionately about their religious beliefs does not necessarily mean those beliefs are true. People can be very sincere about what they believe, and very sincerely wrong as well.
Video clips:
Wrong, they’re all wrong!
I’m an atheist.
We atheists think that everybody's wrong.
Peter (host):
Yes, atheists are also part of this. Atheists like George Carlin make objective claims about the nature of ultimate reality, and those claims could be true, or they could be false. Apologetics is all about examining these claims.
George Carlin:
That's because there is no Humpty Dumpty, and there is no God. None. Not one. No God never was.
Peter (host):
The English word apologetics comes from a Greek word, namely apologia. This Greek word can be found in Bible verses such as 1 Peter 3:15. Here’s that verse as found in the New International Version.
Female Narrator:
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Peter (host):
Notice that in this verse it says to be ready with an answer. It’s this word answer that is a translation of the Greek word apologia. Other versions of the Bible translate it as a defense. So the Bible commands Christians to be ready to give an answer or make a defense of their hope in Jesus. Sadly, a lot of Christians are not ready to do this well. Too often Christians have no idea why they believe. And when they’re faced with a situation in which they’re being challenged, and they don’t know what to say, they can easily get frustrated and upset.
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That needs to change.
Yeah, definitely.
Peter (host):
Agreed. Notice that the last part of the verse says to always act with gentleness and respect. That’s important.
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It’s very important
Mmm. So important.
Peter (host):
Apologetics is about making a case for faith in Jesus and doing it with love and respect. If we’re going to engage with people over the most important issues in life, we need to make sure we don’t get angry in the process. Mockery, disdain, and condescension are also unhelpful.
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Don’t give me that attitude.
Hey, don’t give me that crap.
Don’t give me that look.
Peter (host):
So apologetics should not be used for the wrong reasons. It should not be used to win an argument just for the sake of winning an argument. It should not be used to win a debate so that you can make the other person feel humiliated. And it should not be something you learn so that you can just show off how smart you are.
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I’m so smart.
Wow, I’m so smart!
I’m so smart, it hurts!
Peter (host):
What is helpful is if we politely take the time to understand what other people believe, care about what they have to say, care about the people we are talking to, and then engage with their ideas in an intelligent and respectful manner.
Video clip:
That sounds great.
Peter (host):
There’s something else we should note before we go any further. When some scholars and academics use the word apologetics, they don’t mean the same thing as what I’m talking about here. There’s a negative connotation they attach to the word. For many scholars, apologetics is not about looking at the evidence in a fair, objective, and balanced manner. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. For them, the word actually refers to sloppy, bad arguments.
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Uh, oh.
That’s not good.
Peter (host):
If a university professor or a scholar accuses you of doing apologetics, they might just be accusing you of arriving at a conclusion before you’ve looked at any of the facts, evidence or arguments. And now you’re just trying to make the facts, and your arguments, fit your predetermined conclusion. In other words, they’re accusing you of being biased and not really following the evidence wherever it leads.
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And that’s bad, right?
Yeah, it is.
You don’t want to be doing that, mate.
Peter (host):
Exactly. We don’t want to do that. We should always strive to have a balanced and objective approach. For example, we need to be willing to acknowledge that a particular argument or idea we have might be wrong. If we’re going to expect other people to do that, we need to be willing to do the same thing.
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Fair is fair.
Peter (host):
Right. So when I talk about apologetics, I’m obviously not using it in the way that many academics use it. I’m NOT talking about biased, sloppy arguments. I’m just referring to a careful and thoughtful examination of the evidence.
Video clips:
That makes sense.
Yeah, totally that makes sense.
Peter (host):
The word apologetics is often used by Christians when they make a case for Christianity. But keep in mind that Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and even atheists can have their own apologetics in which they make a case for their religion or worldview. They may or may not use the same word but regardless of what they call it, they’re still doing the same thing.
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I’m not part of this.
I’m, I’m undecided.
I’m completely neutral.
Yeah, so, we don’t do that apologetics stuff.
Peter (host):
Well, even those who claim to be undecided or agnostic or neutral could still present reasons to defend their views. And that’s really just what apologetics is.
Video clip:
You’re not letting us get out of this, are you?
Peter (host):
Nope.
Video clips:
Dang!
Shoot.
Peter (host):
There are a lot of different issues which apologetics covers. Some of these issues are scientific in nature such as the evolution-creation controversy.
Peter Doherty:
The basic issue with creationism is religious people trying to say well we have real science in this. Well, that's not science, it's belief.
Peter (host):
Or the origin of the universe.
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Where did the universe come from?
Peter (host):
Other issues are historical in nature such as whether Christianity was responsible for colonialism; or how archeology relates to the Bible.
Video clip:
And Bible archeology is the study of ancient civilizations…
Peter (host):
The various world religions can pose significant challenges.
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There is not a single unambiguous statement in the complete Bible where Jesus Christ's peace is upon him. Himself says that I am God always to worship me.
Peter (host):
Issues of sexuality and gender identity are also significant. What does the Bible say about homosexuality or transgenderism? Are Christians homophobic and transphobic?
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There’s a lot of like racist Christians, a lot of homophobic Christians, and transphobic Christians.
Peter (host):
These issues are just a few of the many issues that apologetics covers. And really, any issue that someone might raise as an objection or a challenge to the Christian faith can be addressed by apologists using apologetics.
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A lot of complicated issues.
A lot of issues
You got your work cut out for you.
That’s for sure.
Peter (host):
If you’re new to apologetics and it interests you, then welcome aboard! You’re about to embark on an exciting journey.
Female Narrator:
The word apologetics comes from the Greek word apologia which can be found in biblical passages such as 1 Peter 3:15. It’s that verse which tells Christians they should always be prepared to give an answer but to do so with gentleness and respect.
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Gentleness
And respect.
Peter (host):
Even though some scholars in academia would define apologetics as consisting of biased, sloppy arguments, that’s not the way apologists would define the word. When it’s done properly, apologetics involves careful evaluation and consideration of the arguments, both for and against.
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Think very carefully.
Peter (host):
There are a wide range of issues that apologetics covers. Everything from science to history to issues of sexuality and gender. And in our next episode, we’ll consider whether Christian scholars can actually prove that Christianity is true.
Female Narrator:
You're listening to LIT by Worldview Summit with Peter Kupisz.