Friederich Nietzsche “God is Dead”

God is: Sexist/Patriarchal Monotheistic Vengeful: Eye for eye Sadistic: Man suffers

Richard Dawkins, The God DelusionRichard DawkinsThe God Delusion “The God of the O. T. is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control- freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.”

Teenagers & Faith: Barna Group Study 6/10 Teens engage in weekly spiritual group activity. But they seem much less inclined to have their spiritual conversations about their faith with unbelievers. It is UNPOPULAR in our Culture to make bold assertions about Faith or to be aggressively evangelistic.

Biblical Illiteracy Inarticulate teens about faith, practice & its place in our lives Moralistic Therapeutic Deism: God created & watches the world God wants us to be nice people like most religions teach Central Goal in Life is to be Happy & to feel Good. God doesn’t need to be involved except when Problems occur Good people go to heaven when they die Smith & Denton, Soul-Searching: Religious & Spiritual Lives of Teeens

Almost Christian: What the faith of our teenagers is telling the American Church, Kenda Creasy Dean “If teens lack an articulate faith, it may be because the faith we show them is too spineless to merit much in the way of conversation.”

70% of teens involved in church youth group STOP attending church within TWO years of high school graduation. T.C. Pinkney 88% of children in evangelical homes leave church at the age of 18. Primarily- intellectual doubt & skepticism.

Apologetics Greek word “apologia” Speech of defense or Answer given in reply. In Athens defendant must refute the charges: Accused attempts to speak away the accusation. Word appears 17 times in NT and every time can be translated “defense” or “vindication.”

3 Goals of Apologetics Defend Christianity Vindicate Christian Worldview Refute Opposing Systems

Proof, Defense, & Offense Rational basis for Faith Answering Unbelief’s Objections Attacking Foolish Unbelieving Thots

Carl Sagan “The Cosmos is all that is or ever will be.”

The Nature of Truth No absolutes: Truth is relative Nothing exists outside of the Material World.

“I do not believe as you do, I am an agnostic.” “Oh, that is a Greek word, is it not?” “The Latin word is ‘ignoramus’.” He did not like it at all. I only translated his language from Greek to Latin.

Psalm 14:1 The Fool hath said in his heart there is No God.

Anselm’s Proof: Ontological Anselm defined God as "...that than which nothing greater can be conceived," and then argued that this being must exist in the mind; even in the mind of the fool who denies the existence of God.

Translation Only a FOOL says God DOES NOT exist. It’s a self- contradictory phrase. If you understand the phrase “ it is possible that the being consists only in your mind,” & then it is NOT the most perfect being. Why? Because a being that exists in your mind & extramentally-- would be even more perfect. Therefore if we can conceive of a more perfect being, such a being necessarily must exist.

Proof One Every Effect has a Cause

Proof Two Every Creation has a Creator

Proof Three Every Design has a Designer: Intelligence

Proof Four Communication requires a Communicator

Proof Five Every Law has a Lawgiver

C. S. Lewis: The Abolition of Man Cultures present common threads that bind every civilization. Aversion to theft, looting, rape & pillaging. Venerates heroism, altruism, & self-denial.

Four ways God reveals himself to us. Creation: The Universe itself isn’t just proof of His existence: It is a snapshot of who He is. Conscience: The basic moral code that’s innate shows us God’s standards, which reveals His character. Scripture Savior: Christ came as God in the flesh to show us who God is.

Review Atheism/Agnosticism Definition of Apologetics Moral relativism/Absolutes Anselm’s Proof 5 Proofs Moral Law Personal God 5 ways God reveals Himself to humans