1. What Christianity explains that Naturalism cannot Naturalism (materialism) and Christianity (theism) are considered the two possible positions or worldviews.

2. Naturalism: Naturalism is a theory denying that any event can have a supernatural cause. It’s a belief that scientific laws are adequate to account for all phenomena and that nature, chemistry, or matter is all there is. Naturalism excludes the idea of God.

3. Nine questions to be considered:

4. 1.0 Why is there something instead of nothing? Why is there anything at all? This is said to be life’s most basic philosophical question. Wouldn’t it be more logical for there to be nothing instead of something? The best a naturalist can come up with is that matter has always existed; that it is eternal and they can’t say why. This is a major assumption. With the wide acceptance of the Big Bang theory, it is now presumed that the universe came from a small concentrated amount of matter but there is no explanation where that came from or why. Christianity says that God is the unseen presence, power and intelligence behind the material universe; that he is the author of all matter and that this is the most logical explanation for this question. It says that it was God’s will, design and work by which everything exists except evil and sin.

5. 2.0 - How can nothing produce something? How could the universe just create itself- all this matter and the basic building blocks of everything in the universe? The Naturalist has no explanation. The Bible says God created original matter out of nothing and everything else came out of this by his design or the natural processes he devised.

6. Why are we moral beings? Why do we think in moral categories of right and wrong? Why do we have a sense of morality? Why do we have something we call a conscience in our psyche that tells us what we should and shouldn’t do? Wouldn’t it be more logical for us be amoral creatures? Shouldn’t we just think that “whatever is” is “right.” We even come up with values and ideals which only a perfect man or society can meet. We come up with behaviors for ourselves that we cannot even meet. Why is this the case?

7. 3.0 Why are we moral beings? Continued Why do we believe strongly that certain things are just wrong and others are right? Why do we have a sense of right or wrong about murder, rape, corruption, theft, bribery, adultery, lying, selfishness, goodness, kindness, and the like? If naturalism is true why shouldn’t we just accept everything as the way things are? Wouldn’t evolution just be working out its purposes and therefore everything is as it should be? Christianity’s answer is that God made us in his image and likeness which includes having a moral nature like his… though ours has been affected by sin and our consciences, thinking and behavior are imperfect.

8. 4.0 What is the basis for right and wrong? Naturalism has no basis for saying something is right and or something is wrong. Sometimes it appeals to evolution as though evolution has some moral guiding force, but evolution operates by blind chance. Look what Hitler did with “survival of the fittest” from an evolutionary position. Is this acceptable? Christianity says God Himself is the standard and that he gives the moral law- that is, the standard for what is right and wrong. Bottom line there can only be right and wrong if God has defined it. We are otherwise left with varying opinions of men, cultures and societies.

9. 5.0 How can the universe exist in its size, complexity, design and beauty? The “observable” universe is 92 billion light years in diameter and is infinitely complex. The earth’s diameter is a mere 5,400 miles. How could all this size and complexity just happen by chance and come out of nothing even if there were a big bang? Only an infinitely powerful being could be behind something so staggering. Look at the complexity of a single cell organism.

10. 5.0 How can the universe exist in its size, complexity, design and beauty? Continued Observe the infinite design and beauty of this universe, the earth and human beings. Humans alone have 75 trillion differentiated cells. There is muscular-skeleton system, the circulatory system with the heart, a nervous system with a brain, the digestive system with mouth, stomach, and intestines; just to mention a few. All these come from one cell. Do not these point to God? Does no logic argue that there is a God behind reality as we know it?

11. 6.0 Where did human personality and consciousness come from? How does impersonal, inanimate matter produce personality ? Man has personality, consciousness, capacity of thought and reason, emotions, a will (choice), creativity, a social nature with an enjoyment of relationships, the capacity to work, a belief in love, an appreciation of beauty, a sense of morality, and a search for truth, identity, and meaning. What is the origin of these manlike qualities? How did all this just come from pure inanimate matter? Christianity says God made us miniatures of himself with all these characteristics. He made us in his image and likeness.

12. 7.0 What’s wrong with the world and the human race? The Bible says it is from human sin and corruption. We deified ourselves, rejected God as the God of our lives and thereby ruined ourselves and the world around us.

13. 8.0 Who God is and what he is like? What answers can naturalism give us about God? God explained himself to us in the Bible, or “special” revelation, and in Jesus Christ. He has told us who he is and what he is like. We also see certain evidence of God in the universe, the world and in human beings. He has not left us in the dark.

14. 9.0 What is the meaning of life? What can naturalism tell us about this? The naturalist says we come from nothing by chance occurrences of evolution, will die, and go back into nothingness? Is this all there really is? Christianity says we are here by God’s will and design, and our purpose is to glorify Him, enjoy him forever, and do his will while trusting him during our lives. It says we can have a personal, meaningful relationship with God himself through Jesus Christ.

15. The Questions in Summary 1.0Why is there something instead of nothing? 2.0 How can nothing produce something? 3.0Why are we moral beings? 4.0What is the basis for right and wrong? 5.0How can the universe exist in its size, complexity, design and beauty? 6.0Where did human personality come from? How does impersonal matter produce personality ? 7.0What’s wrong with the world and the human race? 8.0Who God is and what he is like? 9.0What is the meaning of life?

16. With Christianity you are on a firm intellectual foundation. With Naturalism you are not. Christianity gives answers to all the basic questions. Naturalistic modern man has concluded there are no answers and says the best we can do is courageously face a meaningless existence.

17. I would also add that the only reason to believe Christianity is that it’s true and best squares with observable reality. Christianity explains reality and the facts as we know them. It is the most solid worldview of all. A worldview must deal with issues of origin, existence, design, man, sin, purpose, morality, truth, etc. Christianity does this. Christianity is not myth, legend, tradition, or superstition.

18. The only reason to believe in God is He exists. It is reasonable for him to exist. The existence of God is based on logic. The existence of man, the existence of the universe and the world, the revelation in the Bible, the person of Jesus, and human experience all point to the existence of God. We are not talking about myth and superstition. It’s a question of what is true.

19. What Can I Do? Investigate the claims of Christianity for their truthfulness and carefully think through the questions. Drop your conceit as a mere man and humble yourself even though you are a scientist. Come to God through Jesus Christ which he calls all men to do. Put your faith in this personal God and begin a relationship with him. Jesus said, “ Believe in God, believe also in me.” Commit your life to God.

20. Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind. Einstein.