Christianity Versus

1. Christianity Versus “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” Colossians 2:8

2. Christianity VS • The Postmodern World

3. What Is “Postmodernism”? • Also Called Deconstructionism • Current trend in philosophy (French philosopher, Jacques Derrida) • “Stresses the relativity of all meaning and truth, and denies first principles – that is, the commonly accepted truths (e.g., I exist) that form the starting point for all philosophical enquiry.”(Josh McDowell, NETDAV, pg. xlii) • Dominates cultural thinking today

4. Consequences of this Philosophy • Nothing can truly be known. To claim a knowledge of truth is silly. • “Reality is defined or constructed by culture or language, not discovered by reason and observation” (Dennis McCallum) • Subjectivism rules. We should not try to be “right”, but should tolerate each other despite having different world views. • Fundamentalism (Such as the Christian faith) is to be rejected. It only is intolerable.

5. The “Sin” of Intolerance “Not too long ago, intolerance meant rejecting or even persecuting practitioners of other religions. Not any more. Now, intolerance means questioning the validity of any aspect of another’s religion. To the majority of Americans below fifty today,questioning the truthfulness of another’s religious views is intolerant and morally offensive. This prohibition against differing with other’s viewpoints is postmodern. Postmodernism and You: Religion By Jim Leffel & Dennis McCallum http://www.thewychfamily.com/beliefs/postmodern-religion.html

6. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus left no doubt that he is mankind’s only hope, and that He is truth.

7. Acts 4:10-12 Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the “stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.” 12Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

8. 2 John 9-11 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. Not even all who claim to be followers of Jesus have it “right.” Truth is found in scripture. It can and must be known.

9. Christianity VS The Postmodern World • The Eastern/Mystical World

10. Zen Buddhism: An Example “Zen does not follow the routine of reasoning, and does not mind contradicting itself or being inconsistent … ... Zen is decidedly not a system founded upon logic and analysis. If anything it is the antipode to logic, by which I mean the dualistic mode of thinking.” D.T. Suzuki (Living By Zen, pg. 94; Intro to Zen Buddhism, pg. 38)

11. Consequences of this Philosophy • Yin/Yang not good/evil, but everything made up of “opposites”, neither good nor bad intrinsically. Yin and Yang must always balance for harmony. • “Life and death are one, right and wrong are the same” (Chuang Tzu, as quoted in World Religions, pg. 333) • Denies “either/or” statements. For example, statement: “Either Jesus is, or he is not the Son of God.” Concept of “either saved or lost” foreign.

12. John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. N.T. Reveals the devil to be evil, no good in him.

13. 1 John 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. The devil and the son of God are portrayed as opposites, enemies. Light and darkness.

14. 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? Where Eastern philosophy strives for balance, Christ instructs us to remove evil from ourselves.

15. 1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. “…who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light…” (1 Timothy 6:16).

16. Christianity VS The Postmodern World The Eastern/Mystical World • The Atheistic World

17. What Is “Atheism”? • “a” (meaning no), “theos” (meaning God) • To be consistent, an atheist, to know there is no God, would himself have to be a god (omniscient). Otherwise, the existence of God may be outside of his knowledge • No valid basis for atheism

18. Psalm 53:1-3 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good. 2 God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.

19. Romans 1:20-23 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

20. Christianity VS The Postmodern World The Eastern/Mystical World The Atheistic World • The Agnostic World

21. What Is “Agnosticism”? • “a” (meaning no), “gnosis” (meaning knowledge) • Philosophical agnosticism (knowledge of reality not possible) • Self defeating, claim to “know” that you can’t know. (Absurd) • Practical agnosticism (just don’t know) • Evidence is available, just unexamined!

22. Acts 26:25-29 But he said, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. 26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” 28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” 29 And Paul said, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”

23. 1 Corinthians 15:6-8 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. Resurrection, a chief proof of God and Jesus as Christ, well-attested by numerous eye-witnesses

24. Christianity VS The Postmodern World The Eastern/Mystical World The Atheistic World The Agnostic World • The Scientific World

25. Science Validates Our Faith “Oddly enough, of all the worlds in collision [with Christianity] today it is the scientific world that is increasingly giving the greatest and most shocking evidence in favor of God’s existence.” Josh McDowell (NETDAV, pg. l)

26. DNA Structure “There is an identity of structure between DNA (and protein) and written linguistic messages. Since we know by experience that intelligence produces written messages, and no other cause is known, the implication, according to the abductive method, is that intelligent cause produced DNA and protein…

27. DNA Structure “… The significance of this result lied in the security of it, for it is much stronger than if the structures were merely similar. We are not dealing with anything like a superficial resemblance between DNA and a written text. We are not saying DNA is like a message. Rather, DNA is a message. True design thus returns to biology.” Hupert Yockey Journal of Theoretical Biology quoted by Charles Thaxton in “A New Design Argument”,1998

28. The Cosmos “This means that the initial state of the universe must have been very carefully chosen indeed if the hot big bang model was correct right back to the beginning of time. It would be very difficult to explain whey the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us.” Stephen Hawking A Brief History of Time, page 127

29. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Though many are unwilling to accept the ramifications, science is progressing sufficiently to show powerful evidence of design… of a designer… which means we have an obligation to the one to whom we owe our existence.

30. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. 14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

31. Conclusion First, we should recognize that theChristian faith is under attack from many directions in our time. Second, we can be confident that the way of Christ is indeed the true way to God, redemption and eternal life!