Apologetics

1. Apologetics “But in your hearts set apart 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” - 1 Peter 3:15 Session 1 – The Choices

2. Apologetics • 1- Choices – Other Religions • 2- Prophecy • 3- Archeology • 4- Science of the Bible – Creation v Evolution • 5- Science of the Bible – Flood/Other • 6- What Else?

3. Questions And Objections • How do you know the Bible is the Word of God? • Aren’t Bible Prophesies really vague so they can mean anything you want it to mean? • If you believe the Bible, how do you explain evolution? • Doesn’t every religion just get to the same place anyway? • Didn’t the Bible change over thousands of years so it doesn’t even say what the authors wrote? • There is no proof that the Israelites went from Egypt to the promised land • The Bible is just filled with myths and legends that teach lessons like Adam and Eve and Joshua and the Battle of Jericho

4. Apologetics • “Defense”, Acts 17 – Paul Reasoned • Not for arguing, defending • Not blind faith • Strengthen your faith – “treasure things in your heart” Luke 2:19

5. Today’s Questions Doesn’t every religion just get to the same place anyway? (One mountain many paths?) What makes Christianity different?

6. Is there truth? I don’t believe in gravity We are all making a decision with our souls

7. If there is no truth: I am a presumptive, arrogant jerk • If there is truth: anyone who tells you a lie is a jerk

9. What does Jesus Say? "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” -John 8:44 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, NO ONE comes to the Father, but through Me.” - John 14:6 “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.“ -Matthew 7:13-16

10. Garden of Gethsemane Jesus chose to die for us: (John 18:6-ground, Matt 26:53-legions) “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” -John 10:18 He is the only Way: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as Thou will” -Matthew 26:39

11. Koran on Christianity [4.171] O followers of the Book! do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (lies) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa (Jesus) son of Marium (Mary) is only an apostle of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector. [2.111] And they say: None shall enter the garden (or paradise) except he who is a Jew or a Christian. These are their vain desires. Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful.

12. Koran on Christianity The Disbelievers: • [109] In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Say: O unbelievers!I do not serve that which you serve,Nor do you serve Him Whom I serve:Nor am I going to serve that which you serve,Nor are you going to serve Him Whom I serve:You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion. • [5.51] O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people. • [3.98] Say: Ofollowers of the Book! why do you disbelieve in the communications of Allah? And Allah is a witness of what you do.

13. [8.12] "When your Lord revealed to the angels: I am with you, therefore make firm those who believe. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.”

14. Koran says [4.34] Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great. Bible says Ephesians 5:24-25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her

15. Bonus “And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many locations and abundance. And whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger and then death overtakes him, his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah. And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful” (Quran 4:100).

16. The Occult-Deception Mat 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Rev 13:13 “He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.” Ex 7:10 “So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called for {the} wise men and {the} sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.”

17. The first two lies ”You will not die. For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3:4-5

18. Satanism The Church of Satan puts the individual at the center of the universe, what high priest Peter Gilmore describes as going from an "a-theist" to an "I-theist." Surprisingly, most card-carrying satanists do not worship Satan or any other form of the devil -- they are actually atheists. The Church of Satan, founded in the mid-1960s, explains it this way on its website: "Satan to us is a symbol of pride, liberty and individualism, and it serves as an external metaphorical projection of our highest personal potential. We do not believe in Satan as a being or person.”

19. Evolution/Enlightenment

20. Buddhism Buddhism was founded in Northern India by Siddhartha Gautama in the sixth century BCE. However, Buddhists believe that there were countless Buddhas -- humans who have achieved enlightenment -- before him and that there will be many more after him. When Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment, he assumed the title Lord Buddha (one who has awakened) Buddhism shares with Hinduism belief in karma, dharma, and reincarnation: • Karma is the sum total of an individual's actions of body, speech and mind -- good, bad and neutral -- taken in their current and previous lives. • Dharma, in Buddhism, refers to two items: • The teachings of the Buddha; a person's path to enlightenment, and • The fundamental principles that order the universe • Reincarnation is the rebirth of a living being after death into a new body that is either a human, animal or a supernatural being. In contrast to Christianity, classical Buddhism does not involve the recognition or worship of deities. It also does not teach the existence of the human soul.

21. Buddhism • Attainment of enlightenment: • Aim : To attain final liberation called Nibbana. • Instruments : Mind and Body (Nama-rupa). • Procedure : Follow the Noble eight-fold path i.e. • Right View- To understand wholesome deeds, unwholesome deeds and comprehend the law of Karma. • Right Intention- The intention of non-greed, non-hatred and non-delusion. • Right Speech- Abstaining from false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech and idle chatter. • Right Action- Abstaining from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. • Right Livelihood- Abstaining from wrong and corrupt means of livelihood. • Right Effort- Awakening zeal for abandoning of unwholesome states and arising & sustaining of wholesome states. • Right Mindfulness- The four foundations of mindfulness (satipattana) namely contemplation on body, contemplation on feelings, contemplation on mind and contemplation on mind-objects. • Right Concentration- Abandoning of five hindrances namely lust, ill-will sloth-torpor, worry-agitation and doubt through jhanas.

22. Hinduism • Hindus believe in the repetitious Transmigration of the Soul. This is the transfer of one's soul after death into another body. This produces a continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth through their many lifetimes. It is called samsara. Karma is the accumulated sum of ones good and bad deeds. Karma determines how you will live your next life. Through pure acts, thoughts and devotion, one can be reborn at a higher level. Eventually, one can escape samsara and achieve enlightenment. Bad deeds can cause a person to be reborn as a lower level, or even as an animal. The unequal distribution of wealth, prestige, suffering are thus seen as natural consequences for one's previous acts, both in this life and in previous lives. • Hindus organize their lives around certain activities or "purusharthas." These are called the "four aims of Hinduism," or "the doctrine of the fourfold end of life." They are: • The three goals of the "pravritti," those who are in the world, are: • dharma: righteousness in their religious life. This is the most important of the three. • artha: success in their economic life; material prosperity. • kama: gratification of the senses; pleasure; sensual, sexual, and mental enjoyment. • The main goal for the "nivritti," those who renounce the world. is: • moksa: Liberation from "samsara." This is considered the supreme goal of mankind. • Some view Hinduism as Trinitarian because Brahman is simultaneously visualized as a triad -- one God with three persons: • Brahma the Creator who is continuing to create new realities • Vishnu, (Krishna) the Preserver, who preserves these new creations. Whenever dharma (eternal order, righteousness, religion, law and duty) is threatened, Vishnu travels from heaven to earth in one of ten incarnations. • Shiva, the Destroyer, is at times compassionate, erotic and destructive.

23. Athiests Agnostics The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. - Psalm 14:1 Believe there is could be a God, but we can’t know him. When asked whether a deity or deities exist, don't have a yes or no answer. Idol Worshippers Virtually extinct, but prevalent in earlier days

24. Matthew 13:31-32 Christendom

25. Why Prophecy? Let them (other gods) bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming; Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; -Isaiah 41:22-23 NASB Now I tell you before it comes, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am [He]. -John 13:19 NASB

26. Mortal Sorrow The Blessed God Shall Come Down Preaching Despairing Rest One of the first Prophecies NAME MEANING Adam Man is Seth Appointed Enosh Kenan but Mahalalel Jared Enoch Methusaleh His Death Shall Bring the Lamech Noah

27. Questions/Appendix There is a box up front

29. http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/catholic_protestant.htmhttp://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/catholic_protestant.htm

30. Jehovah’s Witnesses - overview Jehovah's Witnesses are members of a Christian-based religious movement. The denomination was founded in the USA towards the end of the 19th century, under the leadership of Charles Taze Russell. The headquarters of the movement is in New York. There are about 6.9 million active Witnesses in 235 countries in the world (2007), including 1 million in the USA. Although Christian-based, the group believes that the traditional Christian Churches have deviated from the true teachings of the Bible, and do not work in full harmony with God. The traditional Christian Churches, for their part, do not regard the movement as a mainstream Christian denomination because it rejects the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which it regards as both irrational and unbiblical. Jehovah's Witnesses base their beliefs only on the text of the Bible and ignore "mere human speculations or religious creeds." They believe that the Bible is the Word of God and consider its 66 books to be divinely inspired and historically accurate. Members reject the sinful values of the secular world and maintain a degree of separation from non-believers - they are "in the world" but not "of the world". Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas or Easter because they believe that these festivals are based on (or massively contaminated by) pagan customs and religions. They point out that Jesus did not ask his followers to mark his birthday. The church is strongly millennial and believes that humanity is now in the 'last days' and that the final battle between good and evil will happen soon.

31. Mormonism - overview • The official name of the Mormon Church today is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. • Founded by Joseph Smith when he was visited by the angel Moroni. The Angel gave him a book and helped him translate the Book of Mormon which is primarily about Jewish travelers who settled in North America but eventually died out. • Joseph Smith moved to Utah to escape persecution and founded the Church of the Latter Day Saints • Mormon’s believe the true church stopped when John died and Joseph Smith was able to reestablish the Apostolic church. Joseph Smith proclaimed that God had designated the LDS Church as "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth" (Doc. & Cov. Sec. 1:30). A Prophet/President and his two counselors govern the church. Under them are twelve apostles and a group of men called the Seventies. These are the highest offices in their church. • Mormons believe that godhood is the fully-mature state of development for mankind. All Christians believe that Christ will bestow "all that He has" upon those who are exalted in heaven. Someone who inherits all that Christ has, also inherits His divine attributes. • They have four books of scriptures: the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price. Most from http://www.mormonwiki.com

32. Mormonism - overview • Prefacing his record of this vision the Prophet wrote: “Upon my return from Amherst conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures. From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important points touching the salvation of man had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled. It appeared self-evident from what truths were left, that if God rewarded every one according to the deeds done in the body, the term ‘Heaven,’ as intended for the Saints’ eternal home, must include more kingdoms than one. Accordingly, while translating St. John’s Gospel [chapter 5], myself and Elder Rigdon saw the following vision.”

33. Joseph Smith's Sermon on Plurality of Gods(as printed in History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 473-479) If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that He had a Father also. Where was there ever a son without a father? And where was there ever a father without first being a son? Whenever did a tree or anything spring into existence without a progenitor? And everything comes in this way. Paul says that which is earthly is in the likeness of that which is heavenly, Hence if Jesus had a Father, can we not believe that He had a Father also? I despise the idea of being scared to death at such a doctrine, for the Bible is full of it. Joseph Smith declared: "God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp.345-346). Another one of their leaders coined the phrase: "As man is, God once was; as God is, man may become" (The Gospel Through the Ages, Hunter, p.105-106). Brigham Young preached: "It appears ridiculous to the world, under their darkened and erroneous traditions, that God has once been a finite being" (Deseret News, Nov. 16, 1859, p. 290). Bible says Isaiah 43:10   Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

35. Mormon on Pre-Mortal Life As the plan was presented, Heavenly Father also told His children that they would be tempted, that life would be dangerous and painful, and that some may not make it to exaltation. Lucifer, one of the spirit children of God, said that he would become the redeemer. He promised to save all of God's children by force, and he demanded God's honor and glory for doing so. Lucifer's plan would have destroyed the agency of man and thwarted the entire plan of salvation: Bible says Ezekiel 28:15 – Satan was created “Thou [wast] perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” John 1:1-3 – All things were created through Jesus “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. “

36. Jehovah’s Witnesses • Jesus • Jehovah has a son called Jesus Christ Jesus is not God • Jesus is not equal to God • Jesus was God's first creation • Jehovah then created everything else through Jesus Christ • When Jesus was on earth he was a perfect human being, but he was not divine in any way • Witnesses believe that Jesus had a spirit resurrection, not a bodily one Trinity God the Father (whose name is Jehovah) is "the only true God". Jesus Christ is his firstborn son, is inferior to God, and was created by God. The Holy Spirit is not a person; it is God's active force. Witnesses believe that Hell (as traditionally portrayed) does not exist. They believe that when 'the End' finally comes only 144,000 human beings will go to Heaven and rule the Earth from there with Christ - these are known as the anointed. Bible says Isaiah 43:11   I, [even] I, [am] the LORD; and beside me [there is] no saviour. Jesus accepts worship: Matt 8:2, Matt 9:18, Matt 14:33, Matt 15:25, Matt 28:9, Matt 28:17, John 20:28 John 1:3 –“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”