21201085
WENDY KARANI
APOLOGETICS MIDTERM OPEN SOURCE PAPER.
1. What is Christian Apologetics and why should we do it
Apologetics is defined as "reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine." It is to be specific with this class, a branch of Christianity that deals with the aspect of defending the Christian faith against those who care to attack us. Apologetics comes from the Greek word “apologia” or in Greek: ἀπολογία which when translated mean a “defense especially of one's opinions, position, or actions”. Apologetics is therefore in reference to Christianity is a field in which apologists provide rational arguments with adequate information in order to defend their faith against objects provided by members of the secular society.
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one must stand firmly in christ and in understanding him, lest fall for anything. The bible says that christians must ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.’ (1 Peter 3:15) Furthermore understanding and being able to explain christian thought allows christians to evangelize to non believers. Matthew 16:15 says "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" Finally, better understanding one's beliefs strengthens faith and relationship with God.
2.Discuss the relationship between Faith and Reason.
Faith can be defined as a strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. Hebrews says “Now faith is the conviction concerning those things that are in hope, as if it were these things in action, and the revelation of those things that are unseen”
Reason can be defined as a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event. the power of the mind to think, understand, and form judgments by a process of
Are faith and reason compatible? This is the main question that Jeff Jordan attempts to answer in his writing, "Not in Kansas Anymore". Jeff believes that faith or religion is compatible with reason or philosophy, but he argues both sides. Some people believe that they are not compatible because philosophy tends to weaken the dogmatic mindset, attacks conventional wisdom, and takes down widespread beliefs. Jordan takes all of these arguments analyzes them and shows us why he believes they are compatible.
I am amazed that Christians still use the worn-out " Irreducible complexity " argument which has been proven to be untenable and false every time they are brought up. This article is no different than the " flagellum Motor, " an organism seemed to be so complex it could not function if it were changed in anyway or if its " fine tuning " was off. Then came real science which had proven that you could remove part of the motor and it still functioned in one way or another and POOF!!!! another Christian apologetic false claim gone. It should be noted that this article is from the " Institute For Creation Research " which as the name implies is a Christian apologetic agenda driven organization which means nothing they say is credible or at
(110) Hypothetical question here—would it be foolish to think that the author of a textbook that purports to take a rigorous historical approach to introducing New Testament writings and early Christian writings would know better than to introduce an idea, a theory that has never been proven and pass it off as history? It appears the line that separates historical fact from fiction is easily
In chapter 3 of Speaking of Jesus, Carl Medearis talks about what it means to own Christianity. He says "If we don't truly know what the gospel is, we have to find an explanation for Christianity." Meaning that if we do not know what the gospel is or what it is teaching us, then we try to define it by our own standards, and that is where it gets messy. Medearis talks about how Christianity is more than a religion, but it is a relationship and people tend to not understand that. He explains why people are so defensive and put up their guards towards Christians, because Christians can be so judgemental.
When it comes to knowing and learning the religions of the world one must approach them with a critical mind. One cannot simply just believe every religion and know have their own view points. David Van Biema presents his ideas about Christianity and Jesus in “The Gospel Truth?”. Van Biema’s main point is about how “Matthew, Mark, Luke and John… is notoriously unreliable,” . Van Biema writes about how one cannot be completely sure about whether to believe if Jesus actually said what is written in the bible, he continues to say that Jesus may even be an “imaginative theological construct” .
Faith is a relative concept to many people. Whether they see it as simply an action to participate in or a way of life, it dictates what they do. Through various literary devices, Meditation 17 by John Donne, How I Found Religion at a Baseball Game by Robert Fink, and An American Childhood by Annie Dillard all effect the reader and makes them think deeply about what the author is saying while utilizing various methods to do so. One similar aspect of the three essays is the author’s idea and opinion of God. Their views of God and their faith may have been different, but the main idea and concept of God remains the same.
"Men and women can accomplish no more important act in their lives than the act of faith; it is here that freedom reaches the certainty of truth and chooses to live in that truth" (n. 13). The combination of faith and reason is the base upon which many Christian teachings are built. Separating faith from reason would cause faith to be seen as a slight short story or myth. The two must work together in synchronization in order for the human spirit to rise to the thought of truth as proposed
In a small classroom at Liberty University, students enrolled in an upper level psychology course have discussed the various models of the integration of psychology and Christianity as proposed by David N. Entwistle (2015). The models that were discussed include Enemies, Foreign Spies, Domestic Spies, Colonialists, Rebuilders, Neutral Parties, and Allies. One specific part of the curriculum for the class includes the input of each student on which of these seven models seem to be the strongest. From the perspective of one student in particular, this paper considers and makes arguments supporting why the Allies model provides the best explanation for the integration of psychology and Christianity. In this paper the case for why the Allies model
This argument showed that although someone might think they have the answer in their Christian walk, there is always room to erase and
In Lara Buchak’s essay, Can It Be Rational to Have Faith? , she asserts that everyday faith statements and religious faith statements share the same attributes. She later states that in order to truly have faith, a person ceases to search for more evidence for their claim, and that having faith can be rational. Although she makes compelling arguments in favor of faith in God, this essay is more hearsay and assumption than actual fact. In this paper, you will see that looking for further evidence would constitute not having faith, but that having faith, at least in the religious sense, is irrational.
Christianity, often linked with innate goodness and charity, defends men who continue to rape, abuse, and commit other sins. This reveals the paradox of the situation. As man becomes more and more reliant on this manpower for their luxuries, they turn to methods such as praying for salvation. “The religion of the south is a mere covering for the most covering crimes...strongest protection” (67) expresses the power of religion as a driving force of evil instead of good. The 19th century plantation owner prays to prove his devotion, which excuses him for his irreligious
Faith is often thought of as simply believing in a religion or deity, but in the dictionary, faith is defined as complete trust in someone or something by. This definition of faith is shown in the works of Eliezer Wiesel, Markus Zusak, Alexander Kimel, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. In Night, Wiesel portrays his struggle with his faith in God during the Holocaust. Throughout The Book Thief, Zusak shows the faith which his characters, Liesel and Max, have in the Hubermanns. Kimel writes about his faith in God as a Jewish Holocaust survivor in “The Creed of a Holocaust Survivor,” and Roosevelt speaks about America’s faith in God and their soldiers during the D-Day attacks during World War II in his well-known “D-Day Prayer.”
Now faith is defined as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. In the stories The Song of Roland and Dante’s Inferno both main character’s faith was tested on their spiritual quest to salvation. Roland was betrayed and outnumbered by his enemies and Dante was lost in the darkness of sin. As each man faced difficult situations on their missions, both relied on their faith to overcome their enemy, persevered through obstacles and refused to turn back.
Historical knowledge and science provide a point where biblical and cultural stories collide (Goheen & Bartholomew, p. 130). Culture is communicated through common stories and events. Science or the human desire to explain what is seen can be identified within Greek mythology throughout history to the postmodern views of today. The Christian worldview provides a basis for belief in a creator, not dependent on human action continue existence (Goheen & Bartholomew, p. 23). Scientific exploration and discovery is a part of God’s creation.
Faith to me means to have complete confidence in someone or something and believing it whole heartedly. My definition of purpose is something that has a specific reason or