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
Christianity VS
The Postmodern World
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
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.
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
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.
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.” 12 Nor is
there salvation in any other, for there is
no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved.
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.
Christianity VS
The Postmodern World
The Eastern/Mystical World
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Christianity VS
The Postmodern World
The Eastern/Mystical World
The Atheistic World
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
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.
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. 22 Professing 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.
Christianity VS
The Postmodern World
The Eastern/Mystical World
The Atheistic World
The Agnostic World
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!
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.”
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
Christianity VS
The Postmodern World
The Eastern/Mystical World
The Atheistic World
The Agnostic World
The Scientific World
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)
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…
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
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
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.
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.
Conclusion
First, we should
recognize that the
Christian 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!