Kevin Michael Vandergriff Opening Statement. Generic NaturalismSupernaturalism Theism Christian...
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Transcript of Kevin Michael Vandergriff Opening Statement. Generic NaturalismSupernaturalism Theism Christian...
Generic Naturalism Supernaturalism
Theism
Christian Theism
Degree of Modesty + Degree of Coherence = Degree of Simplicity (Intrinsic Simplicity)
Generic Naturalism PlusThe Hypothesis of an Indifferent
Universe
Scientific Naturalism
Naturalism is Self-Defeating My first two
arguments show that God exists necessarily.
“If theism were a necessary proposition and also true, then atheism would be, not just false, but self-contradictory, and so theism would…have an intrinsic probability of one.”~Paul Draper
Origin of the Universe
Borde-Guth-Vilenkin Theorem
Personal, Transcendent (Factually Necessary), Cause of Enormous Power
Something rather than Nothing Necessary vs.
Contingent Universe
Observation Collapses the Wave Function
Who collapses the wave function of the Entire Universe?
Discoverability Cosmic Location of Earth in Time and Space Earth’s Abundant Resources for Technology
Moral Agents and Fine Tuning Intrinsic Dignity of Moral Agents Big Enough Brains for Moral
Responsibility
• Fine Tuning of the Constants and Quantities that appear in the Laws of Nature
Morally Aware Agents & Necessary Moral Truths
No Ladder in Evolution
Natural Selection is blind to Moral Truths
Applicable Moral Truths Connected to Flourishing
Moral Universe
Acting Morally Contributes to our Flourishing
Self-Aware Beings
Theism Entails the Existence of at least One Self-Aware Being
Naturalism does Not Entail Self-Awareness
The Case For the Resurrection
Crucifixion Burial Empty Tomb Post Mortem
Appearances Origin of the
Disciple’s Belief in a Bodily-Resurrected Jesus
‘God Raised Jesus From the Dead’ 1. It has great explanatory scope: it explains why the tomb was found empty, why the disciples
saw post-mortem appearances of Jesus, and why the Christian faith came into being.
2. It has great explanatory power: it explains why the body of Jesus was gone, why people repeatedly saw Jesus alive despite his earlier public execution, and so forth.
3. It is plausible: since Jesus’ Messianic and divine self-understanding supercharges the religio-historical context with miraculous anticipation and concrete meaning; the resurrection serves as divine confirmation of those radical claims.
4. It is not ad hoc or contrived: it requires only one additional hypothesis: that God exists. And I have given evidence to think God exists.
5. It is in accord with accepted beliefs. The hypothesis: “God raised Jesus from the dead” doesn’t in any way conflict with the accepted belief that people don’t rise naturally from the dead. The Christian accepts that belief as wholeheartedly as he accepts the hypothesis that God raised Jesus from the dead.
6. It far outstrips any of its rival hypotheses in meeting conditions (1)-(5). Down through history various alternative explanations of the facts have been offered, for example, the conspiracy hypothesis, the apparent death hypothesis, the hallucination hypothesis, and so forth. Such hypotheses have been almost universally rejected by contemporary scholarship. None of these naturalistic hypotheses succeeds as well as the resurrection hypothesis.
Worthwhileness of Life
On balance, life is worth living
We are hard-wired to be resilient and overcome tragedies
We are hard-wired to be comforted in the face of seemingly pointless and random tragedies by finding and believing there is meaning and purpose in them.
Topic Naturalism’s Prediction
Theism’s Prediction Observation
1) Origin of the Universe No Origin Event; Eternal and Uncaused
Beginning of Time and Caused
Beginning of Time and Caused
2) Something Rather than Nothing
Necessary Contingent Contingent
3) Applicability of Mathematics No Aesthetic Value Aesthetic Value Aesthetic Value
4) Discoverability No Aesthetic Value Aesthetic Value Aesthetic Value
5) Moral Agents and Fine Tuning Amoral Universe Moral Universe Moral Universe
6) Moral Beliefs and Necessary Moral Truths
Moral Behavior and Beliefs Non -Truth Tracking
Moral Behavior and Beliefs Truth Tracking
Moral Behavior and Beliefs Truth Tracking
7) Moral Truths Connected to Flourishing
Moral Languishing Moral Flourishing Moral Flourishing
8) Self-Aware Beings No Consciousness of Any Degree
Consciousness of the Highest Degree
Consciousness of the Highest Degree
9) Resurrection of Jesus No Divine Revelation Confirmed by a Miracle
Divine Revelation Confirmed by a Miracle
Divine Revelation Confirmed by a Miracle
10) Worthwhileness of Life Life would not be worth living
Life would be worth living
Life is worth living