Introduction to Apologetics

OBJECTIVE

The objective for this unit is to help the students understand why apologetics is important.

INTRODUCTION

  • What is the study of apologetics? How is it defined?
  • What was the original purpose of apologetics?
    • To defend the faith...increasing knowledge of faith with the mind
    • History of councils in the early church
  • What is the point for us today?
    • To defend, but also understand and grow in our own faith
  • What is the main barrier to understanding faith for us today?
    • Some may claim Science (this will be discussed below)
    • Ego/pride - Reliance on our own knowledge instead of faith in God?
  • How do we understand how faith and science complement each other?

SCIENCE & FAITH

Question 1 - Are they mutually exclusive?

No. Where does faith come from?

  • Belief based on initial eye witnesses
    • Resurrection
    • Miracles of Moses, Christ
    • Preached to others

Where does science come from?

  • Empirical data
    • Studies that generate theories
    • Theories generate experiments
    • Experiments generate conclusions

So do they intersect?

  • Yes How? When science makes a metaphysical conclusion, then it crosses its boundaries, and enters into the boundary of Philosophy, which is a faith arena.
  • Then Faith has to answer, sometimes philosophically and sometimes scientifically.
  • A Philosophical Answer may suit those who are in the faith already, but a Scientific Answer is needed for those in the empirical community.

Question 1 - Is there Reason in Faith?

  • Genesis (firmament)
  • God gave us reason and a rational mind to give context many things we believe
  • The source of the mind is that God has a mind Himself and imparts that on us because we are the only creation in His Image and Likeness

Question 1 - Is there Faith in Science?

Faith reacts when science makes a metaphysical claim and that claim is the absence of God hence, we are mandated to give an answer to that claim. We give an answer from within science itself (in a scientific approach)

  • Scientific method
    • 1-- Observation
    • 2-- Hypothesis
    • 3-- Experimentation
    • 4 - Conclusion
  • This challenge has to be scientific:
    • By offering other plausible data,
    • By offering equally plausible conclusions from the data, and/or
    • By showing that the conclusions are at a large gap from the data,
    • Or, a combination of the three of them together.

TAKING A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH - EXAMPLE

What is claimed today in All Scientific Circles is that: God Does Not Exist:

  • Evolution Theory: claims explaining THE ORIGIN OF LIFE
  • Cosmology: Claims Big Bang is the Beginning of the Universe (by itself)

Based on these theories, there is NO INTELLIGENT CREATOR. To tackle this, the right question must be asked:

  • How did life and the universe start?

Evolution cannot account for the origin of life. Cosmology cannot prove the universe started by itself.

  • Because what observations/experiments could possibly have been done to reach the conclusions of the big bang and evolution?

So, because neither study can give us the origins of the universe and life, there leaves room for another answer:

  • An Intelligent Creator AKA God

APPLICATION/CONCLUSION

Science itself has limitations. It is coordinated and organized by human minds, which are limited. Any thorough research study has a limitations section, which can often be longer than the conclusions themselves.

In examples above, God came before science -- science is merely catching up to God. God also allowed the art of science and the scientific mind to help us reach Him -- not push us away from Him.

  • Ex., The more we understand the human body, the more we're fascinated by His creation

Good science actually leads us to more questions than answers. Those better questions can only be answered by faith. Thus, leads us to discovering God's wonders

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Grade 9 Unit 1 Slides (Apologetics).pdf