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Life’s Ultimate Questions “Naturalism”

Professor Christopher UllmanChristian Life College

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Origins of Naturalism: Clues From the Bible

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD GOD'S INVISIBLE QUALITIES--HIS ETERNAL POWER AND DIVINE NATURE--HAVE BEEN CLEARLY SEEN, BEING UNDERSTOOD FROM WHAT HAS BEEN MADE, so that men are without excuse.

Romans 1:18-20

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Origins of Naturalism: Clues From the Bible

Humans can tell from Nature• THAT there is a God• WHAT He is like

NOTE: Natural Theology does not take the place of the Scriptural revelation of the character and attributes of God, but it IS a valuable starting point in the quest for this knowledge.

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Origins of Naturalism: Clues From the Bible

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. . . . they became fools and EXCHANGED THE GLORY OF THE IMMORTAL GOD FOR IMAGES MADE TO LOOK LIKE MORTAL MAN AND BIRDS AND ANIMALS AND REPTILES. . . . They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and WORSHIPED AND SERVED CREATED THINGS RATHER THAN THE CREATOR . . .

Romans 1:21-25

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Origins of Naturalism: Clues From the Bible

Humans decided to EQUATE Nature and God.

CREATION CREATOR=

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Origins of Naturalism: Clues From the Bible

They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, EVERYTHING GOES ON AS IT HAS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF CREATION.” (See Isaiah 5:19 also.)

2 Peter 3:4

• Note that this is a denial of Romans 1:20.

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Key Presupposition of Naturalism

“SENSED EXPERIENCE is the ONLY reliable form of knowledge.”

This is known as EMPIRICISM.

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Scripture Supports Truth Claims Based on Sensed Experience

• Proverbs 20:12 • Proverbs 6:6 • Matthew 16:2-3 • 1 John 1:1• Matthew 11:4-5

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The Problem with Empiricism: The ISM!

• Isaiah 1:18• 1 Corinthians 2:9-10• Matthew 16:17• Numbers 12:6

CLEARLY, SENSED EXPERIENCE IS NOT THE ONLY RELIABLE FORM OF KNOWLEDGE.

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“The World Is All That Is, Or Ever Was, Or Ever Will Be.”

NATURE(THE PHYSICAL

UNIVERSE)

TIME & SPACE

no t h i ng

n o t h i n g

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Five Truth Claims Made By Naturalism

1. “Only nature exists.”2. “Nature is a materialistic system.”3. “Nature is a self-explanatory system.”4. “Nature is characterized by total uniformity.”5. “Nature is a deterministic system.”

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Immediate Implications• Matter is all-powerful.• There is no life after death.• Outside of nature, there is no supreme being.• Outside of nature, there is no transcendent purpose

and no overarching scheme of things.

• The dreams, loves, hopes, and beliefs of humans are the result of the accidental collocations of atoms.

• The only firm foundation for thought or action is acceptance of unyielding despair.

• “It don’t mean nothin.’”

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Atomism• Matter consists solely of indivisible, property-less

atoms, moving through empty space.

ATOM

SPACE

ATOM

ATOM

ATOM

ATOM

ATOMATOM

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Some Famous Naturalists

Thales (624 – 546 B.C.) Leucippus (480 – 420 B.C.) Democritus (460 – 370

B.C.) Epicurus (341 – 270 B.C.) Lucretius (99 – 55 B.C.)

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Some Famous Naturalists

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900 A.D.) Paul Tillich (1886 – 1965 A.D.) Bertrand Russell (1872 – 1970 A.D.) Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 - 1980 A.D.)

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Questions Naturalists May Struggle With

• Why is there something rather than nothing?• Why do atoms move?• Why do atoms swerve?

NO-THING SOME-

THINGSOME-THING

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More Questions Naturalists May Struggle With

• How can a collection of atoms constitute a subject, rather than just another object?

• How did human consciousness arise from the movements of atoms?

• How do purely mechanical processes produce logic?

• How can the human mind imagine what is not actually happening, or has not yet happened?

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How Can Naturalism Be Shown to be False?

Clue:• What does the “-ism” mean?

• Naturalism saws off the branch its standing on. How?• Naturalism discredits human reasoning abilities• This destroys naturalism’s own credentials

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How Else Can Naturalism Be Shown to be False?

• By affirming mutually exclusive propositions• “The ability to reason has a natural,

non-purposeful origin.”• “Reason is a guide to something other

than the ability to reason.”