Here is his post:

It became known as the Great Debate.

In 1985 the University of California at Irvine hosted a public debate between philosopher Greg Bahnsen and atheist Gordon Stein on the topic “Does God Exist?”

What Ensued

Stein came prepared to cut down traditional apologetic arguments for the existence of God, but the philosopher’s approach was unexpected. Bahnsen went on the offensive and presented the Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God: the God of the Bible must exist because no other worldview makes rational sense of the universe and logic, science, and morals ultimately presuppose a theistic worldview. He explained:

The transcendental proof for God’s existence is that without Him it is impossible to prove anything.The atheist worldview is irrational and cannot consistently provide the preconditions of intelligible experience, science, logic, or morality. The atheist worldview cannot allow for laws of logic, the uniformity of nature, the ability for the mind to understand the world, and moral absolutes. In that sense the atheist worldview cannot account for our debate tonight.

Remembering the debate, philosopher and theologian John Frame writes,

I was there, having driven up with several students from Westminster in Escondido. It was in a large lecture hall at U. C. Irvine, and the place was packed. The atmosphere was electric. I don’t know how many were Christians, but it was evident as the debate progressed that the audience became convinced that Bahnsen won the debate.

Borrowed Logic

Bahnsen’s approach focuses on the “presuppositional conflict of world views” between atheism and Christianity. In the debate he shows that his opponent has a precommitment to the rule that logic or reason is the only valid way to prove any statement. The atheist can’t prove this rule by using logic (that would be circular reasoning), or by any other method (that would be disproving the rule by using something other than logic). This is a presupposition, a fundamental belief held ahead of time that cannot be proved, but that grounds all your other beliefs. Bahnsen argues that the atheist is actually borrowing logic from the Christian worldview in order to make his claims.

In his book Van Til’s Apologetics, Bahnsen gives a formal definition of a presupposition:

A ‘presupposition’ is not just any assumption in an argument, but a personal commitment that is held at the most basic level of one’s network of beliefs. Presuppositions form a wide-ranging, foundational perspective (or starting point) in terms of which everything else is interpreted and evaluated. As such, presuppositions have the greatest authority in one’s thinking, being treated as one’s least negotiable beliefs and being granted the highest immunity to revision.

Presuppositions can be exposed and used to show that non-Christian worldviews are not rationally coherent:

The presuppositional apologist makes an internal critique of the non-Christian’s espoused presuppositions, showing that they destroy the very possibility of knowledge or ‘proof.’ He maintains that only Christianity is a reasonable position to hold and that unless its truth is presupposed there is no foundation for an argument that can prove anything whatsoever. Thus it is irrational to hold to anything but the truth of Scripture. The truth of Christianity is proved from the impossibility of the contrary (Presuppositional Apologetics: Stated and Defended).

The Impossibility of the Contrary

He also explains further about arguing from the impossibility of the contrary:

The unbeliever attempts to enlist logic, science, and morality in his debate against the truth of Christianity. Van Til’s apologetic answers these attempts by arguing that only the truth of Christianity can rescue the meaningfulness and cogency of logic, science, and morality. The presuppositional challenge to the unbeliever is guided by the premise that only the Christian worldview provides the philosophical preconditions necessary for man’s reasoning and knowledge in any field whatever.

This is what is meant by a ‘transcendental’ defense of Christianity. Upon analysis, all truth drives one to Christ. From beginning to end, man’s reasoning about anything whatsoever (even reasoning about reasoning itself) is unintelligible or incoherent unless the truth of the Christian Scriptures is presupposed. Any position contrary to the Christian one, therefore, must be seen as philosophically impossible. It cannot justify its beliefs or offer a worldview whose various elements comport with each other (Van Til’s Apologetics).

The Great Debate

Covenant Media Foundation has graciously given us permission to post the audio and transcript of the Great Debate. Take some time to listen to this audio or read the transcript for a great example of powerful Christianapologetics. It’s well worth it.

 

Loosing a child is something that, to the world, seems unbearable to overcome. The truth is that outside of Christ I would agree with that statement but there is hope in the gospel, there is hope in Christ. Sherry and I had miscarriages in the past, they were hard to get through but God was gracious. While working though a miscarriage is tough, working though the death of a child you gave birth to or spent time with is different, and to the world it does seem unjust and unbearable. If you feel that way you need to read this post by Dan Cruver, even if you don’t you still should read this post by Dan. He does a great job of explaining how grief lead to glory in the death of his son Daniel. I’m thankful for friends who get the gospel like this, it broadens my perspective of the abounding love our sovereign God gives.

Here’s what Dan says:

As I write this post it is Saturday, November 19th in Melbourne, Australia, the 12th anniversary of my son Daniel’s death. Although this happens to be one of the most difficult days of the year for me and my family, it also happens to be one of my most treasured. If you are wondering how November 19th can simultaneously be both a difficult and treasured day for me, the two pictures above do more than just hint at an answer. They tell the story, and the story that those two pictures tell (namely, that the Gospel is for real life) is also the reason Together for Adoption does what it does. It is also the reason why I am preaching in Australia today on the good news of our adoption in Christ.

If you are interested, you may read the tribute I wrote to my son who died and to my Father who is eternal.
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Note: The picture on the left was taken 5 days before my son’s death as a way of giving testimony to the sufficiency of the Gospel in our darkest days.

If you don’t know this hope of the gospel, email me, FB me get in touch with me. I want you to know you can have that hope.

via: Together for Adoption

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Watch it, it’s well worth your time.

VIA: Ben Terry

“Satan’s time of tempting is usually after an ordinance; and the reason is, because then he thinks he shall find us most secure. When we have been at solemn duties, we are apt to think all is done, and we grow remiss, and leave off that zeal and strictness as before; just as a soldier, who after a battle leaves off his armour, not once dreaming, of an enemy. Satan watches his time, and when we least suspect, then he throws in a temptation.”

Thomas Watson, A Divine Cordial

HT: DG

-Almost five children die everyday as a result of child abuse.   More than three out of four are under the age of 4.

-It is estimated that between 60-85% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates.

-A report of child abuse is made every ten seconds.

-Ninety percent of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way; 68% are abused by family members.

Watch this from a local Abq. News station: PLEASE NOTE, it’s graphic.

What can you do? Well, you can CLICK HERE. And be the church, be involved in your community, be involved in the lives of those around you. Share the gospel and love on those around you.

HT: Purgatorio