“Of all the religious beliefs in the world, past or present, none have more thoroughly based themselves on history than Judaism and Christianity. the divine-human encounter in the biblical faith always involves claims about real people, living in real places, who acted in real events in the past, many of which are also cited in secular history. …Judeo-Christianity’s Scripture encompass a two-thousand-year-plus period–two millennia in which its holy books constantly interlaced themselves with history” (“In the Fullness of Time” by Paul L. Maier, Introduction p. xv). Human reason is competent to examine history and history’s artifacts.
Ken Ham explains the difference between observation science (sometimes called experimental science) and historical science (sometimes called origins science). Scientific explanations are appropriate for observable facts, but scientific explanations concerning origin are not verifiable. Science has exceeded its ability for knowledge. If reason would remain within its sphere, then there would be no contradiction with theology. Nevertheless, reason often assumes a position of antagonism to revealed truth (Heinrich Schmid). If an unbeliever refuses plain evidence and denies logic, we learn man’s real reason for denying the truth.
Many of the passages which are used as proof texts for a scientific defense of the truth (apologetics), only prove that Christians ought to use the Scriptures to “give a reason for the hope that is within them” (1 Peter 3:15) and to “contend for the faith” (Jude 1:3). There are two passages which tell Christians to beware of human reason going beyond its sphere(Col 2:8). We are told to pull down everything which exalts itself about the knowledge of God in the Holy Scriptures (2 Cor 10:4-5).
Overheads: Overheads-for-Aug-18-2019.pdf
Handout from August 11 (grey): Naturalism-Presuppositions.pdf
Handout for August 18 (white): Science-and-the-Bible-for-Aug-18-2019.pdf
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