Gregory Koukl's Blog, page 133

Are Theists the Only People Who Have the “Burden of Proof”?

As an atheist, I rarely found it necessary to defend my position when talking with friends who believed in the existence of God. After all, my Christian friends were the ones who were making a claim about an invisible Being; certainly the burden of proof belonged to them rather than me. I simply held the “default” position: There’s no need to defend the absence of something that appears to be absent! From my perspective, theists alone were the ones who needed to make a case. My position as an atheist was self-evident. This approach almost always put my Christian friends in a defensive position. They found themselves struggling to assemble the evidence while I simply criticized the validity of each piece of their case. I never stopped to think that I might also need to make a case for what I believed, and my Christian friends were unable to demonstrate my responsibility to do so.

Today, as a Christian who has been involved in the examination of evidence for the past 25 years, I understand that atheists also have a burden of proof. All of us, in attempting to explain the world around us, move from a plethora of questions to a single responsibility:

There Are Many Questions
Atheists and theists both agree that the big questions of life are numerous. How did the universe come into existence? Why does the universe exhibit the ‘appearance’ of ‘fine tuning’? How did life originate? Why does biology exhibit the ‘appearance’ of ‘design’? How did human consciousness come into being? Where does ‘free will’ come from? Why are humans so contradictory in nature? Why do transcendent moral truths exist? Why do we believe human life to be precious? Why do pain, evil and injustice exist in our world? While atheists and theists have their own list of unanswered questions, we all agree that there are many important issues that need to be examined.

There Are Only Two Kinds of Answers
In the end, the answers to these questions can be divided into two simple categories: Answers from the perspective of philosophical naturalism (a view I held as an atheist), or answers that accept the existence of supernatural forces (a view I now hold as a theist). Atheists maintain that life’s most important questions can be answered from a purely naturalistic perspective (without the intervention of a supernatural, Divine Being). Theists argue that the evidence often leaves naturalism ‘wanting’ for answers while the intervention of an intelligent, transcendent Creator appears to be the best inference. In times like these, the theist finds it evidentially reasonable to infer a supernatural cause.

There Is Only One Shared Responsibility
Both groups share a singular burden of proof. If theists are going to posit God as the answer to some (or all) of the questions I’ve described, we are going to have to argue for His existence and activity. If atheists are going to argue that adequate answers exist without the need for God, they are at least going to have to provide sufficient naturalistic explanations. In either case, both groups (if they are honest with themselves) will have to shoulder the burden of proving their case. The burden of proof is not limited to the theist; all of us need to be able to make a case for our choice of answers. One side defends supernaturalism, the other defends philosophical naturalism.

The nature of the questions (and the limited categories of potential answers) ought to motivate all of us to decide which of the two explanatory possibilities is most reasonable. While atheists are sometimes un-persuaded by the arguments for God’s existence, they are still woefully unable to provide coherent and adequate answers to the most important questions of life related to the cause of the universe, the appearance of design, the origin of life, the reality of human free will and the existence of transcendent moral truth. Theists aren’t the only ones who have to answer these questions. If naturalism is true, naturalists have their own unique burden of proof.

Links Mentioned on the Show

The following are links that were either mentioned on this week's show or inspired by it, as posted live on the @STRtweets Twitter feed:

The Boy Scout Oath: Morally Crooked? by Greg Koukl


Do Moral Truths Exist? Debate between Greg Koukl and John Baker


The God Question: An Invitation to a Life of Meaning by J.P. Moreland


What I Learned from Dallas Willard (1935-2013) by J.P. Moreland


Biola University Center for Christian Thought


The Table: The Center for Christian Thought's blog

Listen to today's show or download any archived show for free. (Find links from past shows here.)

To follow the Twitter conversation during the live show (Tuesdays 4:00–7:00 p.m. PT), use the hashtag #STRtalk.

The Thing That Justifies You Is Your God

As Christians who ought to understand the role and importance of worship, most of us have limited our view and experience of worship to the singing of songs on Sunday morning. The New Testament Greek word most frequently translated as “worship” (proskuneo) means “to fall or bow down before”, but worship (as described in Christian scripture) is more than an occasional activity. It is an attitude of the heart. For this reason, each of us can (and ought to) possess an attitude of worship that transforms us at all times, even when we’re not in the presence of the Sunday worship team.  This is why Paul encourages us to “present (our) bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is (our) spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). Paul’s not talking about a weekly activity; he’s talking about an attitude toward all of life. As John Frame writes, “Redemption is the means; worship is the goal. In one sense, worship is the whole point of everything. It is the purpose of history, the goal of the whole Christian story. Worship is not one segment of the Christian life among others. Worship is the entire Christian life, seen as a priestly offering to God” (Worship in Spirit and Truth, page 11).

All of us engage in some form of worship, even if we reject the religious connotations of the word. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes worship as an “extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.” All of us worship something, and we seem to agree on how objects of worship should be selected. As John Frame suggests, most of us worship the object or being that redeems us, that justifies our existence. In other words, we worship the object or being that saves us, attributes meaning to our lives, or defines our identity. Sometimes the object of our worship is a job, a hobby, or a person. It’s easy to allow activities or people to become the source of our justification. I’ve certainly allowed myself to find meaning, identity and purpose in my work. There were times when my profession defined me; I justified my existence through the work I did as an investigator. It turns out that whatever you think validates your existence, this is your God. This is the thing (or being) you’ve chosen to worship. Whatever you think “saves” you, gives your life meaning, or foundationally shapes your identity, this is your God.

When I was a non-believer, I rejected the Christian claims related to salvation. I thought, “Hey, even if there is a God, he certainly will judge me based on my personal effort. After all, I’m a good guy.” In other words, I trusted my own efforts; I was my own object of worship. Whatever saves or redeems you, this is your God. Many of my family members are Mormons. They too trust their own efforts to save them in a “works-based” theological system. They too, either willingly or unknowingly, have become their own objects of worship. Whatever saves or redeems you, this is your God. If you’re wondering what you’ve chosen to worship, it’s easy enough to find out. Take a look at your calendar and your bank account. Where do you spend your time and money? Who (or what) do you trust to give your life meaning and purpose? Who (or what) is justifying your existence?

Most of us are idolaters, me included. God alone has the power to save me, to redeem me, to justify me, to give my life purpose and meaning. Yet I often choose to find my salvation in something else. I create idols that demand my attention and worship. I crowd God out of the equation. As a fallen human, I am far more self-possessed and arrogant than I care to admit. I want to choose my objects of worship. I want to create my own meaning. I want to do my own saving. Maybe your experience is similar, if you really think about it honestly. God knows our inclinations in this regard. Perhaps this is why, when providing us with a moral code of conduct, God began with an admonition related to our objects of worship:

“You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them” (Exodus 20:3-5a)

Maybe it’s time for each of us to examine our own life to see what we truly worship. Do we trust our own performance as Christians? Do we spend our time and resources appropriately?  Have we allowed some activity or person to become our object of worship? Have we become our own object of worship? It’s time to return worship to its rightful recipient. The Being that justifies us is still our God.

Free Rethink Pre-Conference Luncheon on June 4th

Who's waiting for your students? When they leave the relative safety of your home, youth ministry or church, who is waiting for them at school, the university, in the culture or at their workplace? What contrary ideas will they encounter, what challenges to Christianity will they face? And are they ready?

According to the National Study of Youth and Religion, the typical Christian kid does not know what they believe or why they believe it. In the words of the researchers, our students are "incredibly inarticulate about their faith." In other words, they're prime targets for an aggressive secular culture looking to take them captive with false ideas (Colossians 2:8). Stand to Reason wants to partner with YOU to change that. That's why we've put together the Rethink Conference for junior high, high school, and college students, this coming October 25 & 26, in Orange County, California.

I'd love to sit with you, give you a vision for the conference, and answer your questions, so we've also put together a special pre-conference luncheon on Tuesday, June 4, from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM, at Crossline Community Church (address: 23331 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills, CA 92653). The luncheon is for youth leaders, Christian educators, pastors, parents, campus leaders, and anyone else who works with students. Of course, the catered lunch is our treat. In addition, you'll receive a free signed copy of the new book, Cold Case Christianity, by homicide detective J. Warner Wallace, one of our conference speakers. So don't miss out.

We just need to know by Friday, May 31st, if you'll be able to join us. Please RSVP with Dawnielle Hodgman at dawnielle@str.org. And please, pass the word along and invite other leaders. 

I can't wait to partner with you, to raise up a new generation of students who will stand confidently and graciously for the truth of Jesus Christ.

Is Apologetics a Failure? (Video)

Christian apologetics hasn’t been successful in stemming the tide of secularism. Is apologetics a failure?

Ethical Behavior: Does Motive Matter When Considering “Good Works”?

Imagine the following scenario: While standing next to a young man on a street corner, you both watch as an elderly woman cautiously attempts to cross the street. She stumbles at one point and falls to the ground, right in the middle of the crosswalk. Before you even have the chance to leap from the curb, the young man next to you runs to the aid of the fallen woman, picking her up gently and carefully escorting her to a bench on the opposite side of the street. This young man then takes the time to tend to the woman’s injuries and even uses his cell phone to call the paramedics. He waits for several minutes and calms the woman as she is waiting for medical treatment. After the paramedics treat her and transport her to the hospital, the young man gathers himself and slowly walks away from the intersection.

As you assess the behavior of this noble young man, it’s hard to consider him as anything other than honorably virtuous. After all, he jumped into action as you simply stood there and watched! What if, however, you knew that the only reason this young man stepped from the curb was because he knew you were standing there watching him. What if he later confessed that he would simply have walked away had you not been watching? Would it change your assessment of his character? I bet it would. This young man was motivated not by a heart that truly loved the fallen woman, but by a desire to impress you. I think most of us would now assess the young man in a different way. It’s one thing to act selflessly even when no one’s looking, but another to act only because you think someone’s watching.

This simple truth highlights the wondrous nature of Christianity. In the historic religious smorgasbord of works-based religious choices, Christianity remains the only grace-based option. While other religious moral systems encourage adherents to behave well because someone is watching and evaluating your merit, Christianity alone removes this driving factor related to salvation. Christianity is, as a result, the one religious system that provides the structure and foundation for truly virtuous moral behavior. Christians have already been assured of their salvation; it’s a free gift of grace. Our “good works” have nothing to do with our justification. When Christians properly appreciate the gift they have been given and the extent to which they have been forgiven, we find ourselves wanting to live in a way that reflects this appreciation. As a result, we jump from the curb to lend a hand; not because we are worried God is watching, but because we simply want to extend to others what has already been extended to us.

We Christians sometimes abuse the freedom we have in Christ. We don’t always appreciate the gift we’ve been given or live as though we do. My Mormon friends and family members, for example, often seem to perform far better than the Christians I know (including me). That should shame us as Christians, but it really shouldn’t surprise us. Works-based religious systems require their adherents to perform “good works” in order to be saved. If that was the case for Christians, I bet more of us would work harder and look better to the world around us. But I don’t think it would result in us becoming better people; we would just start to look better. Motive matters. When we, as Christians, respond rather than perform, we become the people God wants us to be.

The Bible: Different from All the Rest

I haven’t read The
Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Rosaria Butterfield yet, but
after reading a few interviews with her, there’s one aspect of her conversion
from lesbian feminist professor to Christian that I can’t stop thinking about:
the role the Bible played in her conversion. It’s awe-inspiring seeing that book
through her eyes. Here are some examples from various articles:

"'I tried to toss the Bible and all of its teachings in the trash — I really
tried,' she says. 'But I kept reading it, reading it not just for pleasure, but
reading it because I was engaged in a research program trying to refute the
religious right from a lesbian feminist perspective. . . . After my second or
third, maybe fourth, pass through the entire Bible something started to happen.
The Bible got to be bigger inside me than I. And it absolutely overflowed into
my world.'"


"I
started reading the Bible. I read the way a glutton devours. I read it many
times that first year in multiple translations. At a dinner gathering my
partner and I were hosting, my transgendered friend J cornered me in the
kitchen. She put her large hand over mine. 'This Bible reading is changing
you, Rosaria,' she warned."


"I
went from being someone who felt that I was responsible and entitled to
interrogate the Bible to someone who believed that the Bible had authority over
my life and therefore had the responsibility and entitlement to interrogate me.
That truth—that the Bible interrogates me—does not stop with conversion.
Therefore, the post-conversion issues raised in Secret
Thoughts are in some ways proof of the fruit of Christian living,
insofar as they reveal a heart searching to have the Bible interrogate it."


"And
after two years of meeting with my Christian neighbors, getting to know
some of their church members, and reading the Bible multiple times through in a
year, I noticed something about this text.

It was different from all the rest.

It had an integrated revelation, a vast and capacious
philosophy about sin and redemption, and a God-man who was no effeminate runway
model or martyr…. The Bible promised understanding after obedience, not the
other way around (John 7:17). That stopped me in my tracks: Did I want to
understand why homosexuality was a sin from God’s point of view, or did I just
want to argue with Him? After two years of this, the Bible got to be bigger
than me. It overflowed into my world. I realized that the Bible was my holy
highway to a living God; that through it I could learn what God wanted of me
and why, and through it I could send my pleas to His throne of grace. The Bible
transmitted the language and lexicon of a Holy God, transforming me to grow in
His likeness. It truly was the only way."

The fact that we have access to a book powerful enough to
change us so completely is astonishing to me. The Holy Spirit moving through
the inspired words of God creates new people who know and love Him. We say we
know it’s the word of God, but do we really see it as Butterfield sees it? If
not, here’s her recommendation:

[S]ome powerful
things happen when you read the Bible many, many times in a year, from
Genesis to Revelation, and in multiple translations. I really encourage
Christians to do that, and not to read the Bible as though you’re reading your
horoscope. I don’t think it’s really meant to be read like that. 

Why Christians Know They Have Eternal Life (Right Now)

We’re in Salt Lake City today, talking to Mormons about what they believe and the many differences between Mormonism and Christianity. For theists, the most important question we will ever ask (or answer) is simply this: “How does one attain eternal life?” As I described yesterday, Mormonism is a worked based theistic system; while Mormons use the word “grace,” they don’t truly believe God gives us eternal life as an unmerited gift. Mormons must work to achieve a place in celestial kingdom where they will be in the presence of Heavenly Father and exalted as Gods:

“Those who gain only this general or unconditional salvation will still be judged according to their works and receive places in a Terrestial or Telestial kingdom. They will, therefore, be damned; their eternal progression will be cut short; they will not fill the full measure of their creation, but in eternity will be ministering servants to more worthy persons.” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pg 669-670, 1966 Edition)

“Conditional or individual salvation, that which comes by grace coupled with gospel obedience, consist in receiving an inheritance in the Celestial Kingdom of God. This kind of salvation follows faith, repentance, baptism, receipt of the Holy Ghost, and continued righteousness to the end of one’s mortal life. (D & C 20:29 & 2 Nephi 9:23-24). All others are damned – Even those in the celestial kingdom however, who do not go on to exaltation, will have immortality only and not eternal life – they will be ‘ministering servants, to minister for and to those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding and an eternal weight of glory’. They will live ‘separately and singly’ in an unmarried state ‘without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity’ (D & C 132:16,17). Salvation in its true and full meaning is synonymous with exaltation or eternal life and consist in gaining an inheritance in the highest of the three heavens within the Celestial Kingdom – It is the salvation which saints seek – This full salvation is obtained in and through the continuation of the family unit in eternity, and those who obtain it are gods – If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation. There is no salvation outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pg 669-670, 1966 Edition)

Mormonism Makes No Assurance About Eternal Life

While “good works” are obviously important to me as a Christian, Mormons are dependent on “good works” for eternal life. This becomes apparent when I ask my Mormon friends and family (I have six brothers and sisters who were raised LDS) about their eternal destiny. “If you died tonight, would you have eternal life?” This question usually produces an answer similar to: “I’m not sure, I hope so, I’m trying hard and doing the best I can.” When our salvation is based on our own effort, we can never be sure if we’ve done enough to merit the reward. For this reason, my Mormon family has no assurance of Salvation:

“There must be works – many works – and an all-out, total surrender, with a great humility and ‘a broken heart and a contrite spirit.’ It depends on you whether or not you are forgiven, and when. It could be weeks, it could be years, it could be centuries before that happy day when you have the positive assurance that the Lord has forgiven you. That depends on your humility, your sincerity, your works, your attitudes.” (Spencer Kimball, former Prophet of the LDS Church, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p.325)

“This salvation requires more than repentance and baptism by appropriate priesthood authority. It also requires the making of sacred covenants, including eternal marriage, in the temples of God, and faithfulness to those covenants by enduring to the end. If we use the word salvation to mean ‘exaltation,’ it is premature for any of us to say that we have been ‘saved’ in mortality. That glorious status can only follow the final judgment of Him who hs the Great Judge of the living and the dead.” (LDS Apostle Dallin H. Oaks, ‘Have You Been Saved?’, an address at the 168th Annual General Conference of the LDS Church given on April 5, 1998)

Christianity Provides the Assurance of Salvation

This is what saddens me most as a Christian. My brothers and sisters, as good as they may try to be, have no certainty about their eternal fate, especially if they study and believe the core teachings of Mormonism. This lack of assurance is decidedly unchristian. Christians know, right now, that we have (and will continue to have) eternal life:

1 John 5:9-14
We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

John uses the present imperative, “know” here for a reason. John is telling us that we can know right now. We can have certainty right now. We can know today that our eternal life is secure because it isn’t earned through something we must continue to do, but is instead gifted to us as something that was already done by Jesus on the cross. The beauty of grace is that it provides us with confidence to live eternal lives right now. That’s good news, and it’s the reason we are studying Mormonism and talking to Mormons in Salt Lake City today.

Links Mentioned on the Show

The following are links that were either mentioned on this week's show or inspired by it, as posted live on the @STRtweets Twitter feed:

Street preachers doing good work out there – Striving for Eternity Ministries and Living Waters


What Does Faith in Christ Mean? by Greg Koukl


Same-Sex Marriage Quick-Reference Guide

Listen to today's show or download any archived show for free. (Find links from past shows here.)

To follow the Twitter conversation during the live show (Tuesdays 4:00–7:00 p.m. PT), use the hashtag #STRtalk.

My Debate on the Grounding of Morality

Was I nervous? Yes, absolutely. Of course, this wasn't my ordinary speaking event. On April 5, about 170 people packed a room at Weber State University, to watch my formal debate with professor of philosophy Dr. Richard Greene. The question: Can there be objective moral values and obligations without God? Each debater had 20 minutes for opening arguments, a 10-minute rebuttal, about 40 minutes of joint Q & A from the audience, and a 5-minute conclusion.

Dr. Greene had home field advantage. He has been teaching classes at Weber State for about eight years and a number of his students came out for the debate.  About 65% of the attendees indicated on a pre-debate survey that they held Dr. Greene’s view, that morality is best explained without God.

I won’t rehearse all the details of the debate here as I've posted the video below, but it was a lively give-and-take and I thoroughly enjoyed it (particularly in hindsight!). Certainly, as a rookie debater--this was my second formal debate in my ten years of work at Stand to Reason--there are areas I can grow in and arguments I can improve. Indeed, I knew I would make some mistakes and drop some balls, and in my immediate post-debate reflections, it was difficult not to obsess over those things. The experience reminded me of what rookie NFL quarterbacks say about the speed of the game and how fast it seems to be moving during their rookie year.  However, seasoned veterans will talk about how the game has "slowed down" and how they see so much more now, after years of practice and game experience.  Well, as a rookie debater I definitely felt the "speed" of the debate.  Lots of things were said, I had organize my thoughts quickly, and then figure out what to respond to and how best to respond.  

As I've reveiwed some of the "game film," there are several things I need to work on and improve.  First, I needed to address more of the details that Dr. Greene discussed.  In particular, Dr. Greene threw out a few possible ways he thinks we can have morality without God, mentioning Plato's view and utilitarianism as examples. I responded to his claim that all he had to show were mere possibilities, but I also I needed to spend a few moments showing how Plato's view is inadequate to ground morality. In regards to utilitarianism, I needed to distinguish between the meta-ethical foundations of ethics (which was the topic of our debate) from normative systems of ethics. Second, during the Q&A there was a question regarding free will and after my response, Dr. Greene claimed there was no free will (around 1:30:45 in the video).  Unfortunately, I failed to hammer him on the incompatibility of determinism and moral action.  Third, I really needed to draw the audience's attention to the fact that Dr. Greene did not knock down my contentions, nor answer a number of the arguments I raised.  I think I needed to push him much harder in my responses. Well, I plan to go back and watch the entire "game film" a few times and also have some folks help me evaluate. I can and will learn from my mistakes in attempt to improve my debate skills and master the arguments.

For me, the highlight of the debate came from an unexpected source—a group of high school students. The debate was scheduled at the tail end of a Utah Mission trip I was leading for Upland Christian Academy, a Christian high school in Southern California. We had spent the previous four days sharing Christ with Mormons around the Salt Lake Valley. However, all week I was regretting the decision to coincide the mission trip and debate, feeling like my attention was torn between the two. In contrast, the high schoolers kept sharing their excitement about the debate. “That’s nice,” I thought to myself, “but I’ll never do this again!” God needed to change my perspective.

The afternoon of the debate, students helped with set up and created signs to post around campus. During the debate, they sat at the individual tables, collecting surveys from attendees and facilitating questions for the Q & A. Afterward, they helped clean up. When it was all said and done, we returned to our host church for a late night debrief.

But rather than being worn out from a long day, the students were beaming. Their excitement was palpable. They couldn’t wait to discuss the debate.
As they shared their thoughts and feelings, it was clear this event was a huge faith-builder. They didn’t just get a behind-the-scenes peek at my debate preparation and nervousness. They didn’t just get to help with debate details, like room setup. They felt like they had just walked side-by-side with me, into hostile territory, and then watched as one of their own Christian leaders stepped up in a public venue to defend the truth of Christianity. And from their perspective, our arguments won the day. Here’s how sophomore Micah summarized it:

[L]ately, the secular world seems to dismiss Christians and Christianity, and theology in general, as an outdated form of science or philosophy. Brett totally proving them wrong was a very fun thing to see. Dr. Greene, the atheist professor, made bottomless and obviously last-minute mocked-up arguments that held no weight. He simply displayed possibilities, rather than giving a real objective moral basis without God.

After hearing from students, I realized the entire endeavor was worthwhile. Studying for countless hours was worth it. Balancing the trip and the debate was worth it. Constantly fighting back my nerves was worth it. It was all worth it to build the God-confidence of those 20 high school students.

Here is video of the debate for your enjoyment!