D3 Discovering the True Path

"This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent,” is Jesus answer to the people who asked “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”-Jn 6:28-29 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”- Joh 3:16
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”- Joh 17:3 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”- 1Ti_2:5
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”- Jas_2:19

                3  Invitation to D3

                The murky and contaminated trails of Darwinism have armed us with a better appreciation of the dangers from the unseen delusional snares of Satan and his evil agents in our sojourn in this life. He is battling all out with humankind for the control of our minds. He is succeeding for multitudes in this postmodern secular world are enjoying the immediate pleasures that this world has to offer without a care about the truth on the origin of life.  We are at the cross road of faith in our discovery journey having learnt that what we know and believe in the origin of life is based purely on faith. The whole world was and still is indoctrinated with Darwinism which is faith in the imagination of Darwin, a man, and promoted as being scientific and the truth of nature. Faith in the word of God is the other road. God could be the most likely intelligent designer, the super-being that modern microbiologists have pointed to scientific evidence of creation at worki. We need to take this road and in the process learn to discern the truth from the lie and to believe in the faith based on the truth

                This leg of the discovery journey is not a confinement to boring religious study and travel as the mere mention of God would put many on the run. Our assignment is very light and easy involving paths travelled by others to share in their rich rewards and also learn from their mistakes. We will not be accepting the faith in the word of God blindly as was the case with Darwinism, although the inspired word of God is very plain and clear in the Bible that “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”- Gen 1:1. We will be testing God who says “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. “And I will be found of you, saith the LORD:”- Jer 29:13,14.

                Discovery D3 Overview

                1. The belief in the existence of God which Pascal (early 17th century mathematician) considered the best bet in this life is validated by the word of God. Those who take the written word as their counsellor will find in science an aid to understand God. It is by rejecting God in ignorance and not willing to seek the truth about God that turns even professed and superficial Christians into atheists.

                2. The revelation in nature, in Scriptures and in the ministry of Jesus can bring us to the knowledge of God’s existence. The belief can transform our sinful character. It will be an incomplete knowledge of God, but it is some of the mysteries of God that has been revealed for our salvation. No finite mind can fully comprehend the existence, the power, the wisdom, or the works of the Infinite One.

                3. The rewards for believers in Christ is twofold: peace, health and happiness in this life and hope in Christ for an everlasting life to come.

                4. Those that hold to the notion that only science can make truth claims fail to recognize is that there are many realms of truth where science is impotent.

                5. The three definition of truth is: 1. Truth is that which corresponds to reality; 2. Truth is that which matches its object; 3. Truth is simply telling it like it is. The concept of absolute truth in life (especially in the area of faith and religion) is important because life has consequences for being wrong, especially when you’re on the receiving end of a lie, for Eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong.

                6. Relativism is the currency of the postmodern era. The disciples of postmodernism simply affirm no particular truth.There are a number of philosophies and worldviews that challenge the concept of truth, yet, when each is critically examined it turns out to be self-defeating in nature.

                7. Jesus is the way, the truth and the Life (Jn 14:6). Scripture presents conclusive evidence that Jesus Christ was in fact resurrected from the dead. The resurrection proves that the claims Jesus made about himself are true and validate His claim to be God. If He is God, He speaks with absolute certainty and final authority. Scripture is clear that all those who believe in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal life just as He was (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

                8. Men either deny or ignore his existence, or think to explain everything, even the operation of his Spirit upon the human heart; and they no longer reverence his name, or fear his power. They do not believe in the supernatural, not understanding God's laws, or his infinite power to work his will through them.

                9. In this simple but profound trip that dabble into Pascal’s Wager we have in the process affirm that believing in the existence of God is the only sure way to live. It gives meaning to our life that need not end in death. We have found that the truth is in the person of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of the invisible God. Emmanuel, God with us, came to earth to reveal God the Father to us and to save us from our bondage to sin.

Contents

3.1The Overlooked Itinerary: 3.1.1 Pascal’s Wager- 3.1.1.1 The Flaws in Pascal’s Wager; 3.1.1.2 The Proper Insight Perspectives;3.1.2 Understanding Atheism- 3.1.2.1 Ignorance of Sound Bible Knowledge; 3.1.2.2 Disillusionment; 3.1.2.3 Anti-Religion; 3.1.2.4 Insufficient Evidence from God- 3.1.2.4.1 Agnostic Atheist*; 3.1.2.5 Self-Determination; 3.2 The Principle of Truth- 3.2.1 Truth Must be Absolute; 3.2.2 Why Truth is Important; 3.2.3 Jesus Christ is the living Truth- 3.2.3.1 The Truth of Jesus Resurrection- 3.2.3.1.1 The Importance of the Resurrection; 3.3 The Bible and Science.   

                3.1The Overlooked Itinerary     

                The best bet in life is believes in the existence of God, Pascal’s Wager. It is now being discredited by apologetics (defenders of Christian faith) and evangelists (Pastors  converting people to Christians by public preaching) as having a negative impact in convincing unconverted people to believe. In fact nominal Christians have reversed the outcome of the bet and become atheists instead.  We will revisit the Pascal’s Wager and from it learn why it has actually driven many to atheism.  The search for the truth will then take us to learn about the truth in the person of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of the invisible God.

                3.1.1 Pascal’s Wager

                Firstly we will join Jake (a Christian- creationist) and Julie (ex-Christian girl friend who turns atheist- evolutionist). Jake learns about the many reasons why Pascal's Wager is not a valid argument from Julie. Jake is now caught up in the lie that there is no God. We will need to be able to steer both of them to trusting in the truth which we plan to search out.

                Watch the animation in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMk2kHZUrAc –(9:24) Why Pascal's Wager isn't valid and God is not Real, uploaded on Feb 24, 2012.

                3.1.1.1 The Flaws in Pascal’s Wager

                Andrew Skeggs in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czEfLn_ifIU – (4:48), uploaded on Sep 8, 2007 introduces the author and the wager. He is correct in stating that for Pascal’s wager to be a true bet we must be betting on the true and loving God and not on a wrong god who is a tyrant since. the life thereafter under a tyrant god is worse than death. He understands that faith must be based on evidence and points out some of the flaws practiced in religion.  One of the major obstacles in Christianity is the impracticability of finding the one true denomination having the odds of 0.000154%.  Thus he argues that the Atheist Wager is the better proposition.

                The next clip- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X-mTiF89tI- is an illustration of Pascal’s Wager Philosophy in 1 minute.

                3.1.1.2 The Proper Insight Perspectives

                                This is the full answer provided to the question: "What is Pascal's Wager?" which Pascal must have intuitively believed in, at http://www.gotquestions.org/Pascals-wager.html  (reproduced with some minor comments and a fair amount of clarifications/changes in parenthesis)

                Pascal's Wager (1623-1662) is named after 17th-century French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal. One of Pascal’s most famous works was the Pensées (“Thoughts”), which was published posthumously in 1670. It is in this work that we find what is known as Pascal's Wager (He died young at 32 years and may have left out some of his spiritual discernment that he was unable to prove mathematically or convince society then.)

                The gist of the Wager is that, according to Pascal, one cannot come to the knowledge of God’s existence through reason alone, so the wise thing to do is to live your life as if God does exist because such a life has everything to gain and nothing to lose. If we live as though God exists, and He does indeed exist, we have gained heaven. If He doesn’t exist, we have lost nothing. If, on the other hand, we live as though God does not exist and He really does exist, we have gained hell and punishment and have lost heaven and bliss. (This is his understanding of the Christian doctrines prevailing at his time when the Protestant Reform has survived and grown for over a century.) If one weighs the options, clearly the rational choice to live as if God exists is the better of the possible choices. Pascal even suggested that some may not, at the time, have the ability to believe in God. In such a case, one should live as if he had faith anyway. Perhaps living as if one had faith may lead one to actually come to faith. (Society will be a far safer place when the people are conscious (fearful) of final judgment before God (who is righteous in all His actions). At the least, the one with a good conscience can die with the hope of possibly gaining heaven. At the rate that man is deteriorating, there is no hope of our survival based on the theory of evolution – see “Deterioration of Man” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iviiUwPR4ao , (7:58), published Jan 19, 2016 .)

                Now there have been criticisms over the years from various camps. For example, there is the argument from inconsistent revelations. This argument critiques Pascal's Wager on the basis that there is no reason to limit the choices to the Christian God. Since there have been many religions throughout human history, there can be many potential gods. Another critique comes from atheist circles. Richard Dawkins postulated the possibility of a god that might reward honest disbelief and punish blind or feigned faith. (Loyalty to the wrong master is the consequence of your wrong choice. It is by seeking the true knowledge about God rather than blindly believe without diligent study that will lead to faith in false worship of idols, for example like faith in Darwinism.)

                Be that as it may, what should concern us is whether or not Pascal's Wager can be squared with Scripture. The Wager fails on a number of counts. First and foremost, it doesn’t take into account the apostle Paul’s argument that the knowledge of God is evident to all so that we are without excuse (Romans 1:19-20). (The works of creation (as seen in the wonders and beauty of nature) testify of God's power and greatness. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork." Psalm 19:1. Those who take the written word as their counsellor will find in science an aid to understand God. "The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead." Romans 1:20.  {PP 116.2}(The revelation in nature, in Scriptures and in the ministry of Jesus) can bring us to the knowledge of God’s existence. It will be an incomplete knowledge of God, but it is (some of the mysteries of God that has been revealed for our salvation.) (No finite mind can fully comprehend the existence, the power, the wisdom, or the works of the Infinite One. Says the sacred writer: "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." Job 11:7-9. The mightiest intellects of earth cannot comprehend God. Men may be ever searching, ever learning, and still there is an infinity beyond.  {PP 116.1})  Furthermore, the knowledge of God (that is revealed) is enough to render us all without excuse before God’s judgment.

                Second, there is no mention of the cost involved in following Jesus. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus twice warns us to count the costs of becoming His disciple (Luke 9:57-62; 14:25-33). There is a cost to following Jesus, and it is not an easy price to pay. Jesus told His disciples that they would have to lose their lives in order to save them (Matthew 10:39). Following Jesus brings with it the hatred (and persecution) of the world (John 15:19). Pascal's Wager makes no mention of any of this. As such, it reduces faith in Christ to mere credulity. (It requires the decision to believe which is better than outright rejection. Then the Spirit of God can work on the person the desire to find out more about God and in the process build up his faith by hearing the word of God- (cf Jn 1:12; 1 Jn 5:13; Rom 10:17))

                Third, it completely misrepresents the depravity of human nature. The natural man—one who has not been born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3)—cannot be persuaded to a saving faith in Jesus Christ by a cost-benefit analysis such as Pascal's Wager. Faith is a result of being born again and that is a divine work of the Holy Spirit. This is not to say that one cannot assent to the facts of the gospel or even be outwardly obedient to the law of God. One of the points from Jesus’ parable of the soils (Matthew 13) is that false conversions are going to be a fact of life until the time Christ returns. However, the sign of true saving faith is the fruit it produces (Matthew 7:16-20). Paul makes the argument that the natural man cannot understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). Why? Because they are spiritually discerned. Pascal's Wager makes no mention of the necessary preliminary work of the Spirit to come to the knowledge of saving faith. (In his defence we need to understand Pascal in the context of his society. Many were peasants and lived in serfdom without a hope in life. The belief in God was their only hope and the wager would strengthen their faith in God. Likewise the rich landlords would be reminded that they too will be judged by God in the next life. It was a message for his time. Remember there were many martyrs who would not submit to papacy.)      

                Fourth, (the Wager intended by apologetics to be a simple evangelistic tool focusing mainly on a risk/reward outlook, may have missed to include the importance that accepting the bet  is the beginning of a commitment to a true saving faith relationship in Christ.) Jesus placed obedience to His commands as an evidence of love for Christ (John 14:23). According to Pascal's Wager, one is choosing to believe and obey God on the basis of receiving heaven as a reward. This is not to diminish the fact that heaven is a reward and that it is something we should hope for and desire. But if our obedience is solely, or primarily, motivated by wanting to get into heaven and avoid hell, then faith and obedience become a means of achieving what we want rather than the result of a heart that has been reborn in Christ and expresses faith and obedience out of love of Christ. (This is the error made by Jake in His attempt to bring Julie to return to church with only a superficial knowledge without a personal relation with Christ yet. Pascal’s wager has become the Atheist’s tool to justify that taking full charge of one’s life and doing good to others is more enriching, rewarding and realised in this life rather than relying on the church which is questionable in most cases.)

                In conclusion, (Pascal's Wager, considered as an interesting piece of philosophical thought, has a place in a Christian’s evangelistic repertoire. It could be used as an icebreaker in a small gathering. But we must point out what we have discussed above and also appreciate why people turn away from God (see par 3.1.2) and to gradually) share and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone is the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).) (The gospel of Jesus Christ will need to be further developed later.)

                The question that must be addressed next is: "Why are there so many atheists?"

                3.1.2 Understanding Atheism

                (Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/so-many-atheists.html)

                According to an official atheism website, atheists define themselves this way: “Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.” Those who identify as atheists prefer to emphasize their lack of belief rather than the refusal to believe. They consider atheism to be intellectually superior to faith in God. However, this definition clashes with the biblical (statement), “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1; 53:1). Since atheists can agree with people of faith that every human being has the freedom to choose what he or she thinks or believes, we will define atheism here as the choice to disbelieve in any kind of Supreme Being to which mankind is accountable.

                (Atheism is about belief, or specifically what you don't believe. A major problem arises when trying to differentiate between atheism and agnosticism which is about knowledge, or specifically about what you don't know. An atheist doesn't believe in any gods. An agnostic doesn't know if any gods exist or not. These can be the exact same person, but need not be. Belief and knowledge are related but nevertheless separate issues.)

                Statistics show that atheism is on the rise in countries that have historically had a strong Christian influence. These statistics include those raised in godless homes, but they also show an alarming increase among those who once held to some form of religious faith. When we hear of a prominent figure in Christianity renouncing the faith he or she used to claim, we are left wondering, “Why?” Why would so many people stop believing in God when His handiwork is everywhere (Psalm 19:1; 97:6; Romans 1:20)? Every culture on earth recognizes some form of deity, so why are so many people claiming they do not believe in any god at all?

                3.1.2.1 Ignorance of Sound Bible Knowledge

                There are several reasons people may define themselves as atheists. The first is ignorance. Due to lack of correct information, a person may conclude that nothing exists beyond this universe and man’s experience of it. Since there remains a great deal we do not know, ignorance often invents ideas to fill in the blanks. This often results in either false religions or atheism. Sketchy information about God is often tainted by mythology or religious superstition to the extent that anything supernatural sounds like a fairy tale. Exposed to a mishmash of confusing claims, some people decide there is no truth to any of it and throw the baby out with the bathwater. (We need to spend time with a person in order to get to know him. The same principle applies if we wish to know God by spending time in reading the Bible. “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” –Jn 5:39.)

                3.1.2.2 Disillusionment

                Disillusionment is another reason some people become atheists. Due to negative experiences, such as having a prayer go unanswered or seeing hypocritical behaviour in others, a person may conclude that God does not exist. This response is often fuelled by anger or hurt. These people reason that, if God existed, He would behave in ways they could comprehend or agree with. Since He did not respond the way they wanted Him to, they conclude that He must not exist at all. They may stumble over complicated concepts such as hell, Old Testament genocide, or eternity and conclude the God of the Bible is too confusing to be real. Disillusionment propels people to find comfort in what is seen and known, rather than an invisible deity. To avoid the possibility of more disappointment, they abandon any attempt at faith and find a measure of comfort in deciding that God simply does not exist. (As citizens of a nation we come under the authority of the ruling government.  Don’t we get disillusioned or angry at times over certain decisions or policies of the government? It does not translate into ignoring the new ruling or that the government don’t exist.)

                3.1.2.3 Anti-Religion

                Closely linked to the disillusioned are those who call themselves “atheists” when, in fact, they are anti-God. Atheist is a label some hide behind to mask a deep hatred toward God. Often due to childhood trauma or abuse in the name of religion, these people are consumed by an antipathy toward all things religious. The only way they can retaliate against a God they consider cruel is to deny Him vehemently. Events of the past have left wounds so deep that it is easier to deny the reality of God than admit that they hate Him. True atheists would not include this group in their numbers, as they recognize that to be angry with God is to acknowledge His existence. But many people do, in fact, call themselves atheists while simultaneously expressing outrage toward a God whose existence they deny. (The root to this cause is a personal and deep seated problem that only by self-examination and realisation that running away from the truth that only God could heal and restore the peace in one’s life. When all else fail take up Pascal’s wager as a last resort.) 

                3.1.2.4 Insufficient Evidence from God

                Still others reject the idea of God because they want Him to be easier to find. When well-known atheist Richard Dawkins was asked, “What would you say if you faced God after death?” he responded, “I would say to Him, ‘Why did you take such great pains to conceal yourself?’” Some people frown at the fact that God is Spirit, invisible, and found only through faith (Hebrews 11:6; Jeremiah 29:13). They adopt the attitude that the Creator of the universe owes them evidence of His existence beyond what He has already lavishly given (Psalm 19:1; 102:25; Romans 1:20). Jesus dealt with this mindset when He walked the earth. In Mark 8, Jesus had just fed four thousand people with a sack lunch, but the intellectual elites came to Him demanding that He perform a sign to “prove” He was the Messiah (verse11). Jesus illustrated this hardness of heart in His parable about the rich man in hell who longed to warn his brothers about what awaited them after death (Luke 16:19–31). From heaven, Abraham answered, “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”(Atheist in this group may also be considered an agnostic atheist*. Agnosticism is about knowledge, or specifically acknowledging that the nature of any supernatural being is unknowable.)

                (The contention that there is insufficient evidence from God is best refuted by scientists who were formerly atheists as listed in the clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHlOi8QPz4c  (14:41) - “Evidence for Creation - Scientists Persuaded By The Evidence - Part 1of 3”, by Dr Jerry Bergman,  published Sep 1, 2012)

                3.1.2.4.1 Agnostic Atheist*

            An agnostic atheist is defined as one who does not know for sure if any gods exist or not but who also does not believe in any gods. This definition makes it clear that being an agnostic and being an atheist are not mutually exclusive. Knowledge and belief are related but separate issues: not knowing if something is true or not doesn't exclude believing or disbelieving it.

                Agnostic atheist can often be treated as synonymous with weak atheist. Whereas weak atheist emphasizes one's lack of belief in gods, agnostic atheist emphasizes that one does not make any knowledge claims — and usually, the lack of knowledge is an important part of the foundation for the lack of belief. Agnostic atheist is arguably a label which applies to most atheists in the West today. To the agnostic atheist, not only is the nature of any supernatural being unknowable, but the existence of any supernatural being is unknowable as well. (http://atheism.about.com/od/Agnostic-Dictionary/g/Agnostic-Atheist-Dictionary-Definition.htm ) (Anyone that is brainwashed in believing in Darwinism could only be free from the delusion by being open minded to the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. (Jn 8:32;14:60)

                3.1.2.5 Self-Determination (Self-Righteousness)

                The most likely explanation for the continuing rise of atheism has not changed since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:6; Romans 3:23). The very essence of all sin is self-determination. By denying the existence of a Creator, atheists can do whatever they please without concern for future judgment or eternal consequences (Matthew 12:36; Romans 14:12; 1 Peter 4:5; Hebrews 4:13). In the twenty-first century, self-worship has become culturally acceptable. Atheism appeals to a generation raised on evolutionary theory and moral relativism. John 3:19 says, “Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” If human beings are self-created, self-determined, and self-centered, then there is no moral law or lawgiver to whom they must submit. There are no absolutes and no one to whom they are ultimately accountable. By adopting such a mindset, atheists can focus on seeking pleasure in this life alone.
                As long as scientists, professors, and philosophers peddle their atheistic viewpoints as truth and wisdom, people will continue to buy it because the idea of self-determination appeals to our rebellious natures.The attitude is nothing new, but the changing cultural norms are making it more openly acceptable. Romans 1:18–31 details the results of this rejection of God’s authority. Verse 28 says, “God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.” Our world is seeing the results of that depravity. What atheists call “enlightenment,” God calls foolishness. Verses 22–23 say, “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” Since the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10), then the denial of the Lord (atheism) is the beginning of foolishness.

                The issue that must be addressed next is the concept of truth where there is no place for relativism ( the currency of the postmodern secular society).

                3.2 The Principle of Truth (Source: http://www.gotquestions.org/what-is-truth.html)

                From a philosophical perspective, there are three simple ways to define truth: 1. Truth is that which corresponds to reality; 2. Truth is that which matches its object; 3. Truth is simply telling it like it is.

                3.2.1 Truth Must be Absolute

                In a postmodern era of relativism it is acceptable today to say, “This is true,” as long as it is not followed by, “and therefore that is false.” This is especially observable in matters of faith and religion where every belief system is supposed to be on equal footing where truth is concerned.

                There are a number of philosophies and worldviews that challenge the concept of truth, yet, when each is critically examined it turns out to be self-defeating in nature.

                The philosophy of relativism says that all truth is relative and that there is no such thing as absolute truth. But one has to ask: is the claim “all truth is relative” a relative truth or an absolute truth? If it is a relative truth, then it really is meaningless; how do we know when and where it applies? If it is an absolute truth, then absolute truth exists. Moreover, the relativist betrays his own position when he states that the position of the absolutist is wrong – why can’t those who say absolute truth exists be correct too? In essence, when the relativist says, “There is no truth,” he is asking you not to believe him, and the best thing to do is follow his advice.

                Those who follow the philosophy of scepticism simply doubt all truth. But is the sceptic sceptical of scepticism; does he doubt his own truth claim? If so, then why pay attention to scepticism? If not, then we can be sure of at least one thing (in other words, absolute truth exists)—scepticism, which, ironically, becomes absolute truth in that case. The agnostic says you can’t know the truth. Yet the mindset is self-defeating because it claims to know at least one truth: that you can’t know truth.

                The disciples of postmodernism simply affirm no particular truth. The patron saint of postmodernism—Frederick Nietzsche—described truth like this: “What then is truth? A mobile army of metaphors, metonyms, and anthropomorphisms … truths are illusions … coins which have lost their pictures and now matter only as metal, no longer as coins.” Ironically, although the postmodernist holds coins in his hand that are now “mere metal,” he affirms at least one absolute truth: the truth that no truth should be affirmed. Like the other worldviews, postmodernism is self-defeating and cannot stand up under its own claim.

                A popular worldview is pluralism, which says that all truth claims are equally valid. Of course, this is impossible. Can two claims – one that says a woman is now pregnant and another that says she is not now pregnant – both be true at the same time? Pluralism unravels at the feet of the law of non-contradiction, which says that something cannot be both “A” and “Non-A” at the same time and in the same sense. As one philosopher quipped, anyone who believes that the law of non-contradiction is not true (and, by default, pluralism is true) should be beaten and burned until they admit that to be beaten and burned is not the same thing as to not be beaten and burned. Also, note that pluralism says that it is true and anything opposed to it is false, which is a claim that denies its own foundational tenet.

                The spirit behind pluralism is an open-armed attitude of tolerance. However, pluralism confuses the idea of everyone having equal value with every truth claim being equally valid. More simply, all people may be equal, but not all truth claims are. Pluralism fails to understand the difference between opinion and truth, a distinction Mortimer Adler notes: “Pluralism is desirable and tolerable only in those areas that are matters of taste rather than matters of truth.” ..

                Some will admit that absolute truth exists, but then claim such a stance is only valid in the area of science and not in matters of faith and religion. This is a philosophy called logical positivism, which was popularized by philosophers such as David Hume and A. J. Ayer. In essence, such people state that truth claims must either be (1) tautologies (for example, all bachelors are unmarried men) or empirically verifiable (that is, testable via science). To the logical positivist, all talk about God is nonsense.

                Those who hold to the notion that only science can make truth claims fail to recognize is that there are many realms of truth where science is impotent. For example:

 • Science cannot prove the disciplines of mathematics and logic because it presupposes them.
 • Science cannot prove metaphysical truths such as, minds other than my own do exist.
 • Science is unable to provide truth in the areas of morals and ethics. You cannot use science, for example, to prove the Nazis were evil.

• Science is incapable of stating truths about aesthetic positions such as the beauty of a sunrise.

• Lastly, when anyone makes the statement “science is the only source of objective truth,” they have just made a philosophical claim—which cannot be tested by science..

                And there are those who say that absolute truth does not apply in the area of morality. Yet the response to the question, “Is it moral to torture and murder an innocent child?” is absolute and universal: No. Or, to make it more personal, those who espouse relative truth concerning morals always seem to want their spouse to be absolutely faithful to them.

                3.2.2 Why Truth is Important

                Why is it so important to understand and embrace the concept of absolute truth in all areas of life (including faith and religion)? Simply because life has consequences for being wrong. Giving someone the wrong amount of a medication can kill them; having an investment manager make the wrong monetary decisions can impoverish a family; boarding the wrong plane will take you where you do not wish to go; and dealing with an unfaithful marriage partner can result in the destruction of a family and, potentially, disease

                As Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias puts it, “The fact is, the truth matters – especially when you’re on the receiving end of a lie.” And nowhere is this more important than in the area of faith and religion. Eternity is an awfully long time to be wrong.

                3.2.3 Jesus Christ is the living Truth

                Almost two thousand years ago, Truth was put on trial and judged by people who were devoted to lies. In fact, Truth faced six trials in less than one full day, three of which were religious, and three that were legal. In the end, few people involved in those events could answer the question, What is truth?

                The question Pontius Pilate asked centuries ago needs to be rephrased in order to be completely accurate. The Roman governor’s remark “What is truth?” overlooks the fact that many things can have the truth, but only one thing can actually be the Truth. Truth must originate from somewhere.

                The stark reality is that Pilate was looking directly at the Origin of all Truth on that early morning over two thousand years ago. Not long before being arrested and brought to the governor, Jesus had made the simple statement “I am the truth” (John 14:6), which was a rather incredible statement. How could a mere man be the truth? He couldn’t be, unless He was more than a man, which is actually what He claimed to be. The fact is, Jesus’ claim was validated when He rose from the dead (Romans 1:4).

                Pilate and the Jewish leaders thought they were judging Christ, when, in reality, they were the ones being judged. Moreover, the One they convicted will actually serve as their Judge one day, as He will for all who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

                Pilate evidently never came to a knowledge of the truth. Eusebius, the historian and Bishop of Caesarea, records the fact that Pilate ultimately committed suicide sometime during the reign of the emperor Caligula—a sad ending and a reminder for everyone that ignoring the truth always leads to undesired consequences.

                3.2.3.1 The Truth of Jesus Resurrection

                (Source: http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/historical-evidence-for-the-resurrection -“Historical Evidence for the Resurrection,”  article by Matt Perman, September 12, 2007)

                Scripture presents conclusive evidence that Jesus Christ was in fact resurrected from the dead. Christ’s resurrection is recorded in Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-53; and John 20:1–21:25. The resurrected Christ also appeared in the Book of Acts (Acts 1:1-11). From these passages you can gain several “proofs” of Christ’s resurrection and that faith in the word of God is not blind faith.

                First is the dramatic change in the disciples. They went from a group of men frightened and in hiding to strong, courageous witnesses sharing the gospel throughout the world. What else could explain this dramatic change other than the risen Christ appearing to them? Second is the life of the apostle Paul. What changed him from being a persecutor of the church into an apostle for the church? It was when the risen Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6). A third convincing proof is the empty tomb. If Christ were not raised, then where is His body? The disciples and others saw the tomb where He was buried. When they returned, His body was not there. Angels declared that He had been raised from the dead as He had promised (Matthew 28:5-7). Fourth, additional evidence of His resurrection is the many people He appeared to (Matthew 28:5, 9, 16-17; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:13-35; John 20:19, 24, 26-29, 21:1-14; Acts 1:6-8; 1 Corinthians 15:5-7).

                Furthermore, there is irrefutable historical evidence.The historical evidence for the resurrection of Christ is very good. Scholars such as William Lane Craig, J.P. Moreland, Gary Habermas, and others have done an especially good job of detailing that evidence.1 It is the aim of this article to offer a sort of synthesis of some of their key points and show the strength of the historical evidence for the resurrection of Christ.

                A method commonly used today to determine the historicity of an event is "inference to the best explanation." William Lane Craig describes this as an approach where we "begin with the evidence available to us and then infer what would, if true, provide the best explanation of that evidence." In other words, we ought to accept an event as historical if it gives the best explanation for the evidence surrounding it.

                When we look at the evidence, the truth of the resurrection emerges very clearly as the best explanation. There is no other theory that even comes close to accounting for the evidence. Therefore, there are solid historical grounds for the truth that Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

                It is worth pointing out that in establishing the historicity of the resurrection, we do not need to assume that the New Testament is inspired by God or even trustworthy. While I do believe these things, we are going to focus here on three truths that even critical scholars admit. In other words, these three truths are so strong that they are accepted by serious historians of all stripes. Therefore, any theory must be able to adequately account for these data.

                The three truths are:

                1. The tomb in which Jesus was buried was discovered empty by a group of women on the Sunday following the crucifixion.( Jacob Kremer, who has specialized in the study of the resurrection and is a NT critic, has said "By far most exegetes hold firmly to the reliability of the biblical statements about the empty tomb" and he lists twenty-eight scholars to back up his fantastic claim.)

                2. Jesus' disciples had real experiences with one whom they believed was the risen Christ.( There are three possible alternatives:1.They were lying; 2.They hallucinated; 3.They really saw the risen Christ - Ten people would not all give their lives for something they know to be a lie. The hallucination theory is untenable because it cannot explain the physical nature of the appearances. The disciples record eating and drinking with Jesus, as well as touching him. This cannot be done with hallucinations. Second, it is highly unlikely that they would all have had the same hallucination.

                3. As a result of the preaching of these disciples, which had the resurrection at its center, the Christian church was established and grew. (William Lane Craig points out that there are three possible causes: Christian influences, pagan influences, or Jewish influences. Could it have been Christian influences? Craig writes, "Since the belief in the resurrection was itself the foundation for Christianity, it cannot be explained as the later product of Christianity.")

                Virtually all scholars who deal with the resurrection, whatever their school of thought, assent to these three truths. We will see that the resurrection of Christ is the best explanation for each of them individually. But then we will see, even more significantly, that when these facts are taken together we have an even more powerful case for the resurrection--because the skeptic will not have to explain away just one historical fact, but three. These three truths create a strongly woven, three chord rope that cannot be broken…

                3.2.3.1.1 The Importance of the Resurrection

                But, in conclusion, don't we have to ask ourselves what implications this has? Why does it matter? Or is this some dry, dusty old piece of history that has no relevance to our lives? I believe that the resurrection is the most important truth in the world. It has far reaching implications on our lives.

                First, the resurrection proves that the claims Jesus made about himself are true. What did Jesus claim? He claimed to be God. One might say, "I don't believe that He claimed to be God, because I don't believe the Bible." But the fact is that even if we take only the passages which skeptical scholars admit as authentic, it can still be shown that Jesus claimed to be God. I have written a paper elsewhere to demonstrate this. So it is impossible to get around the fact that Jesus claimed to be God. Now, if Jesus had stayed dead in the tomb, it would be foolish to believe this claim. But since He rose from the dead, it would be foolish not to believe it. The resurrection proves that what Jesus said about Himself is true--He is fully God and fully man.

                 Second, have you ever wondered what reasons there are to believe in the Bible? Is there good reason to believe that it was inspired by God, or is it simply a bunch of interesting myths and legends? The resurrection of Jesus answers the question. If Jesus rose from the dead, then we have seen this validates His claim to be God. If He is God, He speaks with absolute certainty and final authority. Therefore, what Jesus said about the Bible must be true. Surely you are going to accept the testimony of one who rose from the dead over the testimony of a skeptical scholar who will one day die himself--without being able to raise himself on the third day. What did Jesus say about the Bible? He said that it was inspired by God and that it cannot error. I will accept the testimony of Jesus over what I would like to be true and over the opinions of other men and women. Therefore I believe that the Bible is inspired by God, without error. Don't get misled by the numerous skeptical and unbelieving theories about the Bible. Trust Jesus--He rose from the dead.

                Third, many people are confused by the many different religions in the world. Are they all from God? But on a closer examination we see that they cannot all be from God, because they all contradict each other. They cannot all be true any more than 2+2 can equal both 4 and 5 at the same time. For example, Christianity is the only religion that believes Jesus Christ is both God and man. All other religions say that he was a good man only-and not God. Clearly, both claims cannot be right! Somebody is wrong. How are we to know which religion is correct? By a simple test: which religion gives the best evidence for its truth? In light of Christ's resurrection, I think that Christianity has the best reasons behind it ( and out of the many denominations in Christianity, there must be one that Jesus is the head and affirmed in the Book of Revelation (Ch 11))

                Jesus is the only religious leader who has risen from the dead. All other religious leaders are still in their tombs. Who would you believe? I think the answer is clear: Jesus' resurrection demonstrates that what He said was true. Therefore, we must accept his statement to be the only way to God: "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, except through me" (John 14:6).

                Fourth, the resurrection of Christ proves that God will judge the world one day. The apostle Paul said, "God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." The resurrection of Christ proves something very personal and significant to each of us--we will have to give an account of ourselves to a holy God. And if we are honest with ourselves, we will have to admit that we do not measure up to his standard. We are sinful, and therefore deserve to be condemned at His judgment.

                This leads to our fifth point. The resurrection of Christ provides genuine hope for eternal life. Why? Because Jesus says that by trusting in Him, we will be forgiven of our sins and thereby escape being condemned at the judgment. The NT doesn't just tell us that Christ rose from the dead and leave us wondering why He did this. It answers that He did this because we are sinners. And because we have sinned, we are deserving of God's judgment. Since God is just, He cannot simply let our sins go. The penalty for our sins must be paid. (At a deeper level of spiritual discernment, the penalty is not as a legal payment, but as the price required to fix what was broken in humankind. It  would  be  like  saying  to  someone  who  was  dying  of  renal  failure,  that  the  person  who  donated  a kidney paid the price to save them. Yes, the person who gave a kidney they did pay the price to save them, but it wasn’t a legal price, it was the price their condition required.)

                The good news is that God, out of His love, became man in Jesus Christ in order to pay the penalty for sinners. (In  dying  Christ destroyed  death,  destroyed  him  who  holds  the  power  of  death  and  destroyed  the devil’s work (2Tim 1:10, Heb2:14,  1Jn  3:8).)  On the cross, Jesus died in the place of those who would come to believe in Him. He took upon Himself the very death that we deserve. The apostle Paul says "He was delivered up because of our sins." But the apostle Paul goes on to say "He was raised to life because of our justification." Paul is saying that Christ's resurrection proves that His mission to conquer sin was successful. His resurrection proves that He is a Savior who is not only willing, but also able, to deliver us from the wrath of God that is coming on the day of judgment. The forgiveness that Jesus died and rose to provide is given to those who trust in Him for salvation and a happy future.

                The sixth and final reason the apostle Paul explains why it is crucial to understand and believe in Christ’s resurrection is the promise The Bible says that Christ's resurrection is the pattern that those who believe in Him will follow. In other words, those who believe in Christ will one day be resurrected by God just as He was. The resurrection proves that those who trust in Christ will not be subject in eternity to a half-human existence in just their souls. It proves that our bodies will be resurrected one day. Because of the resurrection of Christ, believers will one day experience, forever, the freedom of having a glorified soul and body.

                A key passage on Christ’s resurrection is 1 Corinthians 15. In this chapter, the apostle Paul explains why it is crucial to understand and believe in Christ’s resurrection. The resurrection is important for the following reasons: 1) If Christ was not raised from the dead, believers will not be either (1 Corinthians 15:12-15). 2) If Christ was not raised from the dead, His sacrifice for sin was not sufficient (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). Jesus’ resurrection proved that His death was accepted by God as the atonement for our sins. If He had simply died and stayed dead, that would indicate His sacrifice was not sufficient. As a result, believers would not be forgiven for their sins, and they would remain dead after they die (1 Corinthians 15:16-19). There would be no such thing as eternal life (John 3:16). “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20 NAS).

                Finally, Scripture is clear that all those who believe in Jesus Christ will be raised to eternal life just as He was (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). First Corinthians 15 goes on to describe how Christ’s resurrection proves His victory over sin and provides us the power to live victoriously over sin (1 Corinthians 15:24-34). It describes the glorious nature of the resurrection body we will receive (1 Corinthians 15:35-49). It proclaims that, as a result of Christ’s resurrection, all who believe in Him have ultimate victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).

                What a glorious truth the resurrection of Christ is! “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). According to the Bible, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is most definitely true. The Bible records Christ's resurrection, records that over 500 people witnessed the resurrected Christ, and proceeds to build crucial Christian doctrine on the historical fact of Jesus' resurrection.        

                3.3 The Bible and Science

                In this simple but profound trip that dabble into Pascal’s Wager we have in the process affirm that believing in the existence of God is the only sure way to live. We have found that the truth is in the person of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of the invisible God. 

                To the disillusioned in the counsel of Pascal and have become atheist instead consider these words from Ellen White: 

                “In the word of God many queries are raised that the most profound scholars can never answer. Attention is called to these subjects to show us how much there is, even among the common things of every-day life, that finite minds, with all their boasted wisdom, can never fully understand.  {CE 194.1} 

                Yet men of science think that they can comprehend the wisdom of God, that which he has done or can do. The idea largely prevails that he is restricted by his own laws. Men either deny or ignore his existence, or think to explain everything, even the operation of his Spirit upon the human heart; and they no longer reverence his name, or fear his power. They do not believe in the supernatural, not understanding God's laws, or his infinite power to work his will through them. As commonly used, the term "laws of nature" comprises what men have been able to discover with regard to the laws that govern the physical world; but how limited is their knowledge, and how vast the field in which the Creator can work in harmony with his own laws, and yet wholly beyond the comprehension of finite beings!”  {CE 194.2}                                                             

                                       (End of D3— pp 16-29 (14 pages)

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