How to Argue the Existence of God

1. How to Argue the Existence of God A biblically sound, philosophically coherent, and scientifically faithful methodology for defending Christianity and the existence of God.

2. Why Do Apologetics? • What do you mean by ‘argument?’ • What is your goal in apologetics? • Giving a rational defense for what you believe • Win the person, not the argument • Edification of the Saints • Know your faith to be true & Show your faith to be true • Love, love, love

3. Methodology • Fideism • Presuppositionalism • Classical Apologetics • Cumulative Case • Offensive Apologetics v. Defensive Apologetics

4. The ArgumentsThe Cosmological Argument • What we observe and experience in our universe is contingent. • A network of causally dependent contingent things cannot be infinite. • A network of causally dependent contingent things must be finite. • Therefore, there must be a first cause in the network of contingent causes

5. The ArgumentsThe Fine-Tuning Argument • Given the fine-tuning evidence, a life permitting universe (LPU) is very, very unlikely under the non-existence of a fine-tuner (~FT)that is, P(LPM|~FT & k’) ≪ 1. • Given the fine-tuning evidence, LPU is not unlikely under FT (Fine-Tuner): that is, ~P(LPM|FT & k’) ≪ 1. • Therefore, LPU strongly supports FT over ~FT.

6. The Fine-Tuning of theLaws of Nature • Electromagnetic Force • Different atomic bonds and thus complex molecules needed for life could not form. • No light, no life!

7. The Fine-Tuning of theLaws of Nature • Strong Nuclear Force • The force that holds the atomic nucleus together. After all, protons are positively charged and like charges repel each other. Thus, shouldn’t the nucleus fly apart? • If stronger, no hydrogen, an essential element of life. • If weaker, only hydrogen.

8. The Fine-Tuning of theLaws of Nature • Weak Nuclear Force • If stronger, insufficient helium to generate heavy elements in stars. • If weaker, stars burn out too quickly and supernova explosions could not scatter heavy elements across the universe.

9. The Fine-Tuning of theLaws of Nature • Principle of Quantization • Proposed by Niels Bohr in 1910 • Without it, an electron would be sucked into the nucleus of an atom. • No atoms, no life! • Pauli Exclusion Principle (Wolfgang Pauli, 1925), all electrons would fall into lowest orbital (no complex chemistry).

10. The Fine-Tuning of theConstants of Nature • Gravitational Constant • Determines the strength of gravity via Newton’s Law of Gravity F = Gm1m2/r2 • Actual value of G is 6.67 x 10-11 Nm2/kg2 m2 r m1

11. The Fine-Tuning of theConstants of Nature Strength of Electromagnetism: 1037G0 G0 = Current Strength of Gravity Strength of Weak Force: 1031G0 Strength of Strong Force: 1040G0 1040G0 = ten thousand, billion, billion, billion, billion times the strength of gravity

12. The ArgumentsThe MORAL Argument • There are objective axiological/moral facts that obtain. • Either the world alone or the world and a perfectly moral person best explain these facts. • It is the case that the world and a perfectly moral person best explain these facts. • Therefore, the world and a perfectly moral person best explain these facts.

13. Concluding the Cumulative Case • Spaceless • Timeless • Transcendent • Uncaused • Very intelligent • Morally Perfect Person

14. Know Who/What you’rearguing against • What’s the topic of the discussion? • Does God exist? • Semantic quibbles? • Science and Religion? • Evolution? • The Age of the Earth? • Inerrancy? • Pick your battles • Stay on course, don’t fish for red herrings

15. What to avoid • Don’t get emotional • Go after the argument and not the person • Stay calm • Dealing with “Internet Atheists” • You may offend them without even knowing it