Modernist objections to Christianity:
- What about all the contradictions?
- God is just a crutch. Religion was created by man.
- Jesus was just a man.
- The Bible of today is not the same one that was written 2 thousand years ago.
- If I can't see it, I don't believe it.
- Evolution has proven Christianity to be wrong.
- The Bible is full of myths & fairy tales.
- How did Noah get all those animals on the ark?
- There is no such thing as miracles.
- Do you really believe in the story of Adam & Eve?
- If God exists, why is there evil?
- The Inquisition and the Crusades show that Christianity is oppressive.
- Christianity is a way to God, but not the only way.
- Christianity is arrogant & exclusive.
- How do you know that your Bible is better than other religious writings?
- Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?
- What about those that have never heard?
- The Church is full of hypocrites.
- Why would God send anyone to Hell?
- The God of the O.T. is cruel, partial & unjust.
Modernists: facts, rationality, and evidence. Postmodernists: fairness, relationships & emotion.
Modernists Correspondence View of Truth: (1) Truth is an objective reality whether someone believes it or not; and (2) that objective reality is grounded in nature. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? The modernist's answer would be yes. The modernist would also say that in the same time and same relationship, one can not equal something else (e.g., God can not be good and evil, God can not be Allah & Yaweh).
Key motto of modernist: "Man can & will know all truth."
What is the postmodern view of truth? (1) Truth is a perspective reality that exists in the perspective of the individual or group and (2) that perspective reality is grounded in time. They'd say that the Bible is OUR Bible in time. The postmodernist would also say that in the same time and same relationship, one CAN equal something else (e.g., God can be good and evil, God can be Allah & Yaweh).
Key motto of postmodernist: "The truth can not be known."
Religious spin on postmodernism Epistemology:
Universalism: the belief that all people, good & bad, will make it to Heaven.
Pluralism: belief that there are many ways to God, which are all equally valid.
Syncretism: the assimilation of different beliefs & practices. Mixing.
Inclusivism: belief that salvation is only through Christ, but Christ may be revealed in other religions. The idea that a Buddhist who never heard of Christ will be covered/saved by the blood of Christ.
Exclusivism: Traditional Christian view is can only be a Christian if you have heard of Christ & believe in Christ.
Catholic church's Vatican II says: "But the plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the creator. In the first place among these are the Moslems, whom professing to hold the faith of Abraham, along with us adore the one and merciful god, who on the last day will judge mankind. Those also who can attain salvation through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His church, yet sincerely seek god and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do his will as it's known to them through the dictates of conscience." Wha?!
What is the Christian view of truth?
We are above, so to speak, the modernist & postmodernist views and are trying to interpret the Gospel into the culture that we have.
The Christian's Correspondence view of truth: (1) that truth is an objective reality that exists whether someone believes it or not and (2) that objective reality is grounded in an eternal God.
God can not violate the law of non-contradiction. God can not lie, He can not cease to exist, etc.
Key motto of truth: the secret things belong to our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law (Deut. 29:29).
Apophadic Theology: "negative" theology which views God & much of theology as beyond our understanding &, therefore, beyond defining through positive assertations. Finite people can not say what the infinite God is, but only what He is not. God is uncreated, immutable, infinite and immortal. (attractive to the postmodernists). Eastern Orthodox churches.
Cataphatic Theology: affirmative, "positive" theology which seeks to understand God in positive terms, understanding that God communicates to us through language & concepts that are analagous to Who and what He truly is (analogy of language). Western churches, protestants, Roman Catholocism. Emphasizes what we CAN know.
Christian view of truth starts with Cataphatic theology (things known/revealed) and then move towards Apophadic theology (things unknown; mystery). Start with soft skepticism, then to Perspectivism (understanding thru various perspectives) to Objectivism which leads closer to truth.
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