Faith and Epistemology :Discussing Boghossian’s Claims

Reasonable Faith UTDAllen HainlineJan 16, 2014

Today’s Outline

• Brief review of purpose of group• Overview of the Semester• Responding to Atheist Peter Boghossian– Discussion

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Biblical Basis for Apologetics

“Always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” I Peter 3:15Examples

– Jesus appealed to miracles and to fulfilled prophecy to prove His claims• Luke 24:25-7, John 14:11• Told us to love God with our minds Luke 10:27

– Paul’s example• Appealed to eyewitness testimony of Jesus’ resurrection (I Cor 15:3-8)• Appealed to creation as pointing to a Creator (Rom 1:20, Acts 14:17)

– Bible esteems wisdom incredibly – e.g. Proverbs

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Importance of Apologetics

• Shaping culture– Helps create more receptiveness to gospel

• Strengthening believers– Need to know why we believe (not just what)– Builds disciples with deeper knowledge– Helps preserve faith during low emotional times

• Winning unbelievers– E.g., Strobel’s Case for Christ and Case for Faith books

have led to countless conversions

• You can make a difference!5

Spring 2014 ScheduleJan 23 – Evidence for Christianity from Early Church Fathers - Dr. Justin BassJan 30 – Differences Between Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christians – Dr. Justin BassFeb 6 – Quantum Mechanics, Miracles and Materialism - Dr. Neil Shenvi via SkypeFeb 13 – Evidence for Resurrection – J Warner WallaceFeb 20 – 4:30-6:00 Intelligent Design Jonathan McLatchie in FN 2.102 (Pizza provided)Feb 27 – Archaeological Corroboration of the Bible - Ted WrightMarch 6 – Archaeology and the Bible – Allen HainlineMarch 13 – No meeting due to Spring BreakMarch 20 – Human Free Will and God’s Sovereignty - Steve Lee (FN 2.102)March 27– How Can a Good God Allow Evil? Allen HainlineFri March 28 or Mon March 31 – Dr. Frank TurekApril 3 – What if Atheists are Right? Beau BishopApril 10 – 7:00 William Lane Craig Skypes in for Q&A (larger room – TBD)April 17 – 7:30 Evidence for the Resurrection - Steve Lee (Joint meeting with Intervarsity in JSOM 1.118 (Davidson auditorium)April 24 – Review and DiscussionsMay 1 – End of the year party

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Atheist Boghossian

• Philosopher at Portland State University• Wrote influential book called “A Manual for

Creating Atheists”• Starting TV Show called “The Reason

Whisperer”

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Boghossian’s Approach

• Doesn’t present arguments against the existence of God or try to refute arguments for God

• Mischaracterizes faith as “pretending to know what you can’t possibly know.”

• If you have evidence then it wouldn’t be faith• He admits to trying to change the definition of faith

and encourages his followers to– Use word “faith” only in religious context– Stigmatize faith-based claims like racist claims

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Discussion

• What do you think of Boghossian’s definition of faith and evidence?– Do some Christians have a “blind faith?”

• Is faith an epistemology (a way of knowing)?• Which fallacies or fallacies might be pertinent in evaluating

Boghossian’s claims?• Do you agree that Biblical faith involves trust as in a person?• Can you think of examples of scientist’s having faith in an

idea?• What is your reaction to Boghossian’s lack of focus on

engaging in actual arguments and evidence?

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Response

• Faith is not an epistemology– Faith is trusting in what you have good reason to accept– There may be an implicit element of a lack of proof to the

degree of certainty than one achieves in math but almost no atheist would claim to have that level of certainty about their belief either.

• Long history of Christian thinkers and the Bible itself don’t define faith that way– E.g. Jesus would have been destroying the faith of the

disciples by appearing to them– Disciples shouldn’t have testified that they saw the risen

Christ so that people could have faith

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General Lessons

• Until you refute a belief, you shouldn’t focus on how a belief was formed– To do otherwise commits genetic fallacy– “I’m getting a bit sick of these pseudo-psychological explanations. Whenever

you’ve run out of arguments, just make up some just-so story about how there is a natural tendency for humans to believe such things for some made up reason and we’re all biased of course so (condescending head pat) don’t believe that, sonny. C.S. Lewis called it Bulverism, Flew called it the subject/motive shift: distract attention from the truth of a claim by explaining how some people have come to believe something so silly.” Luke Barnes

• Faith is a commitment response to a belief– May be well-reasoned or not– Thus, faith is not an epistemology at all

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