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Gladwin Joseph wrote:
> Just some thoughts on apologetics and justification of beliefs in
> response to WAyne Watson's post.
>
>
> Why can't we evaluate our belief by its effects? In the same way we
> know of gravity by its effects. So in the case of Mother Theresa
> doesn't her life of self-sacrificing service vindicate her beliefs.
> Jesus said (my paraphrase) "if you do not believe my words at least
> believe for the sake of the works that i do...". In another place He
> says " By one's fruit shall one know where [one's heart is or belief
> is]". In other words beliefs are ratified by one's life. We spend so
> much effort and energy (it seems) on verbal apologetics but do we pay
> as much attention to an apologetic of Life. Our lives as individuals
> and as a community ought to be our primary apologia to the world. I
> believe there is no more powerful apologetic than the life hidden in
> Christ and living His life (life that is crucified/risen).
>
> The Just shall live by faith and that does not change until we enter
> HOME.
>
AMEN!
>
One of he problems (ther are others) that I see with the evaluation of beliefs
solely based upon their effects is the problematic nature involved in
determining the connectivity between a certain belief and a given effect: e.g.
(belief) carrying salt (effect) keeps away malevolent elephants; (proof) I have
never been attacked by an elephant and I always carry salt!
Belief in aliens (evidently) has produced (to some) positive tangible effects;
even profound religious feelings! (I have been witnessed to by a "believer" who
"choose me" to receive this "good news" of alien benevolence because I was
perceived by this devotee as being "worthy" due to my evident "spirituality").
The older I get, the more I am convinced of the presuppositional stance on
apologetics (a la Cornellius Van Till genre).
May God have mercy to reveal Himself and call us to and keep us in "the way
everlasting."
In Christ's Protection;
George
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Gladwin Joseph wrote:
Just some thoughts on apologetics and justification of beliefs inAMEN!
response to WAyne Watson's post.
Why can't we evaluate our belief by its effects? In the same way we
know of gravity by its effects. So in the case of Mother Theresa
doesn't her life of self-sacrificing service vindicate her beliefs.
Jesus said (my paraphrase) "if you do not believe my words at least
believe for the sake of the works that i do...". In another place He
says " By one's fruit shall one know where [one's heart is or belief
is]". In other words beliefs are ratified by one's life. We spend so
much effort and energy (it seems) on verbal apologetics but do we pay
as much attention to an apologetic of Life. Our lives as individuals
and as a community ought to be our primary apologia to the world. I
believe there is no more powerful apologetic than the life hidden in
Christ and living His life (life that is crucified/risen).The Just shall live by faith and that does not change until we enter
HOME.
One of he problems (ther are others) that I see with the evaluation
of beliefs solely based upon their effects is the problematic nature
involved in determining the connectivity between a certain belief
and a given effect: e.g. (belief) carrying salt (effect) keeps away malevolent
elephants; (proof) I have never been attacked by an elephant and I always
carry salt!
Belief in aliens (evidently) has produced (to some) positive tangible effects; even profound religious feelings! (I have been witnessed to by a "believer" who "choose me" to receive this "good news" of alien benevolence because I was perceived by this devotee as being "worthy" due to my evident "spirituality").
The older I get, the more I am convinced of the presuppositional stance on apologetics (a la Cornellius Van Till genre).
May God have mercy to reveal Himself and call us to and keep us in "the way everlasting."
In Christ's Protection;
George --------------E2DBE050DEC809698D01A607-- --------------C91CABE3BF5F460CAD6CC865 Content-Type: text/x-vcard; charset=us-ascii; name="gandrews.vcf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Description: Card for George Andrews Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="gandrews.vcf" begin:vcard n:Andrews Jr.;George tel;home:757 565 2890 x-mozilla-html:TRUE org:College of William & Mary;Applied Sciences adr:;;;Williamsburg;VA;23188; version:2.1 email;internet:gandrews@as.wm.edu title:Graduate Student fn:George A. Andrews Jr. end:vcard --------------C91CABE3BF5F460CAD6CC865--