31 August 2007

Tuesday Sept 18 lecture

Here are the study questions from Tuesday's lecture. They cover the video we didn't watch and the essay we didn't read. If you know these and the study questions for the Intro test (some are duplicates) you should be ready for Thursday's test.
Happy studying!

AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST
1. What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ?
An ambassador is a representative between two parties. Christians are God’s diplomats to the world. Our actions and attitudes reflect our Savior. When we are argumentative, lazy, ignorant, selfish, or just outright sinful, these actions and attitudes reflect badly on God. We are communicating to the world the perceived character of God in us. Every Christian is an ambassador for Christ right now. The question we need to ask ourselves is what kind of an ambassador are we?
2. What does it mean to reconcile and be reconciled? What can we learn from 2 Corinthians 5:20? What are three key elements for being an effective ambassador for Christ?
As Christians, we have been reconciled to God through Christ. This means our separation from God by sin has been restored. We are now a new creature with new attitudes and actions, loyal subjects to our God and Savior. Now that we have been reconciled, we are to go out and tell others of reconciliation with God. As his ambassadors, we should exhibit his qualities and demonstrate his ability to transform human beings. Second Corinthians 5:20 states that “we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were speaking through us; we beg of you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Within the larger context of verses 18–20 the world “reconcile” is used five times: • God reconciled us to himself through Christ • We have been given the ministry of reconciliation • God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself • God has committed to us the word of reconciliation • We are ambassadors for Christ begging others to be reconciled to Christ. Three key elements for being an effective ambassador: 1) knowledge, 2) wisdom, and 3) character.
3. What does it mean to have knowledge while being an ambassador for Christ? Is the purpose offensive or defensive? How do we get knowledge of the answers?
Having knowledge means having an accurately informed mind. If we are to be ambassadors for Christ and to reconcile the world to him, we must know something about both God and the world. Without knowledge, we have no means to communicate to the world and no means with which to distinguish the ideas of the world from those of God. Therefore, Paul informs Christians that they are to use knowledge both defensively and offensively. Defensively, we are not to be “taken captive” by the ideas of men. Offensively, we are to inform others of the truth (Colossians 2:8 and 2 Corinthians 10:5 respectively). This is a battle for hearts and minds, and our spiritual weapon is truth. The knowledge of the answers is found within the Bible. The best way to learn these answers is to study the Bible. However, Christians today make at least two mistakes in the way they study the Scriptures. The first mistake is treating the Bible like a Ouija board. Christians take passages written at a specific time, to specific persons, for a specific message and re-apply the words (devoid of their original meaning) to themselves, claiming God gave them this passage. This practice is relativism, an idea prevalent in our society. This is just the type of false philosophy that Paul warned the Corinthians against. The second mistake, which is much more easily committed, is merely taking a verse out of context and misapplying its message. The best way to avoid this mistake is to read a verse within its larger context. It is sad, but while Christians know many Bible verses, they have no idea what the Bible actually says. The knowledge of the questions comes from the world. Just as the Bible was written within a context, today people have questions and explanations about reality that come from their own context—issues relating to Postmodernism, Islam, Christianity, evolution, homosexuality, abortion, etc. To discover these questions, Christians must engage others within their culture in an understandable way.
4. What does it mean to have wisdom while being an ambassador for Christ?
Wisdom is having the ability to present truth in an artful manner. This is done in at least two ways. First, find a creative way to communicate. For example, rather than telling someone they are a sinner, you can ask him or her questions to reveal this truth. By asking questions, we avoid seeming judgmental. By asking questions, you force the other person to think through the issues and come up with the truth on their own. A second component to wisdom is being able to present a clear message. In our culture, this means not speaking in Christianese, but rather presenting truth in words that the average unbeliever is capable of understanding.
5. What does it mean to have character while being an ambassador for Christ? Character is the balance between two extremes. Some Christians are so nice that they offend no one. Others are so aggressive and uncaring that they offend everyone. As Christians, we should not shy away from the truth (which can be offensive), but we do want to be as kind and considerate as possible. In fact, the Bible instructs us to be gentle and reverent (1 Peter 3:15) and to be patient and not quarrelsome (2 Timothy 2:24–25). It is also a good idea to abandon trite and culturally ambiguous Christian language. Within Christianity we have developed our own lingo that many unbelievers cannot comprehend. Moreover, some Christians come across as being “overly-Christian” or “annoyingly-Christian.” These Christians don’t seem normal to the world at large, and unbelievers can’t take their Christianity seriously. Another good character trait to learn is humility, specifically being able to admit that you may be wrong. If you are trying to convince someone else that they are wrong, then you must be equally willing to admit that you might be wrong. Obviously, Christians believe Christianity is true, but pure dogmatism will get us nowhere with others. Likewise, we should be willing to admit that those we disagree with at times have good points and valid concerns. Being able to connect and identify honestly with others makes a better Christian ambassador than hardheaded stubbornness.

TOTAL TRUTH
1. What is meant by the assertion that “politics tend to reflect culture, not the other way around?”
It is a common misconception that the most effective place to promote change is from the seat of a public office. While laws usually reflect the general consensus of the people, they rarely change that consensus. In fact, many Christians today are unaware that they can change culture through the business of everyday life. Nancy Pearcey cites the example of a Christian lawyer who was told by a Washington–area ministry leader, “You can either stay where you are and keep practicing law, or you can come to Washington and change the culture.” What this person and others fail to realize is that we do not cease being Christians in the world at large. This is not to say that Christian influence is not needed in government—but that it is needed in every arena of life. All of us can make an impact for Christ in our everyday lives, occupations, and relationships.
2. How has the concept of truth been divided in modern society?
The concept of truth has been divided into two arenas—facts and values (i.e. private truth and public truth). Facts are believed to come from science, while values are derived from religion. Facts describe the world as it really is, while values simply express individual or cultural preferences.
3. According to our modern society, what are some examples of public and private truths?
Public truth: • The Earth revolves around the sun. • Mount Everest is the highest point on our planet. • The capital of Switzerland is Bern. • Herbert Hoover was the president of the United States of America from 1929–33. • Water is made up of a combination of hydrogen and oxygen.
Private truth: • An intelligent being created the whole universe. • Being involved in a homosexual act is wrong. • The Christian Bible is inspired by God. • Jesus Christ died for the sins of his people. • Jehovah’s Witnesses present a skewed view of Jesus.
4. Why is using the word “values” to describe religious claims a useful strategy for those who endorse the fact/value split?
If proponents of the fact/value split were to openly attack religion, they would not gain much of a hearing because of the current politically correct atmosphere. Arguing for a fact/value split allows secularists to feign tolerance for religious beliefs. Claiming that religion provides a different kind of knowledge (namely values) allows religion to maintain a voice in the private sphere, while effectively banishing it from the public sphere. 5. How might the fact/value split affect the way modern culture understands the nature of marriage and the abortion debate?
If one assumes the fact/value split, then any views regarding how marriage should be defined or restricted must be judged at the level of personal or societal values, rather than fact. For example, to say that marriage should only take place between a man and a woman becomes a subjective opinion. No view on the definition or restriction of marriage can be held up as more correct than any other. If you don’t like gay marriage, then marry another heterosexual but don’t act as if everyone should hold your opinion. If this were a dispute of fact (a scientific matter), then experiments could be performed to settle the question, but it is not. Similarly, when a fact/value dichotomy is applied to the abortion debate, the issue of humanness (that is, being physiologically human) may be placed within the realm of facts. Science tells us that a fetus is human, but the issue of personhood (whether or not a human fetus is a person) is often consigned to the area of values, allowing each person to determine when a fetus is human based on his or her individual beliefs. Those holding to a fact/value split believe this disagreement is about values and not facts. In their minds, this argument is merely over personal opinion, thus Christian “belief” is not taken seriously.



Homework questions- Philosophy unit

UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES
PHILOSOPHY QUESTIONS


P H I L O S O P H Y 2. 1

1. How do some Christians use Colossians 2:8 to support their belief that faith does not need to be defended on philosophical grounds? What is wrong with this interpretation?

2. What led former atheist C.E.M. Joad to embrace the Christian view of the universe?

3. What does “faith precedes reason” mean? How does Edward T. Ramsdell explain this idea?

4. What is Christianity’s basis for special revelation?

5. What is the Christian view of the relationship between the natural and the supernatural? How does this view differ from that of the naturalist?

P H I L O S O P H Y 2. 2

6. Which system of philosophy influenced Islamic philosophers? What kind of problem does this
create for the Islamic view of God?

7. Which argument did Muslims develop for the existence of God?

8. Are Muslims naturalists or supernaturalists? Why? Do Muslims believe in life after death?

9. Do Muslims believe in miracles? Does the fact that Muhammad did not perform any miracles
cause a problem for Muslims?

10. How do Muslims interpret Deuteronomy 18:15–18 and John 14:16? How do Christians usually interpret these verses?

P H I L O S O P H Y 2. 3

11. What is the essence of naturalism?

12. How did Roy Wood Sellars regard the Christian worldview? In his opinion, what has rendered Christianity obsolete?

13. What is the cosmology of the Secular Humanist?

14. For the naturalist, what is the ultimate means of perception?

15. How does the naturalist’s monistic view of the mind and body differ from the Christian’s
dualistic view? What are two troubling implications of a naturalistic answer to the “mind-body”
question?


P H I L O S O P H Y 2. 4

16. How does Lenin describe matter?

17. What is the Marxist view of truth and knowledge (epistemology)?

18. What is the Marxist dialectic and how does it work?

19. What is the Marxist metaphysical belief?

20. How does Marxism address the mind-body question? What is the problem with their
explanation?

P H I L O S O P H Y 2. 5

21. Are Cosmic Humanists in agreement with the tenets of naturalism?

22. What is the Cosmic Humanist view of philosophy?

23. How do Cosmic Humanists understand truth? Where does the Cosmic Humanist look to find
truth?

24. Why do different Cosmic Humanist thinkers express different interpretations of reality?

25. According to Cosmic Humanism, what is the only substance that actually exists?

P H I L O S O P H Y 2. 6

26. Why is the statement “God so loved the world” nonsensical to a Postmodernist?

27. What is literary deconstruction? What does this theory mean for the Bible?

28. What is the “correspondence theory” of truth? Why do Postmodernists reject this theory?

29. What is the primary idea behind “word play?”

30. What four points does Kevin J. Vanhoozer use to summarize Postmodern philosophy?

E & N of God video questions

EXISTENCE AND NATURE OF GOD VIDEO QUESTIONS

1. Who made God?

2. How is God omnipotent? Are there things God cannot do? How is God omniscient? How is God omnipresent?

3. What is the Transcendental Argument for the existence of God?

4. What is the Kalam Cosmological Argument for the existence of God?

5. What is the difference between conceptually possible concepts and logically impossible concepts?

Video questions

Ambassadors for Christ video questions

1. What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ?

2. What does it mean to reconcile and be reconciled? What can we learn from 2 Corinthians 5:20? What are three key elements for being an effective ambassador for Christ?

3. What does it mean to have knowledge while being an ambassador for Christ?Is the purpose offensive or defensive? How do we get knowledge of the answers?

4. What does it mean to have wisdom while being an ambassador for Christ?

5. What does it mean to have character while being an ambassador for Christ?


LOVING GOD WITH YOUR MIND VIDEO QUESTIONS

1. What is it like being a teenager today?

2. What is the intellectual state of the church today? How did we get here?

3. How is the gospel often presented in our culture today? How have world missions been affected by the dumbing down of Christianity?

4. What are some characteristics of the empty self? How do we overcome the empty self?

5. What is the Biblical view of the mind? How does one develop a Christian mind?

EXISTENCE AND NATURE OF GOD VIDEO QUESTIONS

1. Who made God?

2. How is God omnipotent? Are there things God cannot do? How is God omniscient? How is God omnipresent?

3. What is the Transcendental Argument for the existence of God?

4. What is the Kalam Cosmological Argument for the existence of God?

5. What is the difference between conceptually possible concepts and logically impossible concepts?


UNDERSTANDING POSTMODERNISM VIDEO QUESTIONS

How can we historically divide the pre-modern, modern, and postmodern periods?

How did each period view truth?

What four elements define the philosophy of Postmodernism?

In what five ways is Postmodernism a contradiction?

On what areas do Christianity and Postmodernism disagree?

What do Christianity and Postmodernism have in common?


Evil & Suffering video questions

1. What are three types of evil? What are some examples? Which is the hardest type to deal with and why?

2. What are two different sides to the problem of evil and suffering? Which side do we struggle
with the most?

3. How do differing worldviews view the existence of evil?

4. What are some bad solutions to the problem of evil? Why are these solutions problematic?

5. What is the biblical resolution to the problem of evil and suffering?

Homework questions- Theology unit

T H E O L O G Y 1 . 1
1. What are the two “foundations” upon which Christian theism rests?
2. What is the difference between general and special revelation? What does it mean that general revelation is “a necessary but insufficient” means of revelation? What is God’s most direct form of special revelation?
3. What is a linchpin? How is special revelation “the linchpin of Christianity?” How does general revelation function as a “prod?”
4. When C.S. Lewis says, “Unless I believe in God, I can’t believe in thought,” what does he mean?
5. What are some of the characteristics of the personal God? From which biblical references do we learn about these characteristics?


T H E O L O G Y 1 . 2
6. What are the key beliefs of Islam? According to Islam, who is Muhammad? What roles do Jesus, Moses, and other biblical figures play in Islam?
7. What are the key practices (or pillars) of Islam?
8. What are the Qur’an and the Hadith?
9. What do Muslims believe regarding the doctrine of the Trinity? Why do they hold this view?
10. Muslims claim that Islam fulfills Christianity. What are the main problems with this view?

T H E O L O G Y 1 . 3
11. What term best describes Secular Humanist theology? How do Humanists view the supernatural?
12. According to Corliss Lamont, from where did the idea of God or gods come?
13. What is the premise of the humanistic children’s book What About God?
14. Why did life-long atheist Antony Flew abandon atheism and accept theism?
15. Reflection Question: According to Paul Kurtz, since there is no God, man must save himself.
What does Kurtz mean by “save” himself?

T H E O L O G Y 1 . 4
16. What term best describes Marxist-Leninist theology?
17. How did Karl Marx view humanity and its role in history?
18. What well-known quote by Karl Marx best summarizes his sentiment toward religion?
19. Fyodor Dostoevsky said the problem with Communism is not economic, but what?
20. Reflection Question: Why did Marx and Lenin both desire to wipe “even the flirting of the idea of God” out of existence?

T H E O L O G Y 1 . 5
21. Why is the life of Christ important to Cosmic Humanists?
22. According to Cosmic Humanism, who is God?
23. According to Cosmic Humanism, what happens when a person dies?
24. What is the theological view of Cosmic Humanism?
25. Reflection Question: How have you seen pantheism portrayed in popular culture?

T H E O L O G Y 1 . 6
26. What is the theological view of classical Postmodernism?
27. Why are Postmodernists such as Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault unwilling to clearly state their theological beliefs?
28. What is deconstruction? How might this theory be applied to texts such as the Bible?
29. How has Postmodernism influenced the notion of religious pluralism?
30. Reflection Question: What do you think Friedrich Nietzsche is saying in his poem The Madman?

30 August 2007

Biology - Unit 4

B I O L O G Y 4 . 1
1.What are some problems with the theory of theistic evolution?
2. What aspects of the Christian worldview were foundational to the development of science?
3. Define the following topics: teleology, DNA, spontaneous generation, Second Law of Thermodynamics, and gene pool. How do they relate to the debate over origins?
4. According to Walter Brown, what should we see in the fossil record if evolution is true?
5. What problems does the theory of punctuated equilibrium avoid? What problems must it face?

B I O L O G Y 4 . 2
6. What is the Islamic view of creation?
7. According to Islam, how many days did creation take?
8. According to Islam, did creation happen in literal days or longer periods of time?
9. Do Muslims believe that the universe displays design?
10. Does Islam incorporate a belief in evolution?

B I O L O G Y 4 . 3
11. What do the Humanist Manifestos I and II state about humanity’s origins?
12. Why must “modern” science rule out creation? Does this reasoning pose a problem for evolution as well? Why or why not?
13. What is spontaneous generation? Why is this theory important to evolutionists?
14. Define the following topics: natural selection and struggle for existence (or survival). How do they relate to the debate over origins?
15. Upon what six planks does Secular Humanist biology rest?


B I O L O G Y 4 . 4
16. Why was Charles Darwin’s work so important to Karl Marx? What connection does Friedrich Engels make between Darwin and Marx?
17. Where did Engels place his faith and was there any way to persuade Engels against spontaneous generation?
18. Why do Marxists ultimately deem Darwinism as inconsistent with their worldview?
19. What form of evolution does Marxism embrace?
20. What stunning indictment does Stephen J. Gould make against the fossil record? How does this relate to his theory of punctuated evolution?


B I O L O G Y 4 . 5
21. What is the main evolutionary concern for Cosmic Humanists? What is this approach called?
22. How do Cosmic Humanists view science? In what ways do they believe it has been harmful? Do they believe science supports their ideas about reality?
23. How does the evolutionary view of Cosmic Humanism differ from the evolutionary theory purported by Marxists-Leninists and Secular Humanists?
24. How is John White’s version of the Second Coming different from the one described in the New Testament?
25. What is the Gaia Hypothesis? How does this hypothesis undermine the Darwinian ideal of survival of the fittest?

B I O L O G Y 4 . 6
26. What are three prominent theories of evolution? Why are many Postmodernists unwilling to endorse any particular theory of origins?
27. What is Paul Feyerbend’s opinion of how science works?
28. How does Thomas Kuhn describe the nature of scientific investigation?
29. What do evolutionary Postmodernists believe about man’s role in the process of evolution?
30. Although Christians acknowledge that scientists have biases and presuppositions, what reasons are given for believing that true knowledge about reality is possible?

29 August 2007

Sociology - Unit 6

SOCIOLOGY 6.1

1. According to the Bible, what are the three basic institutions of society? Why do sociologists differ when describing the origin of these institutions and their relationship to the individual?
2. According to Christianity, what is the source of humanity’s problems?

SOCIOLOGY 6.2
6. How do some Islamic writings characterize women?
7. What is the Islamic view of polygamy? Is polygamy the norm?
8. How was Muhammad’s disregard for the restriction on polygamy resolved?
9. What does the Bible have to say about polygamy?
10. How do Muslims view the institution of the state? What two forms of government do Muslims promote?

SOCIOLOGY 6.3
11. How is sociology different from psychology? What problem do both secular psychologists and sociologists face?
12. What are some adjectives used by Secular Humanists to describe traditional marriage?
13. What must Secular Humanists use to reshape people’s thinking socially and economically?
14. How does the new social order propose to handle childrearing?
15. Reflection Question: How might state-sponsored childrearing change society?

SOCIOLOGY 6.4
16. How does Marxism’s reliance on evolution as a basis for its social theory influence its perception of the mechanisms of society?
17. According to Karl Marx, what determines a person’s consciousness?
18. How do Marxists view religion in relation to the evolution of society?
19. Once the proletariat has ushered in a socialistic system, what role does the Marxist sociologist envision education taking?
20. How will children be cared for according to Marxist sociology?

SOCIOLOGY 6.5
21. What is the ultimate goal of Cosmic Humanist psychology and sociology?
22. What is the Cosmic Humanist view of traditional marriage and family?
23. What does Shakti Gawain say about divorce in the New Age society?
24. What does Kevin Ryerson say about sexuality in the New Age society?
25. How do Cosmic Humanists view education?

SOCIOLOGY 6.6
26. According to Michel Foucault, why is the social order important?
27. What do Postmodernists believe about the family, sexuality, traditional values, and the church? How is the Postmodernist view of sociology best defined?
28. According to Walter Truett Anderson, what role does education play within society? How do Postmodernists plan to equalize the playing field?
29. How are Postmodernists seeking to restructure society?
30. Why is Dada art a good representation of the Postmodern mood? What words best describe Postmodern art and music?

27 August 2007

Psychology - Unit 5

PSYCHOLOGY 5.1

1. Why does William Kirk Kilpatrick refer to Christianity and psychology as competing faiths?
2. Why should Christians bring God’s truth to the discipline of psychology?
3. What is the Christian view of ontology (the study of being)? What is “unity of identity?”

4. According to Christianity, what is the key to healing non-organic mental illnesses?
5. How do Secular Humanists and Christians differ in their views of suffering?



PSYCHOLOGY 5.2

6. What do Muslims believe about being created in the “image of God?” What is their view of human nature?
7. What is the Islamic view of the Fall?
8. What is the Islamic view of Christ’s work on the cross? How does one attain salvation in Islam?
9. What is the Islamic view of the Final Judgment and forgiveness?
10. What are the ramifications of denying Jesus’ death on the cross?

PSYCHOLOGY 5.3

11. What is behaviorism? Why is Secular Humanism’s rejection of behaviorist psychology inconsistent with its worldview?
12. Why do so few Secular Humanists accept behaviorism?
13. What do Secular Humanists believe about the innate nature of mankind?
14. Why do Secular Humanist psychologists justify self-centeredness as a worthwhile goal? How does this contrast with the Christian view?
15. What is the Secular Humanist psychologist’s source of ethics? How does this line of thinking tend toward elitism?


PSYCHOLOGY 5.4

16. What aspects of behaviorism do Marxists accept? What aspects of behaviorism do they reject?
17. How do Marxists avoid accepting the determinism dictated by behaviorism?
18. According to Marxists, what is the major problem with society? Why?
19. How does the Marxist view of the dialectic affect their psychology?
20. How do Marxists define freedom?

PSYCHOLOGY 5.5

21. What role does psychology play in Cosmic Humanism?
22. According to Cosmic Humanism, how do individuals achieve a healthy well-being?
23. According to Cosmic Humanism, why do people suffer health problems?
24. According to Cosmic Humanism, where do criminal tendencies originate?
25. What methods do “fourth force” psychology employ to induce states of higher consciousness in willing individuals?

PSYCHOLOGY 5.6

26. How has the concept of soul become obsolete in the Postmodern era?
27. How do Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari view the soul?
28. What is the definition of “self” according to Jacques Lacan and Michel Foucault?
29. What is the theory of “multiple selves” according to Mitchell Stephens and Kenneth Gergen?
30. What are some inherent problems with the notion of a socially constructed self?

Unit 3 Video questions

RESPONDING TO RELATIVISM
VIDEO QUESTIONS

1. What is moral relativism? What are some motivations for moral relativism? What are some problems with the motivations?
2. What is objectivism? What is subjectivism? How do these ideas relate to moral relativism?
3. What are moral claims? What are preference claims? How does this distinction relate to the subject of moral relativism?
4. What are the three types of moral relativism? What are some of their problems?
5. What is Epistemological Relativism? What are some problems with this position?
6. What are some common relativistic slogans? What are some problems with these slogans and possible responses?
7. How has moral relativism advanced in our society? What are some problems and responses?
8. Why can the state not take a neutral position on issues like same-sex marriage or abortion?
9. What are some tactics for responding to moral relativism?
10. How can evil be a proof of God’s existence?


BIOTECHNOLOGY
VIDEO QUESTIONS

1. What is biotechnology? What does Scripture say about biotechnology?
2. What are stem cells? Why is research being done on stem cells?
3. What are the differences between embryonic and non-embryonic stem cells? Which type of stem cells has produced scientific achievement?
4. What are some different areas of biotechnology? What are some promises that these areas hold? What are some concerns?
5. What is bioethics? What are some of the ethical challenges of biotechnology? What makes human beings valuable?

Unit 3 Questions

Find the video questions here
UNDERSTANDING THE TIMES
ETHICS QUESTIONS

E T H I C S 3 . 1

1. Why are Christian ethics and theology inseparable? What did Francis Schaeffer mean when he said that not all things are the same to God?
2. What did Schaeffer conclude about a society without moral absolutes? Do we see this in society?
3. On what authority do Christians base their belief in moral absolutes? How specific is this authority?
4. Ethically speaking, what are Christians called to do?
5. What did Dietrich Bonhoeffer mean by the question, “Where are the responsible people?”


E T H I C S 3 . 2

6. Why do Muslims view Muhammad as morally exemplary even though the Hadith does not paint a flattering portrait of his life?
7. How do Christianity and Islam differ in relation to their beliefs about ethical absolutes?
8. In what two ways is the term jihad used?
9. What motivates Muslims to behave ethically?
10. Which motivation is the strongest?


E T H I C S 3 . 3

11. What is the ultimate ethical question for a Secular Humanist? What questions did Morris B. Storer outline in his book Humanist Ethics?
12. Why are there such diverse views and conflicts regarding humanistic ethics?
13. Who proposed the “no-truth thesis” and what does it state?
14. How do most humanists attempt to dodge the “no-truth thesis?” How does Corliss Lamont address this issue?
15. What did Arthur E. Gravatt, Joseph Fletcher, Herbert W. Schneider, and Paul Kurtz have to say about ethics?


E T H I C S 3 . 4

16. How did Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels view the issue of morality?
17. What is the Marxist-Leninist morality of the future? How will it be determined?
18. What is the Marxist-Leninist view of “old morality?”
19. What is the Marxist code of ethics according to the book Scientific Communism?
20. What means have Marxists historically believed would bring about a society without class distinctions? What have been the results of such an ethical system?


E T H I C S 3 . 5

21. What is the foundation for Cosmic Humanism’s ethical system?
22. According to Cosmic Humanist ethics, can anyone judge another’s actions?
23. How is the word “tolerance” used by Cosmic Humanists?
24. How is the line between good and evil blurred in Cosmic Humanist ethics?
25. In what system of justice do Cosmic Humanists believe?


E T H I C S 3 . 6

26. What is the foundation of Postmodern ethics?
27. According to Postmodernists, how does a community create its own ethical standards?
28. Why are Postmodernists hesitant to use the term relativism?
29. According to Richard Rorty, how do ethics develop within a Postmodern community? Do all postmodernists agree with his assessment?
30. Reflection Question: What are the possible consequences when a community is allowed to sever ethics from an absolute standard and negotiate its own ethical system?

26 August 2007

What to study for Test on Unit 2

Know the meaning of these five words:
-Metaphysics- Philosophy- Ontology- Cosmology- Epistemology

1. How do some Christians use Colossian's 2:8 to support their belief that faith does not need to be defended on philosophical grounds? What is wrong with this interpretation?
2. What does “faith precedes reason” mean? How does Edward T. Ramsdell explain this idea?
3. What three things form Christianity’s basis for special revelation?
4. What is the essence of naturalism?

5. For the naturalist, what is the ultimate means of perception?
6. Are Muslims naturalists or supernaturalists? Why? Do Muslims believe in life after death?
7. What is the Christian view of the relationship between the natural and the supernatural? How
does this view differ from that of the naturalist?
8. How does the naturalist’s monistic view of the mind and body differ from the Christian’s dualistic view?
9. How does Lenin describe matter?

10. What is the Marxist dialectic and how does it work?
11. What is the Cosmic Humanist view of philosophy?

12. How do Cosmic Humanists understand truth? Where does the Cosmic Humanist look to find truth?
13. Why is the statement “God so loved the world” nonsensical to a Postmodernist?

14. What is literary deconstruction? What does this theory mean for the Bible?

24 August 2007

Last 3 questions from Video Review

Here are the last 3 questions and answers we didn't get to finish in class on Tuesday.

3. How do differing worldviews view the existence of evil?
Christianity is not the only worldview that must deal with existence of evil and suffering. Every worldview must explain its existence. Naturalism, which purports that only the physical world exists, sees no meaning behind evil. For the naturalist, evil is just bad luck. Another worldview that must deal with problem of evil is transcendentalism. This worldview purports that the physical world and everything in it is just an illusion. Thus, evil and suffering become mere illusions; some may also see it as the result of karma. Lastly, theistic worldviews purport that both the natural and supernatural exist. The theist must argue that God has allowed evil for some purpose.


4. What are some bad solutions to the problem of evil? Why are these solutions problematic?
There are at least four bad solutions to the problem of pain and suffering:

Fideism—asserts that the dilemma should be ignored This position is problematic because it merely closes its eyes to the problem. Christians and unbelievers alike desire to understand evil and suffering. This position ultimately redefines our ability to know God.
Illusionism—purports that evil does not exist This position is problematic because it flies in the face of what every human being knows to be true—humanity experiences evil and suffering. This position ultimately redefines either the evil or the world.
Finitism—proposes that God cannot control all evil This position is problematic because it limits God’s abilities. This position ultimately redefines God’s power in relation to his creation.
Transmoralism—asserts that God is beyond moral categories This position is problematic because it paints God as unjust. According to this position God can allow and/or commit evil and suffering and at the same time be innocent. Human beings, on the other hand, are held to a higher standard and are subject to judgment when they commit evil acts. This position ultimately redefines God’s goodness
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5. What is the biblical resolution to the problem of evil and suffering?
The problem of evil and suffering is a very complicated issue. It cannot be answered in a truncated fashion. When considering the dilemma of how a good God and evil can coexist, it is helpful to consider the issue of time in three forms: past, future, and present.
Past—According to the Christian worldview, when God formed the universe he considered his creation good. However, Adam and Eve freely choose to disobey God. This disobedience resulted in a fallen world and a fallen race. That is, neither mankind nor nature exists today as God originally intended it to. Thus, we have moral evil (man-caused) and natural evil (non-man-caused). This is the Christian explanation for the existence of the evil and suffering. However, it does not explain how evil can exist with a good God. If God could do anything and were truly good, then wouldn’t he thwart all evil and suffering? Christians fully believe he could do so, but in regards to moral evil, human beings would no longer be free agents. That is, God would be directing us. Just as it is difficult to image a good God existing with evil, it is equally difficult to image a good God that allows human choice. If all our actions were determined to be good (or at least not evil), then how could human beings ever be considered good?
Future—The Bible informs us that although creation has fallen, it will someday be restored and evil be destroyed; fallen humanity will one day be redeemed. In fact, we are told that the end will be even better than the beginning. And a world redeemed is better than a world that had never fallen.

Present—Also unique to the Christian worldview is its view of the present. According to Scripture we have a God that does not merely allow suffering; he also suffered with us and even for us.


22 August 2007

Study points for Body and Gift

The Beginning
– The family is the first community, the basic building block of society and the Church
– Jesus tells us that if we want to learn about God’s plan for marriage, we have to begin at the beginning -with God’s original blueprint
– An man and a woman don’t become one flesh on their own - God unites them. Marriage is not a mere social institution. It is a holy union instituted by God; it cannot be dissolved by man

In God’s Image
– The key reference point for understanding our humanity is that we were created in God’s image
Genesis 1 explains four things about man
– man’s relationship to God defines who he is
– humans transcend the natural world; a part of it yet set apart from it
– Man is given stewardship over the earth
– Man alone is made in God’s likeness


Original Innocence

– The first chapter of Genesis is objective, the second is subjective
– The two are interrelated because all our subjective experiences correspond to the objective reality that we are created in God’s image
– To learn God’s intent for marriage, we must look back to the state of original innocence, when Adam and Eve had no knowledge of good and evil

The Promise of Redemption
– The tree of the knowledge of good and evil stands on the dividing line between original innocence and human sinfulness
– God responded to man’s sinfulness with a plan for redemption
– We Christians participate in two histories- human sinfulness and the redemption won by Christ. We are shut off from original innocence, but open to the mystery of redemption

Original Solitude
– What did it mean for the first man to be alone?
– When God said “It is not good for man to be alone” His statement applies to male and female
– Two meanings of original solitude
Human beings are unique and alone among the living creatures of the earth
– Adam is alone without a suitable companion


Person and Body
– In Genesis 2, three things show that man is above the other animals
the power of language
– a subject and not an object
– has free will

– Man alone has been chosen for communion with God. Every person has a unique, unrepeatable, exclusive relationship with God.
– Adam becomes aware that he is a person through the body

Death or Immortality
– Many philosophers have spoken of man as divided into two distinct parts - soul and body
– The Biblical view - the fundamental division is between dust and breath - unformed matter and living things
– Man is not a soul inserted into a body - he is a uniform being
– The body reveals man’s identity, giving visible form to his inner life

Original Unity

– The meaning of original unity is rooted in the creation of man as male and female
– Original unity arises from the unity of masculinity and femininity - two complementary ways of “being a body” created in God’s image
– Genesis is mythical in the sense that it truthfully describes things that are beyond human knowledge

The Communion of Persons
– In Genesis, the creation of man is complete when he is created as male and female
– Original solitude made it possible for Adam and Eve to become a “communion of persons” because they were capable of a deep relationship with one another
– Four things enable people to live in communion - Our common human nature, our sharing of the divine image, our free will, our bodies

One Flesh
– Adam and Eve were created to live in unity and harmony
– The one flesh union is most clearly realized in marriage when the spouses give themselves to one another and open themselves to the creation of new life
– Sex is a powerful bond established by the Creator so that husband and wife are no longer two separate individuals, but are now a communion of persons

Original Nakedness
– Original nakedness is the key to understanding the biblical vision of man’s created nature
– Original nakedness is a description of human consciousness inside the minds of Adam and Eve, revealing how they experienced their bodies
– The experience of shame marks the border between original innocence and man’s sinfulness

Unashamed
– The first experience of shame brought a change in the way we experience the meaning of our bodies -
fear for one’s self in the presence of another self
– fear of being used by another,
– fear of being rejected

– Shame reveals an instinctive need to be accepted and affirmed by the other
– The words “they felt no shame” indicate that Adam and Eve fully understood the meaning of the body; they look at the naked body and see the person

Creation is a Gift
– Adam and Eve looked upon each other in the state of original innocence with wonder and gratitude
– “Nakedness” signifies the original goodness of creation in God’s eyes
– Creation is a radical form of giving because God calls forth creation out of nothingness
– Only man is capable of giving and receiving love, only man can understand Creation as a gift

The Body is a Gift
– Man reach his full potential only by living with, or even more, for someone else
– The fulfillment of our original aloneness comes in living for each other as gifts, in a communion of persons
– The body is a witness that all creation is a gift of love; masculinity and femininity is the sign of a gift
– Human sexuality mirrors the Creator’s love because it is self-giving and fruitful

Free to Love
– Adam and Eve were free from the constraints of sin
– Freedom gives us the power to offer ourselves as a gift
– A man can only find himself by giving himself away
– We fulfill the meaning of our existence by living according to the gift-giving (nuptial) meaning of our bodies
– To achieve freedom, we must learn self control

The Radiance of Love
– Creation is a gift from the Creator’s boundless love
– Grace is the communication of God’s holiness, the radiance of His Spirit
– Happiness is the fruit of love, which can never be eradicated, even by the Fall
– Grace is what enables a man and woman to make a sincere gift to one another

A Gift for Each Other
– Nakedness becomes shameful when the woman is an object for the man,or the man an object for the woman.
– The body ceases to be a gift when we turn it into an object, using it for self-gratification
– Eve discovers herself and the meaning of her femininity because Adam accepts her in the way the Creator meant her to be accepted
– Love begets love

Innocence and History
– Even though sin clouded our perception, it has not changed God’s intent
– Throughout history, the fundamental fact of human existence is that God created them male and female
– Understanding the nuptial meaning of the body is indispensable for knowing who we are, who we were meant to be and how we should live in the world
– It means to make of ourselves a gift and to accept others selflessly

Body and Sacrament
– Man bears the stamp of God’s gift within himself
– The body is a primordial sacrament because It is a visible sign of God’s mystery, the mystery of truth and love
– Through man, created in God’s image, the sacramentality of the world is revealed
– The fruit of love - of which the body is a sign - is not death, but life

Sex and Knowledge
– Man and woman were created for marriage - and procreation
– Adam and Eve were created as brother and sister, sharing the same humanity
– The biblical term “knowledge” signifies the deepest essence of married life – man and woman become one flesh
– This term raises human sexuality above the level of animals to the level of persons

Motherhood
– The mystery of femininity is revealed in motherhood
– When Eve became a mother, the mystery of masculinity was also revealed- the life-giving, fatherly meaning of Adam’s body
– Procreation expands the knowledge shared between man and woman - they more fully understand one another through a third person, sprung from them both
– The woman’s body is the place where the divine image is passed on

The Cycle of Life
– Procreation has such immense dignity because it brings a new image of God into the world
– The generation of new life is the fulfillment of the nuptial meaning of the body
– Every time new life is generated, the world shines with the awe and mystery of creation

The Total Vision of Man
– The Bible is the first place Christians turn to learn the truth about man
– The vision of man in Genesis give us a solid foundation for understanding what the sciences tell us about man in the light of the image of God
– The center of our faith is the Incarnation
– Marriage is a vocation, a path to holiness and salvation
– A solid Biblical understanding of the body is crucial to this vocation