Faith and Apologetics Journal

In this section, God's existence is explained using reason, a process called apologetics. Apologetic evidence for God comes from two general categories: the natural world and the human person. Knowledge of God from the natural world can be understood through teleological arguments. Such arguments include William Paley's analogy of The Watch and the Watchmaker, the Golden Ratio, the Anthropic Principle, the Kalam Argument, Argument from Degrees of Perfection, and Pascal's Wager. Knowledge of God from the human person comes from religious experience, conscience, and the natural law.

Teleological arguments attempt to show that the universe was puposefully created.
This picture can be classified as teleological in a sense because it shows purpose in the universe.

1. The Anthropic Principle. For me, the anthropic principle is an incredibly persuasive teleological argument. It states that since the odds of the universe forming in a way to make intelligent life possible are extremely slim, the universe must have been deliberately formed in order to make intelligent life possible. What this basically means is that there are so many odds working against our existence that it could be no mere coincidence that we are here now. All the empirical facts that would destroy human life if they only deviate a little bit from where they are now are called "anthropic coincidences".

Anthropic coincidences range from the immensity of the universe to the slightest change in the position of subatomic particles.

2. The Five Basic Inclinations of Human Nature. Saint Thomas wrote that there are five basic inclinations that every human being feels, and the natural law is based on these inclinations. These five inclinations are: to seek happiness, to preersve one's own existence, to preserve the species, to live in community with others, and to use intellect and will. The last four inclinations stem from the first (to seek happiness). Th is makes a lot of sense to me, because i think it is pretty obvious that we all seek happiness in our lives. Every decision we make is made because we believe it will provide us with the most happiness.

This cartoon identifies that happiness is the primary human inclination, even over power and riches. While power and wealth may seem to pull you in, it is only because you believe they will give you happiness. If power and wealth were guaranteed to not provide happiness, only few or no person would strive for them.

3. The Christian response toBertrand Russel's accusation of Christianity as a crutch. Russel obviously meant this as an insult to the religion, but the Christian response to this considers it as offensive to decency and common sense. I find the Christian response very clever and informative. The response changes the imagery Russell creates of man needlessly relying on a certain belief to answer all of his problems so he doesnt have to think to that of a man who is forced to rely o his beliefs because it is the only way he can get through life. This reversion also accomplishess vllifying Russell as somebody who makes fun of a cripple because he needs a crutch.

The Christian response to Bertrand Russell's accusation equates somebody who insults the physically handicapped with somebody who insults a Christian.

This image of a baton pass has always been symbolic of Jesus's purpose on Earth for me. Jesus came to Earth to tell us how to lead good and moral lives. He left us with all of His anachronistic teachings and then went back up to Heaven. In the analogy, Jesus's teachings and morals are the baton which he hands off to us and expects us to carry with us and give to the next person we meet. The baton has become much easier to hand off since the writing of the Bible, but several people today still refuse to grasp the baton.

I think that it's a common Christian response to quickly answer "God" or "the Messiah" when asked "Who do you say Jesus is?", and i do not think that that is the right way to answer this question. Do not get me wrong, I do believe that Jesus is God and the Messiah, but a hasty response to this question, no matter how lucid and sage, cannot possibly be fully correct. I say that Jesus is God. Even though I seemingly bashed this response to who Jesus is earlier, I am answering this after deep reflection and not as an instantaneous response, and it was not the answer "Jesus is God" that I bashed earlier; it was the timing of the response. Many people just say that Jesus is God without ever really thinking about what that means: the being that created everything that we know and everyone that we love and even everyone and everything we do not know stood on Earth. He breathed air, just like we do!! He was tangible and not only able and willing to divulge life's secrets, but enthused about it.This should be incredible for anybody to hear if they really think about it.