Apologetics
Journal
Matt Hohenberger
1) Explain the major key idea of the section.
The key idea in this section addresses knowing how God is a part of our world and finding where he is at in our lives. We focused mainly on how we can find evidence of God through nature and each other. We also searched for God through his son, Jesus, and realized how powerful Jesus is in our beliefs of God. This section attempted to bring us closer to God through finding him in the world around us, and I think that it is a very important area to study as Juniors in High School as we begin to question our beginnings and our faith.
2) The first are we studied that I think is important is the teleological studies. These theories tried to show how we can find God in the world as our creator, and to show how the universe is not a per chance event. Some of these arguments include: William Paley's "Watch and the Watchmaker", The Golden Ratio, The Anthropic Principle, The Kalam Argument, and Argument from Degrees of Perfection. Each one of these attempts to show that the universe was created with a purpose. I think that this was an important part to the chapter because as a teenager, I do wonder how the universe was created, and if I have faith in one of these theories, I build a greater sense of God in the world.
Another major topic that I think is important is the Argument from Religious Experience. Most people feel compelled to believe in some kind of higher power to explain the reason for life. There are four parts of our life that need an answer, and many times we turn to God: Man’s Need for Meaning, The Mystery of Death, The Thirst for Happiness, and The Pain of Loneliness. I find the need for meaning very strong in my life. I like knowing the activities of the planets, I like deriving physics equations, and I like thinking about the beginning of the universe, or if there is one at all. This is a very important part in all our lives because without this need, we might not have looked to God for our answers. I also have needed to know what I was meant to do on life, and what the meaning of life is for me. The mystery of death is a part of everyone because we do not wish to live our life and struggle to end up without any remembrance of who we were, and we do not want our life to end. We turn to God to find a new life to live with him. The thirst for happiness is a strong part of everyone. We all want to be happy, but we cannot find it in our material possessions or anywhere in the world around us. We believe that our faith in God will bring us to an eternal happiness. The pain of loneliness is a difficult part of our lives. We want to have connections with our community, but sometimes we feel as if no one is there with us. We are able to find that connection through God because he knows us so personally that it comforts us.
The third most important thing that I can take out of this chapter are the Five
Basic Inclinations of Human Nature. These inclinations are the basis of human natural law which affects the morality of our actions. These five are: to seek happiness, to preserve our existence, to preserve our species, to be a part of the community, and to use intellect and will. We seek happiness, and we turn to God to find it in him. The next four follow from our wish to be happy. We will strive to live because we find happiness in our life, so we wish to continue this happiness. We find happiness in sexual intercourse, and also in the knowledge that our line of family will continue on. Our human nature wills to be part of a community, somewhere where we will be loved by others, which will make us happy. Knowledge gives us a certain satisfaction that helps us enjoy life. This one is very easy to think about because I know, personally, that if I am struggling with a mathematic beast, it is pleasing to conquer it. The feeling of success confirms our knowledge of how many of our experiences has helped us. These Five Basic Inclinations of Human Nature guide us in the way we live out our life; we live it in a way to make us happy. This happiness is found in our faith in God.
3) One image that captures the chapter for me:
4) When I think of Jesus, a couple of images come to mind. The main image that I think of is Jesus as a friend. As a young kid, I would come to St. Louis for summer, and I went to Epiphany's Bible School. There I learned about Jesus, and most stories that we were taught were of Jesus as a friend. I specifically remember the story of Jesus and the loaves of bread and the fish (we got bread and goldfish). This image remained with me throughout my childhood. Whenever I thought of Jesus, a friendly man with a brown beard came to mind. As a teenager, my view of Jesus as a friend is still relevant, but it is more of a personal friendship that I am also able to take part in. At Steubenville, a summer retreat for teens, I came to once again see Jesus as a friend who stays by me in my hardships and is part of my strength. I think that my early image of Jesus' friendships is the one thing that has really kept me strong in my beliefs in God. The image that I used captures my feelings especially from when I was younger.
To see the source of the picture, simply click on it.
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