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[논문] THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD IN CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS (영문) (43)
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PAUL
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2024-04-23 03:30:35, 조회 : 19 |
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Paul Jang
✝✝✝ A DEMONSTRATION OF GOD AND THE ARGUMENTS
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF CHRISTIAN GOD IN CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS (43)
by Dr. Paul B. Jang (Ph.D. Christian Apologetics) (영문) ✝✝✝
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURES:
PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE
CONCEPTS AND EXISTENCE OF GOD
THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
The Relation between Faith and Reason
In conclusion, the solution and understanding of all problems on the existence of God has come to be condensed to Faith and Reason. In a word, to solving and understanding these problems, it is indispensably important whether depending upon faith or reason. This problem has made most theologians as well as most philosophers confused.
Some had been biased towards the reason because they were too much rational, the others towards faith for they were too much dependable on his faith. The former have had a tendency to rationalism (extreme reason), the latter to mysticism (extreme faith).
But most of theists object to the position to the existence of God on the level of experience alone in disregard of the reason. The reasons are these: first, there is not much known via unanalyzed experience about the nature of such a being. Second, only reason can transcend the subjectivity of the experience. Third, the argument from experience is not a rational demonstration.
For these reasons, they have offered rational proofs for their belief that there is an objective basis for their religious experience (Geisler and Corduan, 1988, 79). This is an attitude to the arguments for the existence of God based on the rational proofs for their belief that there is an objective basis for their religious experience.
But the modern reaction to theistic argument has been basically negative and skeptical. Rational arguments are widely considered to be psychologically unconvincing, logically invalid, epistemologically defective, ontologically inadequate, and axiologically misplaced. But the theists may attempt to show the undenialbility of God s existence and the practical relevance of this truth to the practical needs of man (Geisler and Corduan, 1988, 93).
Henry C. Thiessen summarizes on this subject in his Lectures in Systematic Theology as follows: (1) The belief in the existence of God is intuitive; It is a first truth being logically prior to the belief in the Bible. (2) The existence of God is assured by the Scriptures; Because the Bible regards all men as believing in the existence of God, it does not attempt to prove His existence. (3) The belief in the existence of God is corroborated by arguments. (Thiessen, 1976, 56, 57).
He, therefore, continues to add his advice on the problem of God s existence as this: (1) They are not independent proofs of the existence of God, but rather corroborations and expositions of our innate conviction of His existence. (2) Since God is a Spirit, we must not insist on the same type of proof that we demand for the existence of material things. (3) The evidence is cumulative, a single argument for the existence of God of being inadequate, many of them together being sufficient to bind the conscience and compel belief (Thiessen, 1976, 57).
For his words, it is able to hold that the existence of God must be accepted by the fact that it is intuitive, assumed by the Scriptures, and corroborated by arguments (rational). In other words, it means that the belief in the existence of God must depend upon not only the faith in God, but also prefer to be supported by the reason.
Of course, the Bible does not appeal to human reason as ultimate in order to prove the existence of God. For this human reason, Cornelius Van Til says as this: Its claim is that human reason must itself be taken in the sense in which Scripture takes it, namely, as creates by God and as therefore properly subject to the authority of God (Van Til, 1969, 15). In conclusion, reason must be supported by the Scripture and the faith from God, Jesus Christ.
Other Findings
Having completed the study of this project, the writer found some things that were not mentioned.
1. Through this research for the concept and existence of God, the writer found the fact that most of the philosophers have not had a belief in God. Even if some of them said that God exists, they could not confess their faith to God. They did not believe the personality of God even though they spoke of the personal God.
2. What is worst, it was that theologians did not believe in God. Rather they have seriously had an evil effect on the people, even on the other fellow theologians or seminary students. Since 1960s, they had sentenced the death of God, and had buried God.
3. Theoretical atheism also has had a critical effect on the professors and seminary students. They have theoretically denied God, therefore many intellectuals have been confused from this problem.
4. Rational arguments could not exercise an important effect upon people so that they may believe in God. Of course, they somewhat understand the people.
5. Rational arguments sometimes suggest an impersonal God, the reason for the reasoning inferred from some impersonal things or some truth of non-Christians.
6. Even the Biblical arguments often do not convince of God because of the Holy Spirit not. Of course, it does not mean that the biblical arguments were wrong. No one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 12:3). ❤❤❤
- to be continued -
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선교운동소개
동역자실 