Conclusions about the non-Christian Chapter 4 Conclusions about the non-Christian Hurricane Katrina, weakness is in retention walls. Unbeliever: weakness is in epistemology. One word to describe him for apologetics purposes: uncertain One phrase to describe the root of his problem: He pretends to be the judge of the truth.

A. Uncertainty If truth is objective, outside his mind… He needs to know everything to be sure of anything. Ask, “Is there a star a million light years directly north of the north pole?”

If truth is subjective, inside his mind… It leads to contradiction. He can’t live consistently with this. Ask what he would do if a train were coming.

If knowing the truth is impossible,… Then he contradicts himself by asserting that it is impossible to know the truth!

If everything is true,… Then nothing is really true. It’s like saying, “I don’t deny the divinity of Jesus; I don’t deny the divinity of anybody!”

B. The self-destruction of impersonal monism His thoughts become part of the impersonal process, and therefore have no meaning. His words mean no more than the “tic toc” of a clock.

Cabanis: “The brain secretes thoughts in the same way that the liver secretes bile.” Darwin: “The horrendous doubt always arises whether the convictions of man’s mind, which has developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy. Would anyone trust the conviction a monkey’s mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?” J.B.S. Haldane: “If my mental processes are determined wholly by the motions of atoms in my brain, I have no reason to suppose that my beliefs are true…and hence I have no reason for supposing my brain to be composed of atoms.”

C. Key characteristics of man, according to the Bible 1. He is the image of God. Genesis 1:26-28. 2. He knows that God exists. Romans 1:18-25, Acts 17:22-23 3. He has the law of God written on his heart. Romans 2:14,15 4. He does not want to submit to God. Romans 3:11, 1:20-22

D. The vital conflict of the non-believer John Nash, A Beautiful Mind”

Google images, Albrecht Dürer, The Prodigal Son The prodigal son, Luke 15:11-32 Google images, Albrecht Dürer, The Prodigal Son

Review Questions 1. If we were to use one word to describe the non-believer for the purpose of apologetics, what would it be? 2. If we were to use one phrase to describe the root problem of man with regard to his search for truth, what would it be? 3. If the non-believer thinks that the truth is outside himself, what problem does he face? 4. If the non-believer thinks that the truth is in his own mind, what will he have to admit? 5. If the non-believer denies the possibility of truth, what problem does he face?

6. What is wrong with saying, “what is true for you is true for you and what it true for me is true for me”? 7. What is the inevitable dilemma of impersonal monism? 8. What doubt did Darwin express about the convictions of the human mind? 9. Mention the four characteristics of man explained in this chapter, and give a Bible reference that supports each one. 10. In what way is the non-believer like John Nash? 11. In what way is the non-believer like the prodigal son?

Questions for Reflection 1. What was your tendency before becoming a Christian? Did you believe the truth was outside your mind, that the truth was in your own mind, that it was impossible to know the truth, or that everything is true? What problems did this perspective cause you? 2. How has your perspective of the non-believer changed as a result of reading the first four chapters of this book? Explain.