Apologetics

This argument will help any of you debate a POWERFUL argument against any agnostic or atheist. 

So I've been having this extensive debate with an agnostic, and I thought you guys might like this argument.  Not gonna lie, it's pretty awesome :-).
But I do want to say it wasn't my original idea, I read it on a website, but at first it didn't make sense.  After a while it did, and I will say I got a firm grasp on it, and was able to even add some extentions of my own to it.
So here it is :-)


The universe is without purpose or reason, because it either always was without reason, or spontaneously generated without any intelligent design behind it. It continues in its existence without purpose, but entirely based upon random occurence: thus evolution, a belief system that argues for abiogenetic origin, a random compilation of materials that just so happened to form the first cell, and then evolution itself, a random set of genetic mutations that slowly produced the apex of this accidental sequence of reactions SO FAR, humanity.
Thus, the very fabric of our universe, is random chance.
Even more importantly, the composition of your brain, my brain, and every human person's brain, is a product of this random, disorderly universe, from random chance evolution.
So every person's thinking apparatus is the product of random, reasonless material.
Thus, how can you presuppose that your reasonless brain can bring you to reasonable conclusions? How can we assume that we can even come to rational conclusions, when this universe itself, and the compostion of the thing through which you are trying to come to rational conclusions, your brain, is completely irrational itself?
It makes no sense to think that your brain, which in a materialist view is just that, nothing more than material, can somehow magically surmount the disorderly, strictly material universe in which it lives, and start making rational, immaterial conjecture.
If you do believe that, you're trying to say that your materialistic brain is immaterial in nature (higher thinking) because you're saying that the brain can somehow analyze and deduce things that our outside of the very matrix in which it exists, which is complete DISORDER and IRRATIONALE.
Your brain is material, and random, purposeless material at that, existing in a purposeless universe. It lacks the very capacity to even perceive logic and order, because the universe from which it randomly evolved is completely devoid of such concepts, and thus is the brain as well, in that it has originated from said universe devoid of reason and rationale.

A main rebuttal to this would be "well people perceive their existence, and through perception of their environment, create logical order from such perception."
No, this still doesn't follow because what is perceiving, the brain, can't perceive logic and order because, for one, there is none in the universe to perceive, and secondly, it is the strict material object created from said disorderly universe, thus completely lacking the ability to perceive order by the very nature of its composition.
In short, this rebuttal is simply a misunderstanding of the argument, because it adds no new information to the premise.

And your example about the behavior of evolved humans is of no consequence, in fact, in reinforces just what I said.
In order for humankind to perceive logic and order, to logically deliberate science and our surroundings, or, as you said, to make proper decisions about the best survival of the species, we have to first have the capacity to think orderly, logically. And if our brains our simply randomly evolved material from a disorderly universe, we shouldn't even be able to pick an "ideal mate," or anything of that sort. And even if we thought we did, there'd be no way to tell, because the thing we're using to make the "good mate" decision, is itself incapable of rational choice. In fact, the statement "rational choice" would itself become an oxy-moron.

Quite simply, to think that your brain can think rationally and orderly would have to point to an ordered, purpose driven, universe, and of course the only way to have this would be if Someone intelligently designed it, and more specifically, designed the brain, allowing it to think on terms with the rational, orderly universe that shares in its Ordered, Rational Origin.

0 remarks

Quick Remark:

A simple quote

Hope everyone's doing well.  I don't know who if anyone still reads this thing, but life at Lee is pretty great.  I'm enjoying it, looking forward to Christmas break, and generally just what all it is that God is doing in my life, both now and in the near future.

So here's the "simple quote" from which the title came.

I'll take the struggle to make myself pray or consider Chrsitian ethics in tough times throughout the day over suffering tough times without God any day.

0 remarks

Quick Remark:

Childhood thoughts :-)

Haha, so I discovered an old notebook in which I have two journal entries, one from 8 and one from 9 years of age.  The 8 year old one is funniest, because it's... one of the most random incoherent succession of simple, unrelated statments in a row.

 Here are a few, mispelled words and all :-)

My mom reads sexy stores one is deceptive desires.

Meatesh is relly in to it hes saying come on man lets go lets do it but he like almost got a mustash it looks like.

*Mom doesn't measure a lot and doesn't do how long her bed is very. 

(measure was actually mosher, so I'm figuring that was the right translation ;-) ) 

Yep, there ya go, the sage wisdom of Adam's youth.. haha, or lack thereof 

0 remarks

Quick Remark:

It's been a while, hope you enjoy!

Well, I haven't posted in forever, so i'm not sure who even looks at this...

But well, I hope you take the time to read this, I mean, o well if you don't, but here's my post.  So if you do read it, I hope it helps you somehow, maybe

Stop Fighting Him

I have often tried to tell you who I am,

But I have since done away with such things,

For trivial they are, in my opinion,

A wasted effort on a stubborn demeanor,

And I'm not one for coercion.

And besides, I'm not going to “win you over” with some magical display of my power,

Wouldn't you have seen that in yourself by now?

I see no need in proving more than the beautiful world you live in,

And the beauty I've instilled in you.

But you don't mind such petty things

“I'm just like anyone else,” you say “and this world could have spontaneously evolved anyway.”

And it seems fortified enough at the time:

Your nice, tightly knit pseudo-apathy.

And I'm not one to be pushy,

Which I suppose would be apparent since I haven't “struck you down” as you might have anticipated in the wake of your countless presumptuous tirades of

“God should be this!” and “God should be that!”,

And so, I won't slam my “so called greatness” as you would call it, down your throat.

But doesn't it seem strange that in spite of your greatest efforts,

And even though I have stood aside and allowed you the liberty of denial,

That we still end up in this place?

Haven't you decided by now?

Why accuse me?

Why argue, I'm not really here, am I?

I'm just a human originated ideology,

A false hope created for the sake of human comfort, and sense of purpose...

Right?

Haven't we decided this a million times?

Then who are you talking to?

And why keep coming back?

“Hmm” you might say, maybe even a brief setback, a quick double take...

But I'm not one to be too pushy,

I've long since done away with such things,

I don't need to prove myself to you,

You've already done enough of that by arguing with me,

In your somewhat... humorous attempt at eliminating me from your consciousness...

While all the while reinforcing my presence in doing so..

But anyway, not to dwell on the whole “I'm right since I'm God” thing...

Moving on, I would hope that it's pretty apparent I haven't been pushy,

I've allowed you what you wanted,

I've stepped aside from your life and its choices,

But you should know that by now you've found your way back.

And no, I'm not going to “strike you down” for horrendous blasphemies,

I'm not going to hold such things against you.

But,

I am here,

And always have been,

And if you're willing, we can wipe all of this away, and start fresh again,

Just you and me, no strings attached, on a new clean slate, from here on out.

No more arguments, no more bitterness,

All I ask, is that you finally let your countless defense mechanisms down,

Please.. just stop trying to figure in your mind why I'm not here, because you should know that the only reason you're having to do that is because I'm bugging you about my existence in the first place!

So please, just put your guard down,

Take that shield off of your heart,

Undo those frail ties holding together all those broken pieces of your life,

And just surrender,

And let me in.

1 remark

Quick Remark:

My Summer

So, for those of you who are interested in the life of adam, here's the info:

I'm working for Mattress Gallery Direct as a delivery guy.  It's a pretty sweet job.  I get forty hours a week, eight an hour, always off on sundays and one other day a week (which is soon to change to two other days off a week :) ).

The only problem is, I can't get off for youth camp this year, which I found out today :(.  The first time I've missed one of the best weeks ever in like five years.

The most important thing, in my mind, I'm doing this summer is I'm in charge of SHIFT, the name of the drama team specifically for upcoming freshman that I'm over for the summer.

I have Katie Ramsey, Zack cambell, Morgan, Bekah Lewis, Nicole, and Alex Mulane under me, and as of right now we're working on a super awesome human video, which should hopefully be done by the end of June or early July.

Other than that, God is really telling me a lot of things this summer, though a lot of it is really confusing.  but it's all good though, I suppose, God is good :)

And at the end of the summer, a bunch of us guys are going to Florida for a few days, then I'll be going to Knoxville to see my awesome Mentor Pastor Ronnie, then moving in to start my

JUNIOR YEAR AT LEE UNIVERSITY!!

God is good, that's my life,

Comments anyone?  I don't seem to get any of those anymore...

0 remarks

Quick Remark: