Relativism, Materialism, and Christianity

• Relativism, Materialism and Christianity

Senior Bible Class

Chicago Hope Academy

Tuesday, May 10 – Wednesday, May 11

• SWBAT…

• Explain the key points of relativism

• Demonstrate an understanding of the logical flaws of moral relativism

• Explain the key discrepancies between scientific naturalism and Christianity

• Demonstrate an ability to defend Christianity against Darwinism

• Do-Now:

It is Pride Week in Chicago, and a man notices the Bible in your hand. He tells you, “I think it’s great that you’ve found a belief that works for you. For me, however, the Bible (which condemns homosexuality) doesn’t work. What works for you might not work for me. You do your thing, and I’ll do mine. That way, we can all get along!”

How would you respond to this person?

• I. WHAT IS RELATIVISM

NOT A RELIGION but a worldview.

The philosophical position that all points of view are equally valid, and that all truth is relative to the individual.

Different categories of Relativism:

• Cognitive

• Moral/Ethical

• Situational

• A. Cognitive Relativism

• All truth is relative.

• No system of truth is more valid than another one.

• There is no objective standard of truth.

• B. Moral/Ethical Relativism

• All morals are relative to the social group within which they are constructed. (Right and wrong depend on your group)

• Some evolutionary biologists: morality evolved by natural selection on individual and group levels. (So-called morals merely promote the survival and successful reproduction of humans.)

• C. Situational Relativism

1. Ethics (right and wrong) depend on the situation.

• II. Evidence

• Customs:

• US drives on right side of road; UK drives on left.

• Child rearing

• Burial and wedding ceremonies

4. These customs are ultimately inconsequential.

• II. Evidence

B. Individual preference: Styrofoam example, spicy foods.

C. Apply these evidences writ large and relativism seems to make sense.

• III. Influence of Relativism

• Relativism pervades our culture today.

• Undermines Christianity’s exclusive claims. Examples:

• Jesus the only way

• Jesus the only Son of God (vs. Hinduism)

• Necessitates other religions’ falsehood

• III. Influence of Relativism

C. Pluralism: a philosophy which maintains that no single explanation can account for all the phenomena of nature, or…

Pluralist - someone who believes that distinct ethnic or cultural or religious groups can exist together in society

• III. Influence of Relativism

D. Entertainment “pushing the envelope.”

E. Education teaching social tolerance, etc.

F. Widespread acceptance of previous taboos (e.g. homosexuality, pornography, adultery)

G. Backlash against traditional morality. (Canada example)

• IV. Important Questions

• Can “No Absolutes” be an absolute itself?

• Logical end: endless contradictions

• 1+1=2, 3, 4?

• Something exists and does not exist?

• Moral problems:

• No standard of right and wrong?

• Can any crime be punished?

• Right and wrong can change?

• V. Conclusion

To argue in favor of relativism, one must use logic. Logic requires objectivity. Relativism requires infinite subjectivity.

If you use logic to prove that there is no logic, you lose!

“I believe that truth varies from person to person, and I believe that that truth is true for everybody.”

• MATERIALISM/ATHEISM

• I. What is Materialism?

• Atheism: the rejection of belief in the existence of deities.

• Materialism:

• “the cosmos is devoid of immanent purpose”

• “There is no supernatural interference in human life”

• “Humankind must create their own destiny.”

• II. Materialism’s “Faith”

• Life can and ought to be improved by humanistic means

• The struggle for progress is a moral obligation

• The potential for human good and fulfillment is unlimited

• “I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.” – Richard Dawkins

• III. Two Kinds of Atheists

• Implicit: “Unacquainted with theism”

• Has never really thought of a god

• No conscious rejection of theism

B. Explicit: Strong and Weak

• Strong/positive: explicitly deny existence of deities

• Weak/negative: eschew belief without denying the possibility of a God

• Do now:

• “The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference.”—Richard Dawkins

• How would you respond to this quote?

• IV. Two Types of Arguments

• There isn’t enough evidence to conclude God exists.

• The evidence is contrary to God’s existence.

1. E.g.: suffering in the world.

• V. Basic Tenets of Materialism

• No god or devil

• No supernatural realm

• Miracles cannot occur

• There is no such thing as sin (as a violation of God’s will)

• The universe is materialistic and measureable

• Man is material

• Generally, evolution is considered a fact

• Ethics and morals are relative.

• Do-Now:

Quick write: How are materialism and relativism related? Does one naturally follow the other? Which one? Why or why not?

• Works Cited:

• Materialism information: http://www.atheists.org/Aims_and_Principles

• Dawkins Quotes: http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/dawkins.htm

• Christian apologetics: http://www.carm.org/secular-movements/atheism/what-atheism

• Relativism/Postmodernism: http://deepforestgreen.blogspot.com/

• Relativism and Apologetics: http://www.carm.org/what-relativism

• Implicit/explicit atheism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implicit_and_explicit_atheism

Revelation Interpretation

Revelation:

- To impose a literal interpretation on something that is meant to be symbolic is robbing the text of its purpose
- And vice versa
- Revelation

I. methods of interpretation

a. Preterist—Jay Adams, the time is @ hand – this view emphasizes that John was concerned to speak to the church of his day
Held by more liberal scholars. Says we should interpret Revelation the same way we interpret any other NT book.
i. Advantages—they are correct to say God would not write a book irrelevant to readers
ii. Problems—no other prophetic book or apocalyptic book in NT, therefore Revelation deserves special attention

b. Historical—Reformers, Wesley, Edwards, sees in the Revelation an inspired forecast of the whole human history. Especially church history is foreseen.
Inspired forecast of Human History, specially Church history. The pope is the beast.
Major problem: western Europe History, and the letter was written to churches in Asia!

c. Extreme Futurist View: Dispensationalism—Lindsey, LaHaye
i. Chapters 2-3 refer to the church
ii. Chapters 4-19 refer to Israel in the tribulation period
iii. Chapter 20 refers to the millennium
iv. Chapter 21 and 22 refer to the millennium and eternal kingdom.
Revelation 1:19 is a key verse: look this up
v. Problems: from 4-19 the book is a historical curiosity. It doesn’t help people in 1st century, and it wont help us now because when the rapture occurs we will be OUTTA HERE!
vi. This view has only been around for about 200 years

d. Moderate futurist view—G. Ladd, Critical Questions about the Kingdom of God, Refers to more to the church than to Israel

i. One of the key differences with the Dispensational view: in this view the church goes through the tribulation and it is the Church, not Israel.
ii. This is Pre-Millennium
iii. Post-Tribulation

e. Progressive parallelism view—W. Hendricksen, More than Conquerors
i. Notes that much of Revelation’s imagery is from Daniel
ii. Daniel 2 and 7 are parallel
iii. Understands Revelation to consist of the following:
1. Ch. 1-3 the church imperfect in the world. Ch 4:1-21:8 are 5 // sections
2. 4-7 seven seals
3. 8:2-11:19 seven trumpets

Revelation

REVELATION

SWBAT:

Identify the purpose of the Book of Revelation

Explain the nature of apocalyptic literature

Demonstrate an understanding of the four horsemen and how they symbolize disaster

Homework

Read and take notes: Schippe pp. 334-343. Bring notes to class on Thursday.

Read and take notes: Revelation 4:1-5:14; 12:1-13:18. Clearly label notes and bring them to class on Friday.

REVELATION TEST ON Monday

Occasion and Purpose

Author: John

Date: 68-89 or 95 AD

Location: Island of Patmos

Occasion: John exiled on Patmos, receives vision

Purpose: We will examine five views.

Structure

Three one-act plays

• Letters to seven churches in Turkey

• A cosmic battle between the dragon and the Lamb of God

• A vision of New Jerusalem and eternal life with God

A. Suffering and Execution

The emperor was worshipped as God.

Christians were on the brink of giving in.

A secret letter written in symbolic code

B. Revelation as a Letter

Genre: apocalyptic, prophecy, narrative.

Written as a letter

C. “Sign” Language

The first vision:

Themes:

“Son of Man”

The number seven

Alpha and Omega

It was Jesus

C. “Sign” Language

Letters to the churches are more like decrees/edicts

A command to write

Commendation

Exhortation

Proclamation

Victory and reward

D. The Seven Churches

• Ephesus—”first love.”

FIVE-MINUTE BREAK

Do-Now

Quick write: What are some symbols you use in everyday life? (2 minutes)

E. The Throne Room

• Rev. 4:1—John refers to his next visions.

• Rev 4:2-6—difficult, symbolic imagery.

• Creatures:

• lion, ox, human, eagle: four evangelists

• seven-horned, seven-eyed lamb: Jesus

• A scroll with seven seals is opened. The visions begin.

F. Symbolism in Revelation

Symbol: something that represents another thing (often something abstract)

Possible meanings: open to p. 345 of the Schippe:

Symbols of hope: the martyrs in heaven are told justice will come soon. 144,000 are sealed on earth.

First seal: white horse. War. Sets out to conquer.

Second seal: red horse. Bloodshed. Removes peace so people can kill each other.

Third seal: black horse. Famine. “A loaf of bread could buy a bag of gold.”

Fourth seal: pale horse. Death. Death of ¼ world’s population

G. The Woman and the Dragon

A heavenly woman gives birth. The dragon tries to eat her son, a future king who will rule with a rod of iron. God takes the son and protects the woman.

H. The Two Beasts

• Beast from the sea: 10 horns w/ crowns, 7 heads w/ blasphemous names.

• Beast from the earth: 2 lamb’s horns but dragon’s voice. Rules on behalf of first beast.

• Forces everyone to get a mark to buy or sell.

• Beheads whoever won’t worship the beast. Number of his name: 666.

I. The Grapes of Wrath

The Son of Man and his angels reaping the earth. Gather the people into the “wine press” of God’s wrath (cf. Isa. 63)

Next up: seven angels with seven plagues (poured out from bowls).

During the sixth bowl, the demons gather the kings of the earth at Har Megiddo.

J. A Last Battle

Final conflict between good and evil.

The “Word of God” rides down on a white horse, with the armies of heaven.

From his mouth: a sharp sword. He will rule the nations with a rod of iron.

http://theater.goodfight.org/

K. The Millennium

Rev. 20: An angel binds the dragon for one thousand years.

The righteous come back to reign with Christ.

Then the dead are judged publicly and Death and Hades are thrown into the Lake of Fire.

L. The New Jerusalem

We studied this last semester. What do you already know?

NEXT TIME: INTERPRETATION!