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