-
S t a n d t o R e a s o n 1438 E. 33rd Street Signal Hill, CA
90755 1.800.2.REASON www.str.org
JULY 2007
Quick Summary
November/December 2010
Authors Foreword
clear thinking christianity: There are apps for that!
learn at: www.str.org
strs student site:www.STRplace.org
str weekly broadcast live sundays, 2-5 p.m. ptListen live on the
radio (check affiliates at STRs Radio Page)
listen live onlinewww.kbrt740.com
listen live on your smart-phone using WunderRadio, Flycast
(search for KBRT) or Smartphone Apps
listen to the podcastsSTRs podcast page
Follow STR on Twitter
Find STR on Facebook
read: Solid Ground Archives
Down the Rabbit Hole
Philosophy R.I.P.
Physics Is Everything
The Big Squeeze
Inside the Goldfish Bowl
A Theory of Everything
Sometimes, news from the other side can be frightening,
especially when coming from scientists with impeccable credentials.
Here, for example, is the latest flash:
The laws of physics explain everything. The scientific account
is complete. Therefore, miracles are impossible, theology is
unnecessary, and God is superfluous.
When brilliant men like Oxford mathematician Stephen Hawking (A
Brief History of Time) and Cal Tech physicist Leonard Mlodinow make
dogmatic declarations like these based on the weird world of
quantum physics, it stops us in our tracks.
Men of this stature making statements of this breadth can easily
take the wind out of our sails. Their credentials are so impressive
and their subject matter so obtuse, the temptation is strong to
wave the flag of surrender and retreat into our prayer closets.
In their new book, The Grand Design, Hawking and Mlodinow aim to
use science not just to becalm our efforts as Christian theists,
but to sink our ship. You do not need to master quantum mechanics,
however, to see the problems with these scientists assertions. Just
read this issue of Solid Ground carefully.
I do not address the physics proper. It is out of my ken. Other,
more able menlike Hawkings erstwhile colleague Roger Penrose and
philosopher William Lane Craighave already weighed in against
Hawking and Mlodinow.
I am capable, however, of recognizing when a point commits
suicide. And even a cursory examination of the theories in The
Grand Design show they self-destruct quickly. The authors own
philosophical musings defeat them before they even get to the
science.
Einstein famously said, The problem with us scientists is that
we are very poor philosophers. In The Grand Design, Stephen Hawking
and Leonard Mlodinow prove him right. When you are done with this
issue of Solid Ground, I think you will see that in spite of their
credentials, they offer nothing to give a thoughtful theist
pause.
As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, STR has so much to be
thankful for. Looking back on this year, we see Gods hand so
clearly in the significant opportunities for outreach Hes brought
our way. And we also see His wonderful hand in the financial
support weve received through STRs faithful friends.
God has always used people to reach people. Your prayers and
financial contributions this year have kept us close to our targets
both in outreach and in meeting our monthly ministry expenses. For
that we are very thankful.
If you look forward to the benefit you gain from resources like
this months Solid Ground, I invite you to express your gratitude
with a gift to STR today. Your contribution is a tangible way of
helping our effort, and of expressing your passion for a
Christianity worth thinking about.
With confidence in Christ,
Gregory Koukl
Print Friendly Version
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stand-to-reason/id372101808?mt=8http://www.str.orghttp://www.str.org/training/student-resourceshttp://www.str.org/training/broadcastwww.kbrt740.comhttp://www.wunderradio.com/stations.phphttp://www.str.org/blog/greg-on-the-radio-today#.UZ6eReiKuUkhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/stand-to-reason/id372101808?mt=8http://www.str.org/site/PageServer?pagename=podcastwww.twitter.com/STRtweetshttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2215430678http://www.str.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Solid_Ground_Indexhttp://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5575http://www.str.org/site/DocServer/EnhancedSG1110Final.pdf?docID=4981http://www.str.org/site/DocServer/EnhancedSG1110Final.pdf?docID=4981http://www.str.org/site/DocServer/EnhancedSG1110Final.pdf?docID=4981http://www.str.orghttp://www.twitter.com/STRtweetshttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2215430678
-
S t a n d t o R e a s o n C h r i s t i a n i t y Wo r t h T h i
n k i n g A b o u t
top 2
2page
Your Support Is Needed This Month
get strategic!Would you like to play a strategic role in STRs
work? When you become a Strategic Partner and support STR with a
monthly pledge, you join a special group of people who help to
equip Christians to graciously defend classical Christianity and
classical Christian values.
As I wrote in my opening remarks, STR depends on the support of
friends like you to accomplish our mission - training and equipping
Ambassadors for Christ.
May I encourage you to take just a moment and make a gift to STR
today? We couldnt do what we do without you. I hope you agree that
what STR brings you through this Enhanced Solid Ground, the radio
broadcast, our blog, and online resources helps to get you thinking
and equips you to become a more effective ambassador for
Christ.Thanks for taking a moment to make a donation that will keep
resources like these available.
STR, building Ambassadors through dynamic content.
sign up today...
Sign up to receive Gregs bi-monthly mentoring letters:. You can
also choose to receive the Solid Ground print edi-tion. Each month,
Greg writes a personal letter covering a tactic or timely
chal-lenge to the Christian faith. By subscrib-ing free, youll also
receive the monthly STR Suggests, which highlights a new resource
in the world of apologetics that we think is worthy of attention.
Youll also receive a heads up when one of STRs speakers will be
speaking in your area.
Subscribe here.
Strategic Partner
Information
Please
Today
NEW Updated Radio Pageat str.org
http://www.str.org/str-subscriptions/gregs-mentoring-letterhttps://www.str.org/donate/strategic-partnershttps://www.str.org/donate/strategic-partnershttps://www.str.org/donate/strategic-partnershttp://www.str.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Radio_Archives
-
3page
S o l i d G r o u n d A F o u n d a t i o n f o r B u i l d i n
g A m b a s s a d o r s
top 3
Quantum physics. Ugh. The term itself is enough to make grown
men weep and send theologians scurrying. It can also send chills up
the spine of the Christian marshalling evidence from science for
the existence of God.
Stephen Hawking is the quantum king. The Lucasian professor of
mathematics at the University of Cambridge for 30 years, his Brief
History of Time, published in 1988, sold nine million copies.
According to The New York Times, Hawking is the most revered
scientist since Einstein.1So when Stephen Hawking says quantum
physics renders philosophy dead, theology unnecessary, and a
Creator superfluous, the temptation is strong to roll over and wave
the white flag of surrender.
Down the Rabbit HoleHawkings new book, The Grand Design, co-
authored with Cal Tech physicist Leonard Mlodinow, makes all
those claims, and more. One cant read very far in the book, though,
without wondering if hes just stepped over the edge and tumbled
down Alices rabbit hole.
Its the feeling I had reading the transcript of an airing of
Larry King Live when King, Hawking, Mlodinow, and Deepak Chopra
opined about the book. At many points the discussion moved beyond
esoteric to borderline incoherent. Here, in no particular order, is
a sampling of the panels comments on nothing:2
Hawking: Gravity and quantum theory cause universes to be
created spontaneously out of nothing. [Non-being creates
being?]
King: Who created the nothing?Where did the nothing come from?
[Nothing is created?]
Mlodinow: According to quantum theory, there is no such thing as
nothingness. [Is this news, that no-thing-ness is not a thing?]
Chopra: Vashishtha said, infinite words come and go in the vast
expanse of nothingness, which is consciousness. I believe this
nothingness is not an empty void. Its the womb of creation. [What
this means is anybodys guess.]
If youre confused by these remarks, youre not alone. Hawkings
erstwhile colleague, Roger Penrose, said, Quantum mechanics makes
absolutely no sense. Physicist John Wheeler (who coined the term
black hole) said, If you are not completely confused by quantum
mechanics, you do not understand it. Richard Feynmancited
frequently in Hawkings bookfamously quipped, I think I can safely
say that nobody understands quantum mechanics.3.
Suicide #1
I think I can safely say, then, that anybody who makes dogmatic
assertions based on their interpretation of quantum mechanics is
simply wishing on a star, even an esteemed mathematician like
Stephen Hawking.
Theres another reason no one needs to fear the quantum physics
trump card. Philosopher William Lane Craig points out that, though
the equations of quantum mechanics seem sound, there are nearly a
dozen different interpretations of how the abstract math plays out
in the real world, and all have equal claims to legitimacy.4
Even so, the basic assertions of The Grand Design deserve a
response. When Larry King asked Stephen Hawking to state the most
important point in the book, Hawking answered, That science can
explain the universe, and that we dont need God to explain why
there is something rather than nothing or why the laws of nature
are what they are.
In particular, Hawking and Mlodinow claim:
Philosophy is dead.The laws of physics explainand therefore
determineeverything.Miracles are impossible.There is no free
will.Objective reality does not exist.God is not necessary to
explain the existence or
the order of the universe.
As you will soon see, Hawkings arguments fail completely. He
stumbles badly out of the starting gatehis foundational claims are
doubly self-
The Grand Design: A Quantum Leap
By Greg Koukl
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/books/08book.htmlhttp://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1009/10/lkl.01.htmlhttp://phys.wordpress.com/2006/06/09/quantum-mechanical-quotes/http://phys.wordpress.com/2006/06/09/quantum-mechanical-quotes/
-
4page
S t a n d t o R e a s o n C h r i s t i a n i t y Wo r t h T h i
n k i n g A b o u t
top 4refutingand his contention that the universe doesnt need
God comes to nothing.
Philosophy R.I.P.When I was eight years old, I ran away from
home.
Unhappy with parental restrictions, I thought I could fend for
myself. While my mother wrung her hands and wept, my father calmly
granted my request for freedom. He emptied my piggy bank into my
pocket, shook my hand, and wished me well. I soon learned (in about
two hours) that liberty came with a price, one too dear for a
youngster to pay. I needed my parents.
On the opening page of his book, Stephen Hawking the scientist
tries to run away from home. Philosophy, he writes, is dead.
Philosophy has not kept up with modern developments in science,
particularly physics. Scientists have become the bearers of the
torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge.5
Suicide #2
What Hawking doesnt realize is that science cannot live on its
own. It needs its parent, philosophy. The metaphor is apt because
philosophy as a discipline not only gave birth to science, it also
guides and guards the scientist so he does not get lost along the
way.
Science doesnt exist in a vacuum. What science is, how it
operates, and what boundaries constrain it are each features of
philosophy, not of science itself. For example, in chapter three
Hawking lists the virtues of a good scientific model.6 A good
model
Is elegant.Contains few arbitrary or adjustable elements.Agrees
with and explains all existing
observations.Makes detailed predictions capable of
falsifying
the model.
The list is a good one. The tally, however, is not the product
of science, but of philosophy, specifically the philosophy of
science. The scientist who dismisses philosophy does not thereby
rid himself of its task. He merely condemns himself to do the
philosophers job poorly.
Stephen Hawking proves as much by spending the first 63 pagesone
third of his bookwrestling with philosophical questions (the title
of his first chapter is The Mystery of Being) before he even begins
to address the science proper. He pontificates on free will and
determinism, reality and illusion, right and wrong, reason and
logicbut he does so artlessly and, as well see, hazardously.
Albert Einstein once quipped, The problem with us scientists is
that we are very poor philosophers.
Stephen Hawking proves him right. Had he taken philosophy more
seriously, he might not have stumbled so quickly.
In his second chapter, The Rule of Law, Stephen Hawking argues a
point about physics that, if true, dooms the rest of his work to
utter insignificance.
Physics Is EverythingI once witnessed a magnificent spectacle
created
by falling dominoes. Legions of little blocks standing in
formation morphed into a stunning work of art when the creator of
the massive puzzle gave the first domino a flick. As one by one
each domino fell against another in succession, a marvelous
panorama unfolded before my eyes.
The picture that appeared was not the result of random events.
It was determined beforehand by the specific order of the dominoes
and the constraints of the laws of physics. Repeat the exact
set-up, repeat the exact result.
Purely physical systems behave like that sea of toppling
dominoes. Physical objects collide with each other throughout the
universe in very precise ways based on their initial conditions and
governed by uniform natural law. This is what allows science
to operate in the first place. The deterministic nature of
physical systems7 makes experimental repeatability possible.
Generally, science acknowledges two kinds of causes. The first
is the kind of cause determining the configuration of the
collapsing dominoesevent causation. The second (the finger flick)
is the kind of cause that initiated the cascade to begin withagent
causation (a human agent, in this case).
Hear William Lane Craigs critique of The Grand Design by Stephen
Hawking with Greg
Download an mp3 of the interview here.
http://www.jpmoreland.com/2010/09/22/scientism-makes-scientists-laughable/http://www.jpmoreland.com/2010/09/22/scientism-makes-scientists-laughable/http://www.strcast2.org/podcast/weekly/091910.m4ahttp://www.strcast2.org/podcast/weekly/091910.m4a
-
5page
S o l i d G r o u n d A F o u n d a t i o n f o r B u i l d i n
g A m b a s s a d o r s
top 5Hawking and Mlodinow characterize the first
kind of cause as scientific determinism (SD). Heres how they
describe it: Given the state of the universe at one time, a
complete set of laws fully determines both the future and the past.
This would exclude the possibility of miracles or an active role
for God.8
Quite right. These two sentences sit side by side for a reason.
By stipulating
that natural law fully determines every event in natural
history, the authors aim to squeeze God permanently out of the
equation. Simply put, physics is everything. The scientific account
is complete, Hawking told Larry King. Theology is unnecessary.
For Hawking and Mlodinow, though, event causation governs
everythingeven human choices. Determinism is absolute. There are no
exceptions, even human ones. Everything, including human nature,
must submit to the sovereignty of physics:
Since people live in the universe and interact with other
objects in it, then scientific determinism must hold for people as
well.9
Do people have free will?...Though we feel that we can
choose...biological processes are governed by the laws of physics
and chemistry and therefore are as determined as the orbits of the
planets.10
Our physical brain, following the known laws of
sciencedetermines our actions, and not some agency that exists
outside those laws.11
So it seems that we are no more than biological machines and
that free will is just an illusion.12 [emphases added]
Its hard to believe brilliant men like Hawking and Mlodinow do
not see how destructive this move is to their own case, but I think
you will see it readily.
Let me put the question this way: Did the laws of physics
determine the order of the words on the pages of The Grand Design?
Or did Professors Hawking and Mlodinow make that call? Did they
ponder the evidence for their theories, consider the implications
of the facts, posit conclusions, then choose the right words and
select the precise order that would best communicate their views
and persuade readers of the rationality of their own ideas?
Note that each of the emphasized words above denotes free acts
of will made by conscious
agents. Without genuine freedom, then pondering, considering,
positing, choosing, selecting, communicating, persuading, and
reasoning would all be impossible in the sense that we normally use
those terms.
Therefore, in light of SD, the authors would have to opt for the
first alternativeultimately, the laws of physics wrote the book
that bears their names no less than the laws of physics determined
the arrangement of rocks resting on the surface of the planet
Mars.
They have no other choice (no pun is intended here; I mean this
literally). Remember, the only causation Hawking & Mlodinow
allow for is event causationdominoes fatalistically fallingwhich is
rigidly deterministic.
The Big SqueezeIf Hawking is right about SD, then it is
impossible
for him to know it. Knowledge is a combination of true belief
based on adequate reason.13 But reason plays no role in
deterministic systems. Hawkings convictions would not be
conclusions, but rather the inevitable results of natural law
compelling the molecules of his brain to cause his body to dictate
the words that appear on the pages of The Grand Design.
Suicide #3
By the authors own admission, SD is central to the argument in
their book (This book is rooted in the concept of scientific
determinism).14 But SD makes arguments themselves impossible
because the operation of reason requires free will. Consequently,
everything that follows the assertion of SD (including the notion
that miracles or an active role for God are impossible) tumbles
down like a house of cards.
If you follow this point, you wont need to read any more of this
articleor any more of Hawkings book. There is no reason to turn
another page, because nothing that Hawking argues could possibly be
known. Hawking could never know if his M-theory of the universe
were true if his conviction is produced by the laws of physics
instead of by the dictates of reason.
By squeezing out free will and genuine human agency in his
attempt to squeeze out God, Stephen Hawking squeezes himself out of
the picture as well. He disqualifies himself as author, scientist,
man of reason (and also humanitarian, kind co-worker, loving
husband, etc., but that is a different matter).15
The only way out is to surrender SD. Hawking can acknowledge the
general uniformity of natural law, but admit the obviousthat agents
(like himself) are not subject to its dictates. Rather, they
can
If Hawking is right about scientificdeterminism it is impossible
for him to know it.
-
6page
greg eXplores science & FaithDeepen your understanding of
this provacative subject.
S t a n d t o R e a s o n C h r i s t i a n i t y Wo r t h T h i
n k i n g A b o u t
top 6
Find even more resources at STR.org
intervene to change the course of natural events. They can start
the dominoes, stop the dominoes, or redirect the dominoes at
will.
Clearly, agency is real, and it operates by a different dynamic
than the natural order does. Arguments are not subject to the laws
of nature any more than the laws of reason can alter the mass of a
molecule.
And if human agents are not bound by physics, then why would a
divine agentwho arguably authored the laws to begin withbe bound by
them? More specifically, how does Hawking know miracles are
impossible? He gives no reason. He simply declares it to be so (by
asserting SD), and then belittles the alternative.
Leonard Mlodinow told Larry King, Theres never been in any
science experimentany indication that everything in the universe
does not follow physical laws.16 But science experiments
themselveshaving been designed by human agentsare not the product
of physical laws, but rather the will of the scientist.
Suicide #4
If Hawking and Mlodinow are right about SD, they are wrong about
everything in their book, because knowledge is impossible in the
rigidly determined world they affirm. Science itself is undermined
by scientific determinism. However, if they are wrong about SD,
then they cannot arbitrarily dismiss God as a possible player in
the cosmic arena.
The logical implications of scientific determinism cause
Hawkings grand design to implode. His theories are doubly dead,
however, because they commit suicide in yet another way.
Inside the Goldfish BowlIn What Is Reality?, chapter three of
The Grand
Design, Hawking and Mlodinow ponder the predicament of the
goldfish.
The world appears different to a goldfish looking out from the
inside of its bowl, than it does to us
looking in from the outside. The lens of the glass has a
distorting affect, bending the light and altering the images that
appear on the other side.
But which side is distorted, the authors ask, the fishs or
ours?
How do we know we have the true, undistorted picture of reality?
Might not we ourselves also
be inside some big goldfish bowl and have our vision distorted
by an enormous lens? The goldfishs picture of reality is different
from ours, but can we be sure it is less real?17
Since there is no picture- or theory-independent concept of
reality,18 the answer they give is that
there is no way to know. The best we can do, the authors
suggest, is simply to formulate a viewa modelthat seems to work
from our perspective, and leave it at that. Hawking calls this
approach model-dependent realism.
This language here is misleading, though. In discussions about
the ultimate nature of reality, the term realism generally means
that the external world is real and that it exists, more or less,
the way we perceive it to be. Even when there are distorting
elements (like goldfish bowls), our perceptive and cognitive
abilities allow us to make appropriate adjustments.
However, realism is precisely what Hawking and Mlodinow deny.
How do we know we are not just characters in a computer-generated
soap opera?, they wonder.19 No model of reality can be said to be
more real than the other.20
Our perception, they point out, is not direct, but rather shaped
by a kind of lens, the interpretive structure of our human
brains.21 And this distorting influence is impossible for us to
escape. All that can be claimed of any scientific theory is that it
accounts for the facts better than others, nothing more. It could
never be declared true in the ordinary sense of the word.
Hawkings and Mlodinows hypothesis is a costly one, however.
Note, first, that this is a radical departure from the canons of
conventional science, and Hawking knows it: Classical science is
based
Download your MP3 file today!Listen as Greg reveals how a
philosophical commitment to naturalism stifles the search for
truth, and that rather than being hostile to science, biblical
Christianity is the seedbed that gave modern science its start.
http://store.str.org/
-
7page
top 7
LISTen noW
Greg talks about this edition of Solid Ground.
oR SuBSCRIBe foR LaTeR
and undermines everything else that follows. Hawking sabotages
his own views three times, and each wound is fatal.
Any sound theory of everything needs to make sense of everything
that needs explaining. It needs to account for the existence and
order of the universe. It must make room for event and agent
causation, and the consciousness that accompanies the ability to
freely choose. It must make sense of the laws of logic, the basic
reliability of our sensory abilities, and the unique human
obligation of morality.
And it must speak to the deepest needs of our souls, because
they also are a part of everything that needs to be explained.
There is a theory that will do it allthe view of reality held by
Jesus of Nazareth, a view now called Christian theism. His basic
understanding of reality resonates with our deepest intuitions
about the way the world actually is.
We live in a universe created with a word by an intelligent,
powerful, eternal Spirit. The existence of the world is due to His
will. The magnificent design of creation is due to His wisdom.
Human beings are made in His image as moral creatures fashioned
for a divine purpose. We are able to know which side of the
goldfish bowl were on because Hes equipped our minds with a
perceptual ability that connects us to the real world, making a
discipline like science possible in the first place.
If Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow are really looking for
answers, then Christian theism explains everything that needs
explaining: existence, specified complexity (information), the
uniformity of natural law, genuine acts of freedom, human dignity
and purpose, acts of virtue and vice, rationality, true moral
guilt, and ultimate meaning.
It has enough sophistication and explanatory power to satisfy
the yearnings of the greatest minds of historyAugustine, Aquinas,
Galileo, Newton, Kepler, to name but a fewyet enough simplicity
in
on the belief that there exists a real external world whose
properties are definite and independent of the observer who
perceives them.22 Without the ability to accurately assess the
world, though, what becomes of the magisterium of science?
One also wonders what to make of the inviolability of Hawkings
scientific determinism if he is right about the implications of
goldfish bowls. It seems even SD would have to be demoted to the
status of distorted perception. Since scientific determinism is the
basis for all modern science,23 that noble discipline is thus
assaulted a second time.
Regardless, a much more damaging concern surfaces when we ask
the following question: What are we to make of the point of chapter
three itself, Hawkings non-realism? It seems we have two possible
choices. We can accept it as true, or we can reject it as false.
Clearly, Hawking would have us side with him. But, oddly, he has
not left that option open to useven theoreticallybecause the minute
we agree with him, we prove him false. Heres why.
Suicide #5
If Hawking is right that all perceptions are distorted by the
lens of the interpretive structure of our brains, then his own
theory would be a result of those distorted (and, therefore,
unreliable) perceptions. Perhaps, on the other hand, the professors
theory was the result of a moment of perceptual clarity in which he
saw the world as it really was. But if those moments are available
to Dr. Hawking, why are they denied to the rest of us?
As it turns out, Hawkings and Mlodinows view is sabotaged in the
same way all such postmodern views are: It self-destructs. They
claim there are no accurate representations of reality. Then they
ground their conviction on facts about perception, brain activity,
and interpretive structures they take to be true, undistorted, and
accurate to reality. Therefore, The Grand Design is refuted a
second time, even before getting to the science proper.
A Theory of EverythingFor someone like Stephen Hawking
searching
for a satisfying theory of everything, The Grand Design turns
out to be a quantum leap of self-defeating incoherence that
explains almost nothing.
By asserting scientific determinism, Hawking paints himself into
a fatalistic corner where it is impossible for him to know anything
at all. By opting for the anti-realism of model-dependent realism,
he immediately falsifies the SD he has just asserted, defeats his
own anti-realist speculations,
S o l i d G r o u n d A F o u n d a t i o n f o r B u i l d i n
g A m b a s s a d o r s
The theories of The Grand Designself-destruct. Hawking offers
nocoherent view of reality and uses bad science to try to make his
case.
http://www.strcast2.org/podcast/greg/1110sg.mp3http://www.strcast2.org/podcast/greg/1110sg.mp3http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/scholarsandscientists/galileo.htmlhttp://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/sciencefaith.htmlhttp://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/sciencefaith.html
-
S t a n d t o R e a s o n C h r i s t i a n i t y Wo r t h T h i
n k i n g A b o u t8page
top 8
the foundational notions to be grasped by a child.
It also provides the most important answer of all, the solution
to the human conditionforgiveness leading to that for which we all
deeply hunger, the fullness of existence found only in an eternal
friendship with God.
And no quantum leap is necessary to believe. Only a simple step
of trust that is consistent with all the facts.
Endnotes1. Dwight Garner, Many Kinds of Universes,
and None Require God, The New York Times, 9/7/10.
2. Larry King Live, 9/10/10.
3. These quotes can be found at this link.
4. Interview with William Lane Craig, 9/19/10
5. Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow, The Grand Design (New
York: Bantam Books, 2010), 5.
6. Ibid, 51.
7. At least on the supra-atomic level.
8. Hawking Mlodinow, 30.
9. Ibid, 30.
10. Ibid, 31-32.
11. Ibid, 32.
Putting Your Knowledge into Action
Dont be intimidated by those who claim that sci-ence can explain
everything. Remember that just as a runaway child cant survive
without his par-ents, science cant exist without philosophy.
Remember that there are two kinds of causes: event and
agent.Denying agent causation is a self-refuting argument that
ignores the obvious.
Keep in mind that the claim that there are no accurate
representations of reality is just another postmodern view that is
self-destructive.
12. Ibid.
13. This is the classic philosophical definition of knowledge:
justified true belief (JTB).
14. Hawking and Mlodinow, 34.
15. Moral virtues also require human freedom. SD makes morality
unintelligible.
16. Larry King Live, 9/10/10.
17. Hawking and Mlodinow, 39.
18. Ibid, 42.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid, 51.
21. Ibid, 46.
22. Ibid, 43.
23. Ibid, 30.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/books/08book.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/08/books/08book.htmlhttp://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1009/10/lkl.01.htmlhttp://phys.wordpress.com/2006/06/09/quantum-mechanical-quotes/http://www.str.org/blog/william-lane-craig-on-postmodernism#.UZ6mr-iKuUk
-
9page
To get information about inviting an STR speaker to your church,
email [email protected] for Brett or Alan, or [email protected] for
Greg.
top 9
Stand to Reason Resources...Be Prepared
The Reason for God DVD and Discussion Guide *NEW*, Timothy
Keller, DVD Runtime: 120 Minutes, 96-Page Booklet (DVD026)
$28.79DVD and Discussion Guide available separately for $22.49
(DVD025) and $8.99 (BK348)
Pastor and author Timothy Keller meets with a group of
skeptics
over six sessions to debate their doubts and questions about
Christianity. Using literature, philosophy, real-life experiences,
and constant reference to the Bible, Keller explains how the belief
in a Christian God is a sound and rational one.
Session titles include:1. How can there be only one true
religion? 2. Why does God allow suffering? 3. How could a loving
God send people to Hell? 4. Hasnt science disproved Christianity?
5. How can you take the Bible literally? 6. What is Christianity
all about?
Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault *NEW*,
Nancy Pearcey, 336 pages, Hardcover (BK346) $24.29A former
agnostic, Pearcey offers a persuasive case for historic
Christianity as a holistic and humane alternative to secularism.
She equips readers to counter the life-denying
worldviews that are radically restructuring society and
pervading our daily lives. Whether you are a devoted Christian,
determined secularist, or dont know quite where you stand,
readingSaving Leonardowill challenge your thinking. More than 100
reproductions and illustrations.
The Ambassadors Guide to Pluralism *NEW* Gregory Koukl, 32 Pages
(BK347) $4.95 As a Christian, I believe that Jesus is the only way
for me, but I cant say He is the way for others.Statements like
this have become increasingly common among Christians of all
stripes and betray a deeply confused understanding of the
Christian
message. In The Ambassasors Guide to Pluralism, Greg exposes the
error behind this relativistic religion, identifying and
repudiating the three corrosive elements that prompt such confused
confessions: theological uncertainty, religious pluralism, and
Christian inclusivism.
STR Speakers Schedules
Greg Koukl
November1 Agronomy Christian Fellowship, Long Beach, CA 8-9:30
p.m. 7 Windsor Road Christian Church, Champaign, IL Contact:
www.windsorroad.org18-20 EPS Apologetics Conference, Atlanta, GA
http://www.epsapologetics.com
December3 Search Ministries, Minn., MN Contact:
http://www.searchmn.org/12 Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA 5
p.m. Topic: Jesus Birth and Resurreciton Contact:
http://www.saddleback.com/
Brett Kunkle
November18-20 EPS Apologetics Conference, Marietta, GA Time:
8:30 p.m. Topics: Truth and the Real
World, The New Atheists: Old Arguments, New Attitude, Is One Way
the Only Way?, Q&A Panel Contact: www.epsapologetics.com
Alan Shlemon
November14 Covina First Southern Baptist Church, Covina, CA
11:00 a.m. Topic: TBD Contact: (626)
332-8223
December12 Covina First Southern Baptist Church, Covina, CA
11:00 a.m. Topic: TBD Contact: (626)
332-8223
Evangelical Philisophical Society 9th Annual Conference
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7975http://www.str.org/site/Calendar/178506324?view=Detail&id=111723http://www.str.org/site/Calendar/178506324?view=Detail&id=110922http://www.str.org/site/Calendar/178506324?view=Detail&id=110742http://www.str.org/site/Calendar/178506324?view=Detail&id=111621http://www.str.org/site/Calendar/178506324?view=Detail&id=111622http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8035http://www.str.org/site/Calendar/178506324?view=Detail&id=110861http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8033http://www.str.org/site/Calendar/178506324?view=Detail&id=111642http://www.str.org/site/Calendar/178506324?view=Detail&id=111643http://www.epsapologetics.com/http://www.epsapologetics.com/
-
Contact Us Today
(800) 2-REASON (562) 595-7332 WWW.STR.ORG WWW.STRPLACE.ORG
S o l i d G r o u n d A F o u n d a t i o n f o r B u i l d i n
g A m b a s s a d o r s
share on Facebook or twitter
Stand to Reason Speakers
Stand to Reason faculty members are available to speak and help
you effectively engage the culture around you with knowledge,
wisdom, and character. STR offers lectures and seminars geared
towards helping Christians gain practical tools they need to make a
difference in their world, giving them both the knowledge and
confidence to be players in the world of ideas.
Contact STR today to schedule Greg, Brett or Alan for your
conference, church service or special event.
top 10
10page
Bring STR to Your Next Event
Building Ambassadors Online
We think Enhanced Solid Ground is perfect for sharing with your
friends, and its never been easier. Simply attach this pdf to an
outgoing email. You can also forward the STR email containing the
link to the Enhanced Solid Ground to anyone youd like.
First time readers, receive a FREE mp3 of Ambassadors for
Christ: The Essential Skills by Greg Koukl. Visit our online store
and use this discount code at checkout: NEWREGGIFT. Please only new
friends.
share with a Friend we encourage you to do so! Join the
Conversation
You can talk with fellow STR listeners every week live during
our radio broadcast. Use Twitter to engage, challenge and encourage
other listeners discussing the significant topics of our day.
Look for free book giveaways.
Follow: STRtalk Search: #STRtalk
http://www.str.orghttp://www.str.org/training/student-resourceshttp://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CD206http://store.str.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=CD206http://store.str.org/http://twitter.com/#!/strtalkhttp://twitter.com/#search?q=%23strtalk
header logo button: Button 26: twitter button page 1: facebook
button pg1: Button 27: top pg 2: previous page 9: next page 8:
Download SP info 3: Donate 3: Button 34: Button 35: top pg 3:
previous page: next page: top pg 4: previous page 2: next page 2:
Download 1: top pg 5: previous page 3: next page 3: top pg 6:
previous page 4: next page 4: Button 28: Button 40: top pg 7:
previous page 5: next page 5: previous page 8: next page 7: top pg
8: Calendar: top pg 9: previous page 6: next page 6: Buy 1: Buy 2:
Buy 3: Button 38: Twitter: Facebook: top pg 10: previous page 7:
cover page: first page: Button 29: Button 30: Button 31: Button
32: