CENTRAL PERSON OF HELLENIC (3RD Kingdom) THINKING

Socrates (470-399 BC)

“Socrates was the first to call philosophy down from the heavens” - Cicero

“Holy Socrates, pray for us” – Erasmus

“The greatest teacher in European history” – Warner Jaeger

“KNOW THYSELF”

SOV SOV ETERNALETERNAL

HOLY HOLY OMNIPOOMNIPO

LOVE LOVE OMNIPROMNIPR

OMNIS IMMUTOMNIS IMMUT

Revelation + Dominion “Instinct” + Guilt

= Idolatry (re-engineering)

Shall I Bow To My Creator?

• YES!– ancient monotheism

– ancient Israel

– Bible

– Fundamentalism

• CREATOR/creature– God || man | nature

– everlasting distinctions

• PERSONAL SOVEREIGN– ultimate responsibility

• NO!– ancient myths– eastern religions– western philosophy– modern theology

• Continuity of Being– nature > gods > man– transmutation / evolution

• IMPERSONAL FATE / CHANCE– ultimate victimization

““We take the side of science in spite of We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its the patent absurdity of some of its

constructs. . . .because we have a prior constructs. . . .because we have a prior commitment to materialism. . . .Moreover, commitment to materialism. . . .Moreover,

that materialism is absolute, for we that materialism is absolute, for we

cannot allow a divine foot in the door.cannot allow a divine foot in the door.””

Richard Lewontin, New York Review of BooksAtheist population biologist

““It isn’t just that I don’t It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God. . . .It’s that I believe in God. . . .It’s that I

hope there is no God! I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a don’t want there to be a

God; I don’t want the God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.”universe to be like that.”

Thomas Nagel, The Last WordAtheist Philosophy Professor

“Universal History Project”

Higher criticism

“Happy” evangelism

Value-neutral artistry

Semantic manipulation

UNBELIEF SWALLOWING UP A BIT OF THE WORD OF GOD

A portion of the Word of God presented to unbelief

Unbelief reinterpreting the Word of God within its own categories

““Unbelief controls my interpretation of the situation”Unbelief controls my interpretation of the situation”

• “For God = The Allah of the Qur’an, who is great (& unknowable) and merciful (& unpredictable), Creator of the Universe, Master of His slaves.

• so loved the world = The Muslim has no concept of God’s agape love for sinners. Allah only loves those who submit to Him and the Prophet.

• that He gave His only begotten Son, = Muslim response: “May Allah forgive you for this blasphemy! Allah does not beget! Nor would He become man! Why should Allah do such a thing? Man is basically good, though weak, needing guidance, not redemption. Jesus [pbuh] was not crucified. Allah would never allow a great prophet like Jesus [pbuh] to endure such a shameful death!”

• that whoever believes in Him, = Most common reaction: “We believe in Jesus and all the prophets! Why don’t you believe the final Prophet?” Or as a highly acclaimed Muslim PhD commented on this part of John 3:16: “What happens to the people who were born and died before God decided to concoct this charade only 2000 years ago? It seems that the Christian God is a poor planner and a late thinker because it took him thousands if not millions of years to find a way of forgiving ‘the sins’ of mankind.”

• should not perish, = “What arrogance! No one can know their fate! Only God knows. On Judgment Day my good and bad will be weighed to determine if I have earned Allah’s favor.”

• but have eternal life.” = “You mean I’ll enter a garden of sensual delights, if I am worthy. Oh, you poor Bible-believers! Your Book is utterly corrupted. Only the glorious Qur’an is perfect and preserved. Revert to Islam!”

SOV SOV ETERNALETERNAL

HOLY HOLY OMNIPOOMNIPO

LOVE LOVE OMNIPROMNIPR

OMNIS IMMUTOMNIS IMMUT

Revelation + Dominion “Instinct” + Guilt

= Idolatry (re-engineering)

CENTRAL PERSON OF HELLENIC (3RD Kingdom) THINKING

Socrates (470-399 BC)

“Socrates was the first to call philosophy down from the heavens” - Cicero

“Holy Socrates, pray for us” – Erasmus

“The greatest teacher in European history” – Warner Jaeger

“KNOW THYSELF”

Shall I Bow To My Creator?

• YES!– ancient monotheism

– ancient Israel

– Bible

– Fundamentalism

• CREATOR/creature– God || man | nature

– everlasting distinctions

• PERSONAL SOVEREIGN– ultimate responsibility

• NO!– ancient myths– eastern religions– western philosophy– modern theology

• Continuity of Being– nature > gods > man– transmutation / evolution

• IMPERSONAL FATE / CHANCE– ultimate victimization

Empiricism

Endless data & experiences

Licentiousness

Anarchy

chaos

skepticism

depression pessimism

Rationalism

Universal categories

Legalism

Totalitarianism

order

certitude

mania

optimism

Self-sufficient man

God-conscious

Guilty conscience

Fear of judgment

Empiricism

Endless data & experiences

Licentiousness

Anarchy

chaos

skepticism

depression pessimism

Rationalism

Universal categories

Legalism

Totalitarianism

order

certitude

mania

optimism

Self-sufficient man

God-conscious

Guilty conscience

Fear of judgment

THE NATURE OF REASONING

Logical Rules

Propositions Conclusions

Logical Fallacy of Scientific Induction

•If “p” , then “q”

•“q” is true

•Therefore “p” is true

•If [millions of years of sedimentation], then [sedimentary rock layers]

•[Sedimentary rock layers] exist

•Therefore [millions of years of sedimentation]

“assertion of the consequent” or

“the generalization fallacy”

Empiricism

Endless data & experiences

Licentiousness

Anarchy

chaos

skepticism

depression pessimism

Rationalism

Universal categories

Legalism

Totalitarianism

order

certitude

mania

optimism

Self-sufficient man

God-conscious

Guilty conscience

Fear of judgment

Empiricism

Endless data & experiences

Licentiousness

Anarchy

chaos

skepticism

depression pessimism

Rationalism

Universal categories

Legalism

Totalitarianism

order

certitude

mania

optimism

Self-sufficient man

God-conscious

Guilty conscience

Fear of judgment