Moreland 8 Flashcards
What is wrong with the atheist’s objection that we cannot believe in something we cannot
see, therefore we cannot believe in God?
on that basis, the statement itself cannot be
believed, i.e., “I can believe in only what I see.” That is because, of course, we cannot see the
proposition itself
What was logical positivism and how was it self-refuting?
it held that the only true
statements are those which are true by virtue of the very words and those that can be empirically verified
The problem was that the very theory
itself
it was not true by definition of the words nor was it empirically verifiable
What other things do most people believe in but cannot see
numbers, values, one’s
own thoughts, sets, laws of logic
What is a category fallacy and how is it committed by the view that God cannot exist if He
cannot be seen?
the fallacy of assigning to something a property which applies only to objects of another category
God is an infinite spirit whose nature does not include being visible
Who has argued that God is merely a projection of the mind?
What problem becomes apparent with that view when we compare converts?
Marx
atheists are a more narrowly defined group than theists–who are very different from each
other
How has Psychologist Paul Vitz reversed that argument?
says that atheism is a result of a desire to kill the father figure
What is the genetic fallacy?
arguing against a view on the basis of where it came from,
So even if we grant that belief in God arose out of fear, it does not show that belief in God is wrong
What is R. C. Sproul’s argument against the atheist’s view that God is merely a projection?
the biblical God is not the sort of being that one would choose to project
What is a numinous experience?
one which the subject has some sort of direct apprehension of a personal Being who is holy, good awesome, separate from the subject, and One upon whim the subject depends in some way for life and care
How can the Christian answer the objection that religious experiences can be explained
psychologically and sociologically?
the Christian would say that it may be true that religious belief can be explained in psychological and sociological terms–but religious
experiences can be more than that
What is the problem with assuming that there is a common psychological or sociological
cause of all religious experiences?
the view becomes less plausible as the variety of
converts increases
