Epistemology, Part Four:
Jason Harris

In the last post in this series, I gave three basic propositions.

1) God is always perfectly rational.
2) In God’s image, humans are also rational.
3) Human rationality is limited both inherently and by the effects of the curse.

If these propositions are accepted as true, some basic conclusions will follow.

It is dangerous to abandon human rationality at any level.

It is ironic that “blind faith” expressions of fundamentalism actually parallel post-modern forms of Christianity such as the Emergent Church and the less conservative forms of broader evangelicalism. Both abandon human rationality in order to reach their desired end. Any church or movement that degrades human rationality or caricatures it as opposing faith can also expect Read the rest of this entry »

Epistemology, Part Three:
Three Propositions on Rationality
Jason Harris

It’s been a while since the second post, but the more I’ve considered these things, the more I realise just how basic they are to everything we think and believe. The term for what we’re talking about is epistemology. Epistemology deals with the very nature and basis for knowledge. Since everything we think we know is built on some epistemological basis, we would be wise to at least understand what our own epistemological basis is. A poor understanding of our epistemological base will make theological dialog frustrating at best, meaningless at worst.

To sum up part one and two, we discussed evidentialism (knowledge is justified on the basis of evidence), fideism (knowledge is justified on the basis of faith), and presuppositionalism (certain knowledge is presupposed but verified by evidence).

In order to move forward through the clutter, I’ll present several propositions which I believe follow from a basic presuppositional approach and result in a practical epistemological basis from which to operate in teaching and obeying God’s Word.

Proposition one: God is always perfectly rational.

Finite man may not always be able to comprehend God’s rationale, but that does not change the fact that God is always rational. The nature of God’s chosen method of working with and revealing Himself to man reflects His rationality. In fact, creation itself reflects the reality that God is a rational being. The laws of nature and science reflect a level of rationality that has driven man to learn and discover for millennia. Even the secular “intelligent Read the rest of this entry »

Epistemology, Part Two:
A Look at Presuppositionalism
Jason Harris

It’s been a while since my last heavy post. This topic has been going through my head a lot over the last several weeks.

Farid commented that “the big danger with taking faith over everything is that you’ll believe really crazy things and you won’t see the truth because blind faith is…. blinding!”

For a classic (and somewhat disturbing) example, click here where you’ll see a Fundamental, Independent Baptist scholar trying to prove that the earth is the centre of Read the rest of this entry »

Epistemology, Part One:
An Introduction to Evidentialism
Jason Harris

Recently I’ve been studying something called evidentialism. I have to admit that I’m learning this from the ground up, but I thought I’d put what I’m learning here in order to help me sort out my thoughts. Also, some of you may be able to give me feedback that would be helpful in the development of my thinking on this.

I’ll start by defining evidentialism. “Evidentialism is a theory of justified belief according to which belief in the truth of a proposition is justified only when the believer’s entire body of evidence tends to support that belief. Evidentialism’s approach to justified belief is marked by its appeal to evidence. In a sense, evidentialism holds that belief is only as sound as the evidence upon which it is founded.” (www.wikipedia.com)

In other words, if you can’t prove something, you have no right to Read the rest of this entry »

Epistemology and Other Irrelevant Stuff
By Jason Harris

We’re tempted at times to think the size of a word is directly proportionate to its real-life irrelevance. The longer the word—we think—the less relevant to my life. And I guess at times that’s true. But there are some words that are extremely relevant. For instance, Orthomyxoviridae doesn’t seem very relevant unless you were up all night with the symptoms of the virus also known as the flu.

Epistemology is like that. We may not know that’s what’s causing the discomfort, but we sure do feel the discomfort. This four part series of posts (beginning tomorrow) was originally posted in my personal blog, and I’ve edited it slightly to be posted here because I really believe that this concept is at the root of many other “symptoms.” It’s fairly simple—perhaps at times simplistic—but I trust it will be thought-provoking and perhaps helpful.

By Jason Harris

It’s inevitable. You can run from it. You can hide from it. You can pretend it won’t happen. But as sure as the rising of the sun, things change. There are three truths we must face head-on if we’re going to successfully understand and navigate change.

1. Change is scary

Fear is the instinctive human response to change. Change makes us feel out-of-control as we face a future that is unpredictable. I recently spoke to a pastor who was informed in no uncertain terms that changing the lights in their church building could result in Read the rest of this entry »

Late last week a friend forwarded this two-part documentary called “The Trouble with Atheism.” I felt it would be worth passing on to you, but with some cautionary comments.

Rod Liddle does not approach this as a Christian but as a post-modernist. Atheists will find his interviews with scientists and atheists rather exposing, and believers may gain insight, but we must keep in mind that the main point Liddle is making is that Atheism is really just another form of religion in the sense that it produces the same results. Liddle goes so far as to refer to “fundamentalist Atheists.” Liddle concludes the series by positing that the problem is absolutism in general (the idea that there is truth) and fundamentalism in specific (the idea that we can know what it is).

In this series Liddle almost casually decimates modernism (the idea that science will answer all our questions) all the while setting the stage for post-modernism (the idea that there is no definite answer). It’s worth watching, but we must not think that the world is turning to the truth. The world is turning to a relativism that is far more deadly than modernism.

The Trouble with Atheism, Part One (25 mins)
The Trouble with Atheism, Part Two (25 mins)

By Linda Sabry

It is the Lord’s will for His daughters to present themselves as pure vessels before men and radiate in feminine beauty. In 1 Timothy 2:9a women are instructed to “…adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety …”.

As we explore together the Scriptures on the topic of modesty, may we cry out to God as David did in Psalms 139: 23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” May we pray to our Father that He may convict our hearts through His Holy Spirit of anything in our wardrobes which displeases Him.

Bringing glory to our King

Our purpose here on Earth as women of God is to bring glory to our Father in Heaven””not through our beautiful figures, charm or fashion sense, but through Read the rest of this entry »

By Jason Harris

In part one we saw that every believer ought to cultivate a balanced reading habit. Following are three suggestions for a balanced reading habit.

Read Critically

Critical thinking is not only an essential life skill; it’s a biblical command (1 Thessalonians 5:21). According to Stephen Lucas (The Art of Public Speaking, glossary), critical thinking is “focused, organized thinking about such things as the logical relationships among ideas, the soundness of evidence, and the differences between fact and opinion.” It is important to discern the credibility of an author and his work. Works that are thoroughly researched, well documented, factually accurate, and logically cogent deserve our time and attention and will help us to develop our own critical thinking skills. Part of critical thinking is being conscious of an author’s bias. You’re safe when you’re Read the rest of this entry »

By Dr. George Matzko

In a previous article (Wellsprings, January-March 2004) I discussed the cause of sickness and aging and God’s purpose in illness from a Biblical perspective. In this article I would like to deal with the main points of contention between alternative medicine and traditional western scientific medicine. I come to this discussion, not as a medical practitioner, but as a member of the scientific community, thankful for God’s gift to mankind of western scientific medicine and the diversity of foods we have to enjoy from all over the world.

There are a number of myths about health that are in circulation in many fundamental churches, including the idea that people are sicker today than they have been in the past due to our modern diet of processed foods. However, the truth is that those of us who live in the West are living longer and healthier than ever in human history. It is true that diseases of old age and overeating, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease have increased, but deaths from infectious diseases have decreased dramatically. However, adjusting for our increased life span, deaths from all types of cancer except those related to lifestyle (lung, skin, genital) have decreased year by year.

As far as diet is concerned, our Lord placed the emphasis where it belongs in Matt. 15:16-20, “And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”

Today we see an unhealthy overemphasis on diet to the extent that some would say, “You are what you eat.” Read the rest of this entry »

By Jason Harris

If you had the opportunity to spend several hours with any leader in the world, would you take it? Probably all of us would jump at the chance. You may not have the opportunity to spend a few hours with them in person, but chances are, you could do it in a book. By reading, you can spend hours of one-on-one time with some of the greatest—and busiest—men who’ve ever lived. You can sit next to Jim Elliot as he meditates on God by a jungle river. You can feel the inner struggles of Hudson Taylor as he ministers in China. You can listen to the thoughts and ideas of the greatest minds in history—by reading. Every believer ought to cultivate a balanced reading habit. Read the rest of this entry »