Why do YOU believe the Bible?

[Carpenter]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

You do realize that Mormons can make the same esoteric claim.......Why should I accept Christianity on your 'feelings'?

Sorry to be so late on this Dave, but the original question was why do YOU (as in I) belive the bible. I am not making any attempt to get you to believe anything based on my experience.

I used my skills and abilities in an absence of truth, to cause my daughter to believe in Santa Claus one year.

Sometimes, though, certain people use their influence and are even deluded in some respects because they have the skills to cause people to believe based on their experience and understanding.

Too bad, those folks have traded a knowledge of the word for a ring in their nose.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

Actually, as I stated in a previous post, every experience we have is interpreted. Abraham and Paul had experiences that in and of themselves could have gone either way but through their presuppositions they interpreted the dreams the way God ordained.

One of the main problems I have with empirical apologetics is that it leaves the sinner to interpret the facts. Besides that, philosophically they are just bad arguments. Hume and Russell showed that.

In the examination of the Christian worldview we find that it and it alone is able to consistently show a non-arbitrary, logical, and objective view of life and is the only one that can provide answers that aren't illogical and arbitrary. Unless we start with the Word of God as our axiom we cannot logically explain anything else.

So what you are saying is one must accept the Bible as truth, otherwise one's views cannot be coherent? Have we not then come full circle? Why do YOU believe the Bible? By an examination of the Christian worldview? Is that not empirical evidence?

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by crakjak

So what you are saying is one must accept the Bible as truth, otherwise one's views cannot be coherent? Have we not then come full circle? Why do YOU believe the Bible? By an examination of the Christian worldview? Is that not empirical evidence?

By accepting the Christian worldview, which is propositional and not empirical, it gives cogency to the world around me.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

As I've stated in other posts we must start at the correct point and realize that intellectual neutrality is a myth. We all have our view about reality. Only when we presuppose the Christian worldview can we make sense of the world around us and are able to give an account for life that is not arbitrary, inconsistent, or illogical.

I completely agree.

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by Carpenter

Sorry to be so late on this Dave, but the original question was why do YOU (as in I) belive the bible. I am not making any attempt to get you to believe anything based on my experience.

I used my skills and abilities in an absence of truth, to cause my daughter to believe in Santa Claus one year.

Sometimes, though, certain people use their influence and are even deluded in some respects because they have the skills to cause people to believe based on their experience and understanding.

Too bad, those folks have traded a knowledge of the word for a ring in their nose.

The way I see it is that we all have a ring. It comes down to whose ring is it?

Good post.

[crakjak]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

By accepting the Christian worldview, which is propositional and not empirical, it gives cogency to the world around me.

I propose that the Christian wordview is the accurate understanding of the world around us. Now we can argue about what is the accurate Christian worldview?

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by crakjak

I propose that the Christian wordview is the accurate understanding of the world around us. Now we can argue about what is the accurate Christian worldview?

That's the tough part!

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Carpenter

Sorry to be so late on this Dave, but the original question was why do YOU (as in I) belive the bible. I am not making any attempt to get you to believe anything based on my experience.

I used my skills and abilities in an absence of truth, to cause my daughter to believe in Santa Claus one year.

Sometimes, though, certain people use their influence and are even deluded in some respects because they have the skills to cause people to believe based on their experience and understanding.

Too bad, those folks have traded a knowledge of the word for a ring in their nose.

If anyone is persuaded to become a Christian by someone else's experience then that will fade fast unless that person has an experience with God on their own which matches up with what the apostles taught.

[mizpeh]

You seem to pit intellect against faith as if they are antithetical. I propose that you can't have any faith without an object and reason for faith. Otherwise we call that insanity. Even Peter states that we're to be able to give an apologetic for the 'hope' we have.

RD,

I'd like to ask you again what reason do you think Peter would give for the hope that is in him?

I think he would point 1) to his eyewitness account of the resurrection and then 2) to the OT scriptures he quoted in Acts 2.

The first is an experience. The second is trying to prove the Bible with the Bible.

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

By accepting the Christian worldview, which is propositional and not empirical, it gives cogency to the world around me.

What would lead you to accepting the Christian worldview as opposed to Islam or Buddism etc....?