Podcast 52: Theism, Atheism, and Pantheism (Apologetics 3)

Apologetics 3: Theism, Atheism, and Pantheism

In Building Belief, Chad Meister uses a worldview comparison chart to simplify all the religions of the world into three broad categories: theism, atheism, and pantheism. This strategy will help you to compare and contrast five major aspects of these three worldviews, including theology, ontology, epistemology, axiology, and anthropology. Next, you can evaluate each of the three main possibilities on the basis of logic and livability. This way of looking at world religions can especially help you in talking to others about the faith.

If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Here now is lecture three: Theism, Atheism, and Pantheism.

Notes:

worldview: “a collection of beliefs and ideas about the central issues of life…the lens through which we ‘see’ all of reality” (Meister, 39)[1]

1. theology: is there a God, if so what is God like?
2. ontology: what is ultimate reality?
3. epistemology: how do we acquire knowledge?
4. axiology: what is the basis for morality?
5. anthropology: who are we as human beings (Mesiter, p. 40)

origin, meaning, morals, destiny

• the worldview approach is so helpful because there are thousands of religions and no one would have the time to study and evaluate them all
• since they can be categorized into three main worldviews, we can immediately eliminate huge numbers of them if we can disprove or prove one of these to be correct
• According to Meister, there are three worldviews: atheism, theism, and pantheism
• common objection1: how do you know that Christianity is right and all the other thousands of religions are wrong? how can you be so arrogant?
• common objection2: all religions are just the same anyhow like the blind man and the elephant

 

paradigm atheism pantheism theism God/gods/divinity (theology) no supernatural arguments for God God is everything; everything is God if God has a mind then he can’t be a rock; if he doesn’t have a mind then he is not a person one or more gods exist apart from nature problem of evil; no empirical test for supernatural beings reality (ontology) naturalism (big bang + evolution) big bang needs cause, origin of 1st life, Cambrian explosion no distinction between creator and creation why can’t I read minds if there is only one mind? physical and spiritual realities both exist; spiritual first then physical God of the gaps knowledge (epistemology) scientific method can’t prove logic, can’t understand love or altruism can’t trust senses; learn through meditation; look with in then I don’t need to listen to you teach me how to think about pantheism (only ideas I conceive of are true) knowledge gained through senses (scientific method) and revelation (divine insight) what about wackos who say God told them to kill their children? morality (axiology/ethics) socially constructed, determined by evolution if no absolute source for morals, then why follow them? selfishness leads to dysfunction evil is an illusion; eliminate attachments can’t detach from loving my children God sets absolute standard for right and wrong Euthyphro dilemma humanity (anthropology) physical only, electro-mechanical machines difficult to explain consciousness spiritual only, physical is a deception but I know I have a physical body! both physical and spiritual brain damage affects personality

atheism

description:

1. theology: no God or supernatural
2. ontology: naturalism (big bang + evolution) nothing outside of nature exists
3. epistemology: scientific method, empiricism