APOL500_SSAA_FS

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1 I. Introduction While sifting through the various worldviews, it is evident that many in the secularist world have a united front against Christianity due to their lack of special revelation. The idea of pluralism and universality used in secular humanism differs greatly from the Christian worldview in which exclusivism and particularity clearly define that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone. 1 , 2 The defense of this thesis will be supported through the analysis and critique of the secular humanist worldview and a defense for the Christian worldview. II. Analysis of Aspects of the Opposing Worldview In the case for secular humanism, specific principles guide the worldview to believe that eternal salvation is attainable by all and all shall be saved, as well as that no one religion has a monopoly over salvation. This differs sharply from the worldview of Christianity where exclusivism states that not all shall be saved and particularity expresses that Christ is the door to salvation (John 10:7-9, English Standard Bible). 3 The secular humanist worldview also includes pluralism in which the probability for salvation is existing for all. According to the organization Center for Inquiry, secular humanist assert that God does not exist, only science and the scientific method provide the most reliable forms of knowledge, and only through man made systems can we achieve a higher level of moral and ethical standards. 4 In the following section we will analyze and expound upon the aforementioned assertions. 1 "What Is Inclusivism And Why Does It Matter?", The Gospel Coalition, Last modified 2022, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/what-is-inclusivism-and-why-does-it-matter/. 2 Colin Gunton. “Universal and Particular in Atonement Theology.” Religious Studies 28, no. 4 (1992): 453–66. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20019570. 3 John 10:7-9, English Standard Version.

2 Pluralism explains that salvation does not only come to those who hear the Word of God or else that would mean that most people who have ever lived were not saved. 5 In other words, if salvation is real then it should be available to everyone regardless of their faith. This is where the stark dissimilarity from the Christian worldview is acknowledged. As aforementioned, Jesus claims that He is the narrow door and gives absolutely no alternative to salvation (Luke 13:22). 6 So, on one hand you have people attaining salvation regardless if they extend their hands towards it or not, and on the other hand Jesus is imposing complete faith in Him and His work so as to attain eternal salvation. This unavoidable gap continues to grow wider when we integrate the principal of universalism which states that blind faith saves all because there is no “one true God.” The next section will develop the idea of secular humanism and their faith in universalism. Universalism defends the position that everyone, regardless of their religion, will be saved by God. 7 That is to say that God will personally bring you into the eternal life with Him regardless of what god you placed your faith into during your time on earth. As the Humanist Manifesto II (1973) states, “No god will save us, we must save ourselves.” 8 Accordingly, secular humanists do not need to believe in the “right” god, nor do they need to believe in a god. Therefore, the human race, through reliable and impartial science and the results it provides, can 4 "What Is Secular Humanism - CFI". Centerforinquiry.Org, Last modified 2022. https://centerforinquiry.org/definitions/what-is-secular-humanism/. 5 "What Is Inclusivism And Why Does It Matter?". 2022. 6 Luke 13:22, ESV 7 "What Is Inclusivism And Why Does It Matter?". 2022. 8 Paul Kurtz. 1925-2012. 1973. Humanist Manifesto, II. Buffalo, Prometheus Books.

3 save itself and be saved now and after death. Universalism, along with pluralism, clearly disagree with the Christian worldview, but inclusivism declares that there is a bridge between the two vastly opposite worldviews. Inclusivism claims to have found a segue concerning pluralism and exclusivism. 9 Inclusivist share the belief that Jesus is Lord and that He will punish those whom are immoral and cast them into the lake of fire to be tormented for eternity. 10 This principle is importantly in contrast to universalism and the belief that all can and will be saved. Additionally, inclusivist differ from exclusivist by stating that faith alone saves. 11 In contrast, exclusivist declare that faith must be place in the right object, Jesus, and that the faith must be sincere and demonstrate genuine commitment, such as when His apostles went out and proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, the principles of inclusivism negate the statement of a segue between pluralism and exclusivism. In summary, the worldview of secular humanism encompasses pluralism, universalism, and a conflicting principle known as inclusivism. It is evident that neither of the aforementioned principles shares any common ground with the Christian worldview, except for the belief in punishment and hell held within inclusivism. The following section will critique the secular worldview in contrast with the Christian worldview before a defense of the Christian worldview is contended. 9 "What Is Secular Humanism - CFI". 2022. 10 Rev. 20:10, 21:8, Matt. 10:28, Jude 1:7, ESV. 11 Samuel J. Youngs. "Renovating Evangelical Exclusivism: Toward An Assessment And Synthesis Of Recent Paradigms". Trinity Journal 36 (2015): 91-111.

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4 III. Critique of Aspects of the Opposing Worldview The previous section provided a detailed account of some of the soundest principals that lie in the heart of secular humanism. Now, there will be a critique section of those principals against the Christian worldview. First, it is imperative to criticize the notion that Jesus was not the Son of Man as he had claimed, as well as the opinion that He was not divine. Secondly, it is crucial to know that those that claim that salvation is attainable by any means other than faith in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus is a farce. Lastly, the principle of exclusivism will visibly display that Jesus is Lord and the Father has given Him authority to welcome His adopted children into the Kingdom of God. 12 Inclusivism discards the idea that Jesus is the Son of Man and is not divine. 13 Additionally, as described by Gould et. al., inclusivism, in the case of religious pluralism, is no more inclusive than exclusivism! 14 First, it is important to note Gould et. al.’s discussion on whether Jesus was even a real person. To quickly summarize, James, the brother of Jesus and an important Jewish historian, declares He did exist and went as far as calling Him the Messiah. 15 Furthermore, Jesus articulated on many occasions that He is the “I AM”, that the Father and Him are one, and that He was fulfilling the prophecy foretold in the Book of Daniel of the Messiah. 16 12 John 1:12, 11:52, 14:6; Matt. 5:9, 5:4, ESV. 13 Sanchari Bhowmik. "David Hume On The Deductive Proofs Of The Divine Existence In The Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion". Aither 13, no. 2 (2022): 42-59. doi:10.5507/aither.2022.002. 14 Paul Gould, Travis Dickinson and Keith Loftin, Stand Firm: Apologetics And The Brilliance Of The Gospel Nashville, TN.: B&H Academic, 2018. 137. 15 Khaldoun A. Sweis, and Chad V. Meister. Christian Apologetics: An Anthology Of Primary Sources . Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan, 2012. 96. 16 Sweis, and Meister. Christian Apologetics , 102.

5 Moreover, others, such as John the Baptist and Simon Peter, also claimed that Jesus was Lord, the Messiah, and the Son of Man! 17 Lastly, as Gould et. al. argue, each of the canonical Gospels claim to have eyewitness reports of an empty tomb, Jesus revealed Himself to over 500 people on multiple occasions, and each one of His disciples went as far as dying for Jesus while proclaiming the aforementioned miracles. 18 The following segment will examine the importance of particularity and belief in Jesus and His resurrection. Particularity states that it is only through faith in Jesus, and the resurrection, that one can be saved. 19 As previously mentioned, it is not just by blind faith that we are saved, but by faith in Jesus’s life, His ministry, and His resurrection and ascension to heaven that leads to salvation. 20 As Wax mentions in his blog, the type of faith required for salvation is impartial belief of the content in the Christian gospel and a sincere transformation of the heart, which considerably disagrees from inclusivism and universalism. 21 Again, Jesus confirms these statements in John 14:6-7. This principal of particularity closely resembles exclusivism in which they both express salvation is only attainable through faith in Jesus, but exclusivism adds that God is the creator of universe and that humans require His salvation. 22 The following section observes how the need for God and special revelation build up the argument for exclusivism. 17 Matt. 16:13, Mark 1:7-8, 8:29, Luke 9:20, ESV. 18 Gould, Dickinson and Loftin, Stand Firm , 117. 19 Gould, Dickinson and Loftin, Stand Firm , 64. 20 "Inclusivism: What Is "Faith" Anyway?". The Gospel Coalition, Last modified 2022. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/inclusivism-what-is-faith-anyway/. 21 "Inclusivism: What Is "Faith" Anyway?". 2022. 22 Gould, Dickinson and Loftin, Stand Firm , 128.

6 Exclusivism was described by Jesus, as well as by His disciples and has since been perpetuated throughout Christian history. 23 This definition of exclusivism that Jesus gave is at odds with pluralism, universalism, and even more so with inclusivism. An argument made by Van Til stated that it is human’s sinful nature that inhibits the nonbelievers to comprehend rational and faithful arguments until they can accept the authority of Scripture. 24 Moreover, it is written in Scripture that you should present your body as a living sacrifice and the renewing of your mind will allow you to discern that which is good and acceptable. 25 Lastly, it is evident that the one thing that believers and nonbelievers do not share is the special revelation God has provided Christians through the work, death, and resurrection of Jesus which paid the penalty for our sins. 26 In summation, it is evident that inclusivism does not fit within the Christian worldview, and the clarification of particularity and exclusivism will be the beginning of the defense for the Christian worldview against secular humanism. Although particularity and exclusivism provide a solid foundation for this defense, it is the principle of science within secular humanism worldview that can and must be dispirited. A great approach to this is through the power of miracles. IV. Defense of Christianity 23 "What Is Inclusivism And Why Does It Matter?". 2022. 24 Gould, Dickinson and Loftin, Stand Firm , 30. 25 Rom. 12:1-2, ESV. 26 Sweis, and Meister. Christian Apologetics , 128.

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7 As previously mentioned, the principles of particularity and exclusivism in the Christian worldview provide a foundation firm enough to refute those of secular humanism to the core. Additionally, it is vital to refute the claim from secular humanism that science and the scientific method provide the most reliable forms of knowledge when they do not take into account the supernatural, otherwise known as miracles. Through evidence that undoubtedly yields the probability of miracles and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the defense of the Christian worldview will withstand the denial from the opposing worldview. The basis for particularity is that which is mentioned in Hebrews 11:6, but is argued by the opposing worldview that it is through faith alone that people may be saved. Unfortunately for them, it is not just blind faith that saves, but faith in the right object, Jesus Christ, and a sincere commitment to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus with a converted heart. 27 As previously stated, Jesus mentioned that it is only through Him that anyone may know the Father, but He goes on to add that those whom keep His word will know the Love of the Father and they both will dwell within that person. 28 Moreover, the belief that only we ourselves can save ourselves will prove to be self-refuting. 29 If self-consciousness suddenly occurred, and yet there was no religion available to the first conscious beings, it begs the question of: Why did the original conscious man not save himself from himself or the creation of religion? Undoubtedly, there is no plausible answer that would be coherent enough to comprehend and that one could be believe 27 "Inclusivism: What Is "Faith" Anyway?". 2022. 28 John 6:23, ESV. 29 Raphael Lataster. "A Philosophical and Historical Analysis of William Lane Craig's Resurrection of Jesus Argument". Think 14, no. 39 (2014): 59-71. doi:10.1017/s1477175614000219.

8 of why we have not just simply saved ourselves. What is plausible is that exclusivism paves the way for the undeniable truth of what are known as miracles. Not only does exclusivism refute many of the major principles of secular humanism, it correspondingly establishes that the resurrection was nothing shy of a miracle. Furthermore, Jesus provided Himself as a living sacrifice because of our sinful nature and inability to reconcile ourselves with God, regardless of the amount of works we perform, so that we may be saved through Him. 30 The former statement makes the gospel true and undoubtedly continues to divide the two opposing worldviews of secular humanism and Christianity. As previously mentioned, without special revelation from God Himself it is not possible for the nonbeliever to ascertain knowledge of God, Jesus, or the miracles that they perform regularly for the believers. As Paul stated, “If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain, and so is your faith.” 31 Certainly, without the resurrection, Jesus would have been called “just another martyr” and Christianity would not have spread to almost every corner of the earth. William Lane Craig once explained that he did not believe that the resurrection was not improbable and there not need be a substantial amount of evidence for it if the hypothesis postulated presupposes that God was the one who raised Jesus from the dead. 32 Hence, if we assumed Jesus raised Himself from the dead then it would be less probable and reduce the argument of Jesus being one with the Father. Another firm argument for miracles lies within the argument of scientific proof 30 Gould, Dickinson and Loftin, Stand Firm , 128. 31 1 Cor 15:14, ESV. 32 "What Is Inclusivism And Why Does It Matter?". 2022.

9 providing us with the only form of full-proof evidence available to us. 33 What science and the secular humanist fail to mention is that their full-proof evidence does not report anomalies or any variables that are not consistent. They simply call them outliers and disregard them, usually because they are not easily repeatable. As one can see without further explanation, science and the secular humanists would disregard a miracle performed by God on the basis that it is not easily repeatable. One may never know if a single prayer was answered by God, but as previously mentioned the likelihood of truly believing in the power of prayer and their ability to create miracles is significantly diminished without special revelation from God Himself. Undoubtedly, particularity and exclusivism provide solid anchor points for the defense of the Christian worldview against the secular humanist worldview. Additionally, the miracle of Jesus being raised from the dead, as well as every other miracle He performed during His ministry, adds a noteworthy base to the aforementioned anchor points. The gospel was a necessary moment in time so that we all could regain favor in our Father’s eyes. Without the gospel of Jesus Christ, none of it would have been possible because of our perverse and wicked ways. This argument leaves no doubt that the Christian worldview, although not always easy to grasp, was given to the world so that it may be spread and proclaimed by all. V. Conclusion In conclusion, the confounding evidence perpetuated by the worldview of secular humanism has only provided a greater defense for the worldview of Christianity. The unsurmountable amount of evidence for the miracles Jesus performed and His resurrection 33 Sweis, and Meister. Christian Apologetics , 63.

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10 demystifies His divinity. Not only did Jesus claim to be the Son of Man, but the defense of the stated thesis delivers irrefutable proof.

11 Bibliography Bhowmik, Sanchari. "David Hume On The Deductive Proofs Of The Divine Existence In The Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion". Aither 13, no. 2 (2022): 42-59. doi:10.5507/aither.2022.002. Gould, Paul, Dickinson, Travis and Loftin, Keith, Stand Firm: Apologetics And The Brilliance Of The Gospel Nashville, TN.: B&H Academic, 2018. 137. Gunton, Colin. “Universal and Particular in Atonement Theology.” Religious Studies 28, no. 4 (1992): 453–66. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20019570. "Inclusivism: What Is "Faith" Anyway?". The Gospel Coalition, Last modified 2022. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/inclusivism-what-is-faith-anyway/. Khaldoun A. Sweis, and Chad V. Meister. Christian Apologetics: An Anthology Of Primary Sources . Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan, 2012. 96. Kurtz, Paul. 1925-2012. 1973. Humanist Manifesto, II. Buffalo, Prometheus Books. Lataster, Raphael. "A Philosophical and Historical Analysis of William Lane Craig's Resurrection of Jesus Argument". Think 14, no. 39 (2014): 59-71. doi:10.1017/s1477175614000219. Matt. 5:4-9, 10:28, 16:13; Mark 1:7-8, 8:29; Luke 9:20, 13:22; John 1:12, 6:23, 10:7-9, 11:52, 14:16; Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor 15:14; Jude 1:7; Rev. 20:10, 21:8, English Standard Version. "What Is Inclusivism And Why Does It Matter?", The Gospel Coalition, Last modified 2022, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/what-is-inclusivism-and-why-does- it-matter/. "What Is Secular Humanism - CFI". Centerforinquiry.Org, Last modified 2022. https://centerforinquiry.org/definitions/what-is-secular-humanism/. Youngs, Samuel J.. "Renovating Evangelical Exclusivism: Toward An Assessment And Synthesis Of Recent Paradigms". Trinity Journal 36 (2015): 91-111.

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