The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio) (1601)
It is a common perception that Christian faith is belief without evidence or reason. Knowledge is justified, true belief. If it is not justified, then how do we know it’s true? Then it is just a subjective choice, often inherited from parents. In fact, Richard Dawkins claims that this notion of faith is
Wow! Perhaps this is true, but only if faith is belief without evidence. Is this the Biblical meaning of faith and are any of these objections valid? The memes that are circulated in society may represent peoples’ perceptions, but ultimately, they are irrelevant. What matters is what the Biblical authors meant when they mentioned faith. Nothing else matters. So, what is the true nature of faith and why do the Biblical authors deem it so fundamental and important?
A video of the presentation is available on YouTube.
Dr Kevin Rogers
Dr Kevin Rogers is the director of Reasonable Faith Adelaide. After a 40-year engineering career, he was a Research Fellow and lecturer with the University of South Australia but is now mainly retired.
The wonder of the living cell, by Joshua Meade
The complex structure and workings of each living cell leaves many of us in a state of wonderment.
Coming in all different shapes and sizes, cells perform all the vital processes required for life on Earth, such as Osmosis, photosynthesis, energy production via respiration, homeostasis (maintaining internal stability) – just to name a few. Following on from previous talks, Joshua discusses some of the amazing functions & processes that are occurring within each of the 30+ trillion cells in our body – primarily focusing on the process of Respiration. The origin of the cell is a highly relevant topic in apologetics due to the complex nature of the cell’s inner workings. We all see the same miracle of life, and yet come to vastly different conclusions as to how it came to be.
Joshua Meade
Joshua Meade is a mechatronic engineer and is a member of the RFA committee. He also has an active interest in biochemistry. Joshua and Amethyst are now back in New Zealand, and they have three lovely young girls.
Bronwyn Pearse discusses how apologetics can be used to strengthen the next generation of Christians.
According to David Kinnaman, “Young Christians are abandoning the church. However, by cultivating five practises, we can form these into disciples of Jesus.” Also, apologist Sean McDowell says, “We are living in an era of change. God does not change, but human culture does. We can’t use apologetics to pound this generation into submission, but we can use it to prepare young people for the great things God has planned for them. “
Bronwyn explores ways where we can use apologetics and other practices to ‘Strengthen and Build Faith in Young People.” Bronwyn used the following resources:
Apologetics for a New Generation & A new kind of Apologist. Sean McDowell, Faith for Exiles , David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock
The Unshakable Truth Experience pack by Josh and Sean McDowell includes a book and a 12 session DVD and study guide for small groups Includes the 12 foundational truths about God, compelling evidence for these, how these truths impact our lives.
On Guard for Students, William Lane Craig. A thinkers guide for Christian faith is an introduction to apologetics for young people.
Tactics, A game Plan for discussing your Christian Convictions, Gregory Koukl The Big book of Christian Apologetics,’ &‘When skeptics ask by Norman Geisler (covers a wide range of topics)
The Case for Christ ,’ Lee Stroble ‘which explores the evidence for Jesus life death and resurrection.
The Surprising Rebirth of the Belief in God, Justin Brierley “The plausibility problem: The Church and same sex attraction” Ed Shaw. highly recommend it !
as well as the podcast episode on Unbelievable “Is the Church failing gay Christians which he appears on. ‘Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 toughest faith questions.
7 Truths that changed the world’: Discovering Christianity’s most Dangerous ideas, by Ken Samples
‘‘The Creator and the Cosmos’ how the latest scientific discoveries reveal God, astrophysicist Hugh Ross
‘The 10 most common objections to Christianity.’ Alex McFarland, Lee Strobel The Language of God by Dr Francis Collins, A Scientist Provides Evidence for Belief
Her presentation and the ensuing discussion are recorded in YouTube,
The strongest argument against the existence of a loving God is supposedly the problem of evil, but probably the second strongest argument is called the hiddenness of God. The argument is basically as follows:
If God wants us to believe in him, why doesn’t he make himself known more clearly and unambiguously? But He doesn’t. So, the most likely explanation is that he doesn’t show himself clearly because he doesn’t exist.
Paul claims that God’s ‘invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse’ (Romans 1:20). Apologists also use arguments for God’s existence based on the observable world and from logic. However, many are not convinced. They object that these general arguments are not convincing enough. and that God could or should have made his existence more obvious.
In this presentation, the following questions will be considered:
Is general revelation sufficient?
Are we without excuse?
Does God deliberately make his existence known only to those who have eyes to see?
Does he reveal himself personally to some and hide himself from others?
If we seek, will we find; If we knock, will God answer?
Is the Divine Hiddenness argument a good argument?
Kevin Rogers is the director of Reasonable Faith Adelaide. He is a former electrical engineering lecturer, researcher, and research supervisor at the University of South Australia. He is now mostly retired but continues with part-time research in acoustic atmospheric tomography. He is also learning New Testament Greek, and is blessed with a wife, 4 children and 8 precocious grandchildren.
It is often claimed that our Christianity comes from Paul, rather than from Jesus and that Paul took it over and moulded it in his own image. There is a stark contrast between Paul and James regarding faith and works. While this appears to be a major conflict that critics like to point out and use to try to discredit Christianity, Christians also have problems with it. The great reformer Martin Luther is famously quoted as calling James an “epistle of straw”, so what are we to make of it?
Brian Schroeder is a Reasonable Faith committee member. He has BSc and BA degrees from Adelaide University (Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics), and an MA in Theology.
On the 9th February 2023, Kevin Rogers provided a presentation on Apologetics for young people.
It covers:
Is there a decline and how great is it?
What are the causes?
Are deficiencies in lack of apologetics for children a significant factor?
Kevin Rogers is the director of Reasonable Faith Adelaide. He is now mainly retired after having an electrical engineering career for 40 years and then working as a research Fellow, lecturer and PhD student at the University of South Australia.
Christians are a “house divided” on the meaning of the six days in Genesis 1, the age of the earth, and how much truth there is in evolutionary theory. This year, we are paying particular attention to these topics and are allowing speakers to present and argue for their views. This applies to organizations that hold either young earth or old earth perspectives.
On Thursday the 17th November, Don Batten talked on Genesis and genetics from a young earth perspective. He provided the following outline of his talk, including links to background material:
My journey from theistic evolution / day-age to biblical creation and why I found it compelling and important
How the modern molecular biology revolution undoes neo-Darwinism
Bioinformatics: the information in living things
The inadequacy of evolution to explain living things
How the modern science of genetics underscores Genesis as history
Don received both his B.Sc.Agr. (First Class Honours) and his Ph.D. from the University of Sydney. He worked for 20 years as a research horticulturalist with the NSW Department of Agriculture. He conducted a number of research projects and published his results in scientific journals. Don joined the Creation Ministries International (CMI) in Brisbane, Australia in 1994 and has spoken around the world on the creation issue. He is co-author of The Creation Answers Book, One Blood, Answers to the 4 Big Questions, 15 Reasons to Take Genesis as History, and author of various booklets, including What about carbon dating? and What about arguments for evolution? Dr Batten was the CEO and Managing Director of CMI-Australia from 2015 to 2022. He is now Senior Scientist, focusing on research, writing, and speaking.
Christians are a “house divided” on the meaning of the six days in Genesis 1, the age of the earth, and how much truth there is in evolutionary theory. This year, we have been paying particular attention to these topics and are allowing speakers to present and argue for their views. This applies to organizations that hold either young earth or old earth perspectives.
On Thursday the 6th of October, Dr Tas Walker (from Creation Ministries International) presented an argument that claims that earth sciences and geology support belief in a young earth (less than 10,000 years). He argued that the geological evidence should be interpreted within the framework of a six 24-hour day interpretation of Genesis 1. Some of the arguments that he presented are:
Diamonds that are supposedly millions of years old contain traces of Carbon-14 indicating a much younger age.
Long half-life radio-active dating methods (such as uranium-Lead and Potassium-Argon) have been used to estimate the age of the earth to be 4.454 billion years. However, flaws in these methods cause serious errors in these long age estimates.
The presence of organic red blood cells in dinosaur fossils indicates a much younger age than conventionally believed.
Dr Tas Walker holds a B.Sc. (Earth Science with first class honours), a B.Eng (hons) and a doctorate in mechanical engineering, all from the University of Queensland. He has been involved in the planning, design and operation of power stations for over 20 years with the electricity industry in Queensland, Australia. He has conducted geological assessments of new fuel supplies for power stations across Queensland and has been involved with new mining proposals, including the effects of geological factors on the cost, reliability and quality of the coal produced.
The origin of life problem remains one of the most challenging scientific questions of all time. Until the 19th century, it was widely believed that life would spontaneously arise from other life. This phenomenon was known as spontaneous generation and was the best explanation of the time when describing the formation of moulds & fungi, as well as maggots, mice, and other such creatures. The theory was finally put to rest following a series of scientific experiments that exposed the existence of bacteria & other such microbes.
The living cell is truly an extraordinary feat that hosts a complex mix of biochemical interactions to sustain even the simplest of lifeforms. Modern-day scientific research on the origin of life is known as Abiogenesis: Life from non-life. There are numerous scientific theories for how life could have come about on a lifeless primordial Earth, whereby specific conditions brought about the first self-replicating molecules essential for chemical evolution. Regardless of the worldview you hold, it is beneficial to know the arguments that both support and oppose your belief, therefore Joshua will be outlining the current scientific theories & discoveries surrounding abiogenesis.
Joshua Meade
Joshua Meade is a PhD student at the University of South Australia. He is a mechatronic engineer and a member of the RFA committee. He also has an active interest in biochemistry.
The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525–1530 – 9 September 1569)
To what degree is the Great Flood and the building of a large ark by Noah based on history? It certainly has many proposals and explanations. Trevor Harris believes that it is historical and will discuss the following questions:
Why are there at least 10 or more sites for the ark’s landing?
What were the logistics for this early start to human settlement?
Is there archaeological evidence for where Noah set up his permanent campsite?
Was Nimrod the main instigator of a rebellion against God?
If there are over 4 locations offered for the Tower of Babel, which one is correct?
Why did the European Union (EU) use it as a symbol on one of their posters?
Mainstream science claims that human origins commenced in Africa, but tradition offers the Middle East. So, is there a reconciling explanation?
DNA gives supporting evidence for our common origins. Can the members of Noah’s extended family be the basis for all nations?
What were the features of the earliest civilization?
Trevor Harris
Trevor Harris is qualified as an architect and urban and regional planner, which he practiced for 45 years. Twenty years ago, he formed a company dedicated to identifying and researching Bible sites and has conducted extensive field trips to the Middle East.
