Presuppositional Apologetics The Moral Argument for the...

A Christian apologetic method is a verbal defense of the biblical worldview. A proof is giving a reason for why we believe. This paper will address the philosophical question of God’s existence from the moral argument. The presuppositional apologetic method of Reformed thinkers Cornelius Van Til and John Frame will be the framework. Topics covered here could undoubtedly be developed in more depth, but that would be getting ahead, here is the big picture. Apologetics comes from the Greek word, ‘apologia’ meaning verbal defense. The Greek word is used in the verse, â€Å"Always be prepared to give an answer† (1 Peter 3:15) and in the negative, â€Å"men are without excuse† (Romans 1:20). In Reformed terms, stated by Frame, it can be†¦show more content†¦In our modern times, Van Til, a Reformed Dutch philosopher and theologian was a major advocate for presuppositional apologetics. He said, â€Å"To find out what man is and who God is, one can only go to Scripture. Faith in the self-attesting Christ of the Scriptures is the beginning, not the conclusion, of wisdom!† That means that Scripture is the source of authority, the basis for all beliefs and the deepest conviction of the heart. If our thoughts are subject to God and we have repented of independent thinking than we can present the biblical worldview rightly. The purpose of an apologetic encounter is to bring an unbeliever to repentan ce and belief. Frame continues to build upon Van Tillian presuppositionalism. â€Å"It might seem strange to look in Scripture for teachings about knowledge, reasoning, proof, evidence, logic, and so on, but God often surprises us by getting involved in areas of life we would prefer to keep to ourselves. Indeed, every part of life is his domain, and thus he rules all of life, directly or indirectly, by his Word (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3: 17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).† In the following discussion, Scriptures’ preeminence must be kept in the forefront. A proof is giving a reason for why we believe. The philosophical question of the existence of God has many possible arguments including: personal vs. impersonal, moral values, epistemology (teleological and ethical), and metaphysics (teleological, cosmological, ontological). And