After recently finishing our section on philosophy, I though it necessary to make a final conclusion that I myself am comfortable with. It is of utmost importance to understand that the nature of reality is indeed knowable. We do not make assumptions about what is real, we make conclusions that can be tested empirically. For example, when you and I come in contact with a mystery Christmas cookie in that holiday gift box, we can draw conclusions about the reality of that treat. Is it chocolate? Is there a hint of peanut butter? Will eating this cookie make me feel more like a fatty than before? Will waring it send me on a sugar rush half way to the top of mount everest only to crash somewhere between the couch and my bed? As silly as it seems, reality is knowable. It is fascinating to understand that there is indeed something real in the universe, but more so that we have the faculties to understand that reality and how it applies to our lives.
So how does knowing reality relate to apologetics? Is it really necessary for believers and unbelievers alike stop and analyze every aspect of life to determine the measure by which we are living? Leaving introspection aside, I believe that we should at least be confronted with the idea that the world around us is uniquely discoverable, and not just in a scientific way. If we understand truth to be absolute, then truth helps us conclude that there is absolute reality. If there is absolute reality, then our philosophy is absolute and discoverable. In other words, God intended that you and I would be able to seek out and comprehend what is real. This was the pursuit of the prophets, the apostles, early church fathers, and modern man alike. What a privileged place Christianity offers as starting point to answer life's important questions. Think about it; If I think that my brain was not intended for the purpose of thinking, as C. S. Lewis states, then how can I trust that thought? Yet there is purpose in thinking, there are conclusions that can be drawn, and it was intended to be thus. Can we really conclude, with certainty, that God has gone to such great lengths to hide himself? On the contrary, great lengths of revelation have been made for us to really know him...
So how does knowing reality relate to apologetics? Is it really necessary for believers and unbelievers alike stop and analyze every aspect of life to determine the measure by which we are living? Leaving introspection aside, I believe that we should at least be confronted with the idea that the world around us is uniquely discoverable, and not just in a scientific way. If we understand truth to be absolute, then truth helps us conclude that there is absolute reality. If there is absolute reality, then our philosophy is absolute and discoverable. In other words, God intended that you and I would be able to seek out and comprehend what is real. This was the pursuit of the prophets, the apostles, early church fathers, and modern man alike. What a privileged place Christianity offers as starting point to answer life's important questions. Think about it; If I think that my brain was not intended for the purpose of thinking, as C. S. Lewis states, then how can I trust that thought? Yet there is purpose in thinking, there are conclusions that can be drawn, and it was intended to be thus. Can we really conclude, with certainty, that God has gone to such great lengths to hide himself? On the contrary, great lengths of revelation have been made for us to really know him...