"Being unable to cure death, wretchedness, and ignorance, men [and women] have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things." ~ Blaise Pascal, Pensees (133).
"Our lives are empty. We cannot face the vacuum. So we fill our lives up with junk, with trash, with refuse.... we divert ourselves from our real needs.... We invent little problems and hold them close, fixating on them to block us from seeing the bigger problems." ~ Thomas V. Moore, Making Sense of it All: Pascal and the Meaning of Life, pp. 32-33.
"The only good thing for men therefore is to be diverted from thinking of what they are, either by some occupation which takes their minds off it, or by some novel and agreeable passion which keeps them busy, like gambling, hunting, some absorbing show, in short by what is called diversion" ~ Blaise Pascal, Pensees (136).
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"When I consider the brief span of my life absorbed into the eternity which comes before and after [and] the small space I occupy and which I see swallowed up in the infinite immensity of spaces of which I know nothing and which know nothing of me, I take fright and am amazed to see myself here rather than there: there is no reason for me to be here rather than there, now rather than then. Who put me here?" ~ Blaise Pascal
Not only do we only know God through Jesus Christ, but we only know ourselves through Jesus Christ; we only know life and death through Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ we cannot know the meaning of our life or our death, of God or of ourselves. Thus without Scripture, whose only object is Christ, we know nothing and can see nothing but obscurity and confusion in the nature of God and in nature itself. Pascal, Pensees, (417/548). |
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Supplement: Pursue a Balanced Theology
This is a supplement to your studies that I believe will be helpful as you begin to study apologetics (and other areas of theology as well). It is in PDF.
The Problem of Evil
These notes consider the hole-in-the heart argument, various responses to the problem of evil, gratuitous evil, why isn't God's existence more obvious, natural evil, religious problem of evil, and moral law argument.
Mid-Term Apologetic Exam
Please note that this is a closed-book exam. You are not to receive any organic or inorganic assistance in order to complete this exam. Do not download it until you are ready to take exam. You must e.mail me to let me know that you downloaded it and are about to begin. Email me back and let me know when you finish.
College of Biblical Studies Final Exam
Dear CBS students: Do not download this final exam until you are ready to take it. Once you read the essay question, you are not allowed to receive any organic or inorganic assistance to complete any aspect of your essay answer. Be sure to complete all questions. It is due next Tuesday by 6:30pm (13 April 2010). Blessings, Paul
Lecture 14: Tactics
See worldview tab and scroll down for lecture material on tactics in apologetics.
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