Truth: Atheists' Problem With It, Spurgeon's Thoughts On It, and a Question About Denying It
Welcome back to The Think Institute Newsletter. Every Friday, you get one idea from me, one quote from somebody else, and something to think about.
AN IDEA FROM ME
The conclusion is inevitable: truth presupposes God. Atheists (and others who deny key tenets of the biblical worldview) therefore have a huge problem. They deny that they have revelation from God. They affirm that they live in a random, unguided universe. And they adhere to the idea that their thoughts are produced by an undesigned, evolved brain. All this means they can never have certainty about anything they think they know. They are necessarily stuck in epistemic uncertainty.
If they affirm the existence of truth, they must also admit the existence of God and the truth of what the Bible teaches about God, the world, and humanity. In other words, they must adopt the Christian worldview.
On the other hand, if they deny the existence of truth, they must deny the possibility of saying anything is “true.” This also precludes anyone from saying that it is true that God does not exist!
If there is no truth, then the fundamental proposition of atheism, “God does not exist,” cannot be true. It is actually impossible to assert that truth does not exist, because to do so is to deny the truth of the assertion. So then, truth exists, and absolute truth exists absolutely. Truth is an attribute of propositions that meet certain qualifications, and those qualifications all presuppose God. There is no way around this.
Truth Presupposes God.
None of the above proves that atheists and unbelievers cannot know anything true. They know all sorts of true things. Truth is inescapable. But truth and atheism are incompatible. Atheism cannot account for the existence of truth.
The Bible, on the other hand, is full of truth. It gives the basis for truth and the foundation for knowledge. The Bible centers on the One who is the embodiment of truth himself: the Lord Jesus (John 14:6). To know Jesus Christ is to know truth. Real knowledge begins with the fear of the Lord, and when you know, revere, and love Jesus Christ, “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
—From my book:
📖 The Bible Based Worldview: A Guide to Believing by the Book
👉 Get your copy here
A QUOTE FROM SOMEBODY ELSE
“He that perverts truth shall soon be incapable of knowing the true from the false. If you persist in wearing glasses that distort, everything will be distorted to you.”
—C.H. Spurgeon
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
How would you respond to someone who told you he didn’t believe in truth?
Reply to this email within seven days, and I will write you back.
In Christ,
Joel Settecase
President, The Think Institute
P. S. Summer Debate Fund — Help Us Take the Truth Public
This summer, I’ve been invited to debate three prominent skeptics:
John Gleeson, aka The Godless Engineer
Tom Jump
Justin from Deconstruction Zone
We’re raising $5,500 to make these debates happen. Will you partner with us?
🔥 Give to the Summer Debate Fund
Let’s train the next generation of worldview leaders—together.