What Is a Presupposition?

Consider this assertion:

“Dogs pee on brick walls.”

How would you discover if this were true or not? You’d have to go out and find a dog peeing on a brick wall! But then, the skeptic would demand that you prove it really is a dog! So, first, you’d have to properly define “dog” by appealing to a dictionary. But wait says the skeptic, why is the dictionary authoritative? You then appeal to majority opinion! “But wait!” demands the skeptic, how do you know the majority really approved? So, you appeal once more to another thing…then another…then another and another…

In order to prove A, you appeal to B. In order to prove B, you appeal to C…in order to prove C, you appeal to D…and so on ad infinitum! You’ll never be able to prove that Dogs pee on brick walls! (Scroungy mutts the world over bark happily at the news…at least until they read Van Til and find out that proof is possible after all!)

When a person makes an assertion that we as Christians disagree with, then…(in light of the above) we need to play the part of the skeptic. We need to dig into his assertion, and find out what lies beneath it. For example, in saying “Dogs pee on brick walls”…we are assuming what a dog is. We assume what a brick wall is. We assume we know what peeing is. Those are three “presuppositions” that must be true in order for the assertion to be true.

A presupposition is the term given to beliefs that stand behind various assertions. Any belief can be a presupposition. “There is ice in the freezer,” presupposes the belief that the “freezer is working properly.” It also presupposes the belief that “there was water in the freezer.” So the belief: “There is water in the freezer” is a presupposition…a presupposed belief that is taken for granted and implied by the statement: “There is ice in the freezer.”

When A is asserted, we need to look for what supports it (B). Then we need to look for what supports B, (C). We do this until we come to that final belief a person holds that is not authenticated by any supporting belief. If this belief is not self-authenticating in some way…then it is NOT the final link in the chain…we must keep searching.

In this sense (deconstruction), when we do “Presuppositional Apologetics”…we are searching for the ultimate or final presupposition that a person holds. The one belief that is at the very foundation of all his or her other beliefs. When we find it…we examine it, and see if it can authenticate itself, and see also if it is consistent with the rest of his beliefs.

I hope this helps clarify what a presupposition is, and how it is different from the mathematical concept of an “Axiom.” (Presuppositions can be axioms, and axioms can be presuppositions…but the two aren’t the same.)

Domo Arigato Mr. Apologo

“There is not a truth existing which I fear or would wish unknown to the whole world.” – Thomas Jefferson

Little girls across the nation are elated to discover their Biblical superpower! Playing the piano is a wonderful skill. God needs piano players after all. Many little boys can’t contain their grins the day they first pick up a hammer and use it for God!  The church needs carpenters as well!

From lawn-mowers and babysitters, to carpenters and piano players, Christian people grow into their gifts with righteousness and smug self approval following close behind. Oh how blessed is the American church!

But, infrequently, something goes drastically wrong! The angel that delivers Christian gifts is blown off course. That morning, an unfortunate child runs downstairs, flings open the front door, and on the porch, wrapped in a basket…is not the gift of piano playing, carpentry, or lawn mowing, but rather, something sinister, something terrible! They find the gift of apologetics!

There is no servant more hated than the apologist. Doomed to care for people that will despise him, the apologist roams web forums and chatrooms, looking for the chance to publicly defend the faith. A righteous anger burns within him when he hears falsehoods bandied about as truth…when the Christian God is painted as a joke, and Christ is spoken of in blasphemous terms! Indeed, he looks forward to the confrontation! When he’s not engaged in verbal battle, he is studying, preparing…always preparing. Honing his skills in order to best defeat the next principality.

The rulers of the air…foul beings who inhabit the high-places…they fear the apologist! Unfortunately, so do well meaning brothers and sisters in Christ who consider Christianity to be nothing more than “huggle-pouncing” and constant quotes from meaningless contemporary praise songs. These lambs fear any voice other than the messianic state (ruled by the powers of the air.) They spit at, curse, and despise the apologist, because their hearts are hardened against the truth. (The apologist is not a robot, without emotion.) Any honest pursuit of truth is a threat! It’s best to keep the average Christian’s mind addled by emotional fluff sold en mass from Christian book stores across the nation. They simply don’t want to hear certain truths!

But there is a small light breaking through the clouds…shining down hope onto the browbeaten apologist. When one sincere lamb of God opens her heart to Christ, and sees the beauty inherent in the service provided by Mr. Apologist, thanks will pour forth. It’s a glorious sound. A precursor to the honor and acceptance these forlorn warriors will receive in paradise. Upon hearing it…the Apologist, of any denomination, from any theological tradition…cannot help but smile.

Thank you very much (o) Mr. Apologist (o) for doing the jobs, that no body wants to.

John Knox Puts a Woman in Her Place

John Knox: In very deed, Madam, that book* was written most especially against that wicked Jezebel of England.

Queen Mary: But ye speak of women in general?

John Knox: Most true, Madam.

Queen Mary: But yet ye have taught the people to receive another religion than their Princes can allow. How can that doctrine be of God, seeing that God commandeth subjects to obey their Princes?

John Knox: Madam, as right religion took neither original strength nor authority from worldly princes, but from the Eternal God alone, so are not subjects bound to frame their religion according to the appetites of their princes. Princes are oft the most ignorant of all others in God’s true religion, as we may read in the Histories, as well before the death of Christ Jesus as after. If all the seed of Abraham should have been of the religion of Pharaoh, to whom they were long subjects, I pray you, Madam, what religion should there have been in the world? Or, if all men in the days of the Apostles should have been of the religion of the Roman Emperors, what religion should there have been upon the face of the earth? Daniel and his fellows were subjects to Nebuchadnezzar and unto Darius, and yet, Madam, they would not be of their religion; for the three children said: “We make it known unto thee, O King, that we will not worship thy Gods.” Daniel did pray publicly unto his God against the expressed commandment of the King. And so, Madam, ye may perceive that subjects are not bound to the religion of their princes, although they are commanded to give them obedience. **

Shotgun: Queen Mary tries to tie in her gender and religion with the authority of the state. This is similar to what various feminists try to do today, though theirs is a different religion, and a different state. Their religion is the religion of humanism, disguised in Christian garb. And their state is the American state; where Satanism masquerades in language of democracy and equality. Knox eloquently places this feminist in her place by pointing out that our Religion is not of the world, nor do our heros pay homage to the trends and whims of contemporary society. We are God’s men…and Godly women will support us and love us. Feminists will get put into their place.

*Knox’s “Treatsie Against the Regiment of Women.”

** http://www.ccel.org/ccel/knox/blast.iv.iv.html

2009 Worldview Super Conference: Final Thoughts

A beautiful thing happened last week.

Christians from all over the world gathered at an old church in Powder Springs Georgia.  They exchanged compliments as well as phone numbers; jokes as well as war-stories…hands were shaken, friends were made, and God was glorified.

But something more happened at the 2009 Worldview Super Confernece…at least to me anyway.

I arrived in Georgia a beat-down Christian soldier, weary from battle.  During my time at the conference, I was convicted of my cowardice by Mr. Kevin Swanson, educated by Mr. Gary North, inspired by Mr. Joel McDurmon, and ultimately persuaded by Mr. Gary DeMar to become more than just a nominal postmillennialist!

You see…I’ve hidden my light under a bushel for so long that I forgot what it was like to shine it…to live in hope.  Satan isolated me, cut me off from my brothers and surrounded me with negative reports on a daily basis.  I could see only danger and in my heart, I didn’t believe in victory.

Trials these days are multiplied for the Christian.  With a radically anti-Christian culture and a president of questionable moral value…we tend to despair.  Stories of tyranny mount up in the news…I can’t keep track of them through email anymore.  I began to give up hope.

But…brothers and sisters…I met the bride of Christ last week in Georgia!  And she is the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen…worth every drop of blood shed in her defense.  I left the conference with a renewed sense of urgency.  She will not be defiled! 

She is made up of many wonderful people:

Zoren and Angela Zaev are two kind-hearted and passionate folks.  They’ve got an up and coming bookstore full of great materials.  (See it here:  http://www.lovingtruthbooks.com/ ) Their baby Stefan is the cutest kid I’ve ever seen…he was smiling through the entire conference.  Well Stefan…so was I!

I met Mr. Erich Rauch, American Vision’s director of communications.  He writes the occasional article for them as well…usually filled with very enlightening and thought-provoking comments.  I had no idea he was a fellow Navy man. (Yaaar!)  He’s got a great blog which can be read here:  http://christianreader.typepad.com/christian_reader/  (Sorry for saying your name wrong Eric…it reads different than it sounds…)

I got to meet James DeMar and his wife Catie.  Talk about two hard-working folks.  Everytime I saw Catie she was behind the register selling books, and it was hard for me to talk with James…he was always rushing from one place to the other doing something.  If he wasn’t moving around stacks of books, he was manning the projector for the conference speakers. 

I couldn’t stop laughing when I heard Joel McDurmon trying to chasten a little girl who was enthusiastically running in the building.  “Little Girl!…Little Girl!!  There’s no running in here!”  It just goes to show you that women don’t listen to logic…(ewww…I’m going to get in trouble for that one!)  I got Mr. McDurmon to sign a copy of his book “Biblical Logic in Theory and Practice” for me.

Gary DeMar was all over the place…working hard.  If I went into the conference hall…he was in there.  I could leave and walk over to the exhibit hall, and…there he’d be as well.  How Mr. DeMar could morph from one place to the other…I’ll never know…but that man moved around.   I can see where James got his work ethic.

I met tons of great people, and I wish I could mention them all (they all deserve it) but space permits only one more.  I met Jonathan Narwold at the conference.  We had arranged beforehand to split the cost of a nearby hotel for the duration. 

Jonathan has the kind of personality that rubs off on you.  He’s kind, and easy-going…very analytical…a prime example of an up and coming Christian warrior.  Jonathan…I didn’t get the chance to tell you how much I appreciated your company and friendship during the conference bro…but, God bless you.  (By the way ladies…he’s single…and on Facebook!)

God’s story never turns out quite like you’d expect.  There weren’t any flashy heroes or larger than life warriors in attendance.  On the contrary…from the world’s perspective…the conference may not have seemed threatening at all.

I can still see their faces though…full of righteous fury mixed with jovial hopefullness.  These are the faces that will haunt the dreams of fascist dictators and cause the knees of demons to shake.  These are the faces of my Christian brothers and sisters.

Thank you God for filling the foxholes with such brave men and women.

2009 Worldview Super Conference: Day 3

Day three of the Worldview Conference has been a whirlwind of fun and mutual encouragement.  Various subjects have been covered by passionate speakers.  The theme of the day seems to be education. 

This was clearly brought home by Dr. Voddie Baucham Jr. who outlined a dream-like vision of church discipleship.  What may be a dream for some of us is reality to Dr. Baucham.

Imagine…going to church and getting the chance to stay with your family the entire time.  Imagine…having clear standards for how to act in and out of church.  Imagine having the leadership of the church directly confronting fathers and disciplining them when necessary.   Imagine having a congregation of nearly 400 people with only three elders! (EVERY man is the covenant elder of his family!)

It all seems too good to be true…and for many of us, it may be.  However with Dr. Baucham providing an exmaple…I pray that this vision can be realized eventually.

Dr. Jonathan Sarfati also provided some really great lectures dealing with the substance of a scientific education rather than method.  He clearly laid out the presuppositional differences between a Darwinian worldview and that of the Christian Creation Scientist.   Interestingly enough, I learned a new term from Dr. Sarfati that I can’t wait to use in conversations with my atheist friends:  “Atheiopaths.”  I’m sure they’ll love it!

Dr. Gary North is speaking again this evening.  I can’t wait!

In the meantime…Gary DeMar has scrounged up a bluegrass band from somewhere, and we’re going to get a real treat this evening after supper! 

…I KNEW I should have brought my clogging shoes…

Stay tuned…

2009 Worldview Super Conference: Day 2

Folks…I just heard one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard in my life.  I was so convicted that I questioned whether or not to write this blog, or spend the rest of the evening in prayer.

Fortunately for you…I’m blogging!

Dr. Gary North spoke this morning, (see my previous blog).  Following him was Joel McDurmon speaking about liberal fallacies in economics.  One of the biggest fallacies used by liberals is what he called the “Broken Windshield” fallacy.  Suppose a child throws a rock through a store window.  The manager now has to buy a new window.  Contrary to popular belief, this does not serve to stimulate the economy, but rather steals value from the store manager by requiring him to spend money and time on a new window…(money and time that could have been spent elsewhere.) 

Mr. McDurmon also suggested five ways to help Christians stem the tide of inflation.

1.  We need to educate ourselves.

2.  We need to plan for emergencies by stockpiling savings and consumable goods to get us through unforseen circumstances.  He suggested saving enough to cover up to six months.

3.  We need to diversify our income.   

4.  We need to strengthen our relationship with others…including family, friends, church, etc.

5.  We need to spend, borrow, and invest while inflation is low, so that when it rises…we’ll be ahead of the game.

Mr. McDurmon also poked fun at the terrible use of alliteration in one of the charts in his power point presentation.  Out of respect for Mr. McDurmon…I’ll refrain from formulating fallacious fabrications fraught with frantic frivolities for the remainder of this blog…er, uh…

Next up was Mr. Byron Reese, who I’m told did a wonderful job describing the Byzantine Empire…though I unfortunately missed his presentation. Luckily…one thing we have that Byzantium didn’t, is the tape recorder.  (Oh Byzantium I come not from, but from another time and place…)

I really enjoyed the next speaker:  Dr. David Goetsch.  A former Marine, Mr. Goetsch is now the vice president of Northwest Florida State College.  With an easy going southern manner, Dr. Goetsch discussed the liberal tyranny in colleges.   As an enlisted man in the Navy, I feel compelled to point out that the Marine Corps is actually part of the Department of the Navy!  Yaaar!

Mark Graham, Chairman and CEO of First Founders Financial followed with a passionate lecture providing tips for surviving in current economic times.   He passionately railed against ludicrous government spending…it was a marvelous lecture!

At this point…it was getting late, and I was a little tired.  I glanced down at my schedule to see what the next speaker was going to discuss.  It said:  “Equipping Kingdom Warriors for the Battle of the Millennium” to be given by Kevin Swanson…”doesn’t sound that great” I thought…

I had no idea what I was in for…

If the volume and passion of Mr. Swanson’s sermon didn’t wake me up…the chorus of amens and “preach it brothas” sure would have!  (Until then I had thought the Westminster Confession prohibited the use of verbal amens in church!) 

Mr. Swanson’s sermon convicted me.  I can’t hope to capture it in blog form.   All I can say is…buy the CD!  Afterwards you may find yourself acting as a happy warrior who goes out swinging and slicing heads! 

If some woman ever loses her mind and marries me, and God blesses us with kids…I hope I can raise them up to be warriors.  I hope I can be man enough to raise warriors who will face down giants, and slay hundreds of bad guys for their king…mighty men who are filled with a holy rage against evil and are jealous for their God!  As it is…I feel wholly inadequate for such a task.

Maybe reading Kevin Swanson’s book “The Second Mayflower” will help me grow?

It was an emotionally overwelming conclusion to an already wonderful evening…

I can’t wait for tomorrow!  Stay tuned!

The Godless Standard? Gary North at the Super Conference

I’m blogging from the 2009 American Vision Worldview Super Conference.

Dr. Gary North just finished giving a presentation on the history and theology behind a gold-standard.  It was so enlightening that I figured I’d write a blog about it while everyone else eats lunch.

In Dr. North’s first lecture, he diagnosed America’s economic problems fingering the lack of a gold standard backing the monetary system as the culprit for our current woes. 

The “Lights went out in Europe” he said.  From 1814 to around 1914, Europe enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity, due in large part to a prevailing Christian worldview that brought stability to the region.  But with the onset of WWI all the countries in Europe suspended the gold standard, and the freedoms lost during that time have never been recaptured. 

Gary North explained how there was a recession in the 70’s that lead Nixon to abolish the gold standard all together.  This, combined with his wage and price controls, lead to shortages, especially in gasoline.

His first lecture clearly laid historical groundwork and showed the catastrophic results of getting off the gold-standard.   In his second lecture, he compared the Christian worldview with that of a Darwinist worldview and showed how these differences affect the economic theory of both camps. 

This was an historic lecture for Mr. Noth…it was the first time he’s used a Power Point presentation as part of his talk!  And I was there to see it!

He listed 5 basic Christian presuppositions:

1.God is lord over all law.

2. There is a hierarchy of ownership.  To own something means to be a good steward.

3.  Private ownership (as taught by the 8th commandment)

4.  Self-government

5.  Men are either covenant keepers or covenant breakers. 

He then contrasted these five elements with five similar though different presuppositions of Darwinism.  Additionally, the Darwin camp has historically been divided between what Dr. North called the left-wing darwinists and the right-wing darwinists. 

The right was represented primarily by Herbert Spencer and was characterized by an “every man for himself” sort of attitude.  The left, on the other-hand, was characterized by a promotion of human guided developement.  As Frederick Engles said:  “Man proposes and man disposes.”  This camp was headed up by Lester Frank Ward, who’s hate for Herbert Spencer was only surpassed by his hate for Jesus Christ.

These two camps within Darwinism (as highlighted by Dr. North) are in direct conflict on all levels with Biblical Christianity! 

The gold-standard serves to directly refute the left leaning Darwinists. The right wing Darwinist love it (since it gives individual veto power over the state) but cannot intellectually support it (besides arbitrary assertions of taste.)

In the end…it is only the Biblical Christian that has a presuppositional foundation to support and promote a monetary standard based on gold.

Amen to Dr. North for highlighting these oft neglected truths!

2009 Worldview Super Conference: Day 1

Well, I’m certainly excited about the 2009 American Vision Worldview Super Conference.

It’s almost midnight and I’m just now getting back to my hotel room.  You know what they say…”Time flies when you’re having fun!”

I arrived around noon.  Midway PCA is a beautiful building, and big!  It was hard to miss.  I nudged the ol’ stang into one of the few empty spaces and walked through a maze of vehicles baring Ron Paul bumper stickers and “Don’t Tread on Me” flags.

This was exciting!  Tensions mounted as I walked through the door. The first person I see is Mr. Joel McDurmon, Director of Research for American Vision, and more importantly, one cool apologist.  I’m a huge fan.  I managed to introduce myself and continued on my way…I’ll have to get his autograph before the conference is over! (Hopefully on his new book…which can be purchased here:  http://www.americanvision.com/biblicallogicintheoryandpractice.aspx )

Once in, I browsed through the exhibit hall.  It seems a little hypocritical; American Vision promotes fiscal responsibility then has us walk through a place like that?  How dare they!  For the rest of the conference, I’ll have to focus on restraining myself. 

Everyone from Creation Ministries International to the Chalcedon Foundation has a booth in there.   Additionally, tons of used books are on sale.  While browsing through the used books…someone walks up next to me and comments on one of the authors.  “Who in the world is this smart-allec” I thought…when I looked up…it was Gary North! Holy Cow! 

A small group gathered round as Mr. North explained the virtues of many of the books.  He made some great reccommendations!  Unfortunately, they were snatched up before I could get my paws on them. 

Eventually, we all headed into the auditorium.  Gary DeMar opened the show with a rousing speech highlighting the main points in worldview related issues.  ”Government has its rightful place” Mr. DeMar assured us.  We should put ourselves in third place…family second, and…I can’t remember if he said God was in first, or books…(ok ok, he said God comes first…)

After Mr. DeMar, Mr. Joseph Farrah got up to talk.  Mr. Farrah is the founder, editor and CEO of WorldNetDaily.com…a great online news source.  In my arrogance, I didn’t think I should take notes…but a few pews in front of me, I saw Gary North pull out his pad and start writing.  If Gary North was going to take notes, then so was I!  

Mr. Farrah informed us all about the Cloward-Piven strategy to impliment socialist revolution.  Columbia University sociologists Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven saught to hasten the fall of capitalism by overloading the government bureaucracy with a flood of impossible demands, thus pushing society into crisis and economic collapse.  It seems that this is our current President’s strategy.  To fight this trend, we Christians need to be vigilant and prepared to fight over every inch. 

After Mr. Ferrah, was Mr. Herb Titus.  What a kind-hearted gentleman!  He is a constitutional attorney who gave encouraging talks on the 10th amendment as well as restoring the sanctity of Human life.  During the question and answer time, he delved into hypothetical situations involving the governor of a state standing up to the Federal government.  A guy can dream can’t he?

Up next was Mr. Darren Doane.  One of the most entertaining speakers of the evening, Mr. Doane didn’t pull any punches.  When it comes to film production,  Christians need to be ready to taste blood!  We need to dive in, get our hands dirty, and yes…as much as it may hurt…we need to fail!  Not only do we need to fail, we need to learn to expect it, live with it, and learn from it!  I loved Mr. Doane’s emphasis on working for his passion.  When we find that one thing God has given us…we focus on it, and nothing stops us…not even the economy!

Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of Movieguide, as well as Chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission, closed out the evening with a lecture highlighting the statistical realities facing the entertainment industry.  He gave a rousing call to Christians to take back an industry that was lost to us due to our own inactivity.

I stayed for the round-table discussion afterwards.  Herb Titus, Darren Doane, and Ted Baehr gathered in the exhibit hall and took questions from the crowd…most of which were directed to Mr. Titus. 

During one of his answers, Mr. Titus gave out some good advice.  It’s possible, he says, to draw up a case demonstrating that the first amendment is directly related to the Bible, specifically Genesis!   To prove it, he suggests the following:  Thomas Jefferson’s “Statute for Religious Freedom”  and James Madison’s “Memorial and Remonstrant Against Religious Assesments.”  Read them, then connect the dots.

It was a great end to a great evening.

Stay tuned as I continue to blog on location here in Kennesaw Ga, from the 2009 Worldview Super Conference!

I Miss My Friend…

Other dogs of loyal cheer

Bounded at the whistle clear,

Up the woodside hieing.

This dog only, watched in reach

Of a faintly uttered speech,

Or a louder sighing.

 

And if one or two quick tears

Dropped upon his glossy ears,

Or a sigh came double,–

Up he sprang in eager haste,

Fawning, fondling, breathing fast,

In tender trouble.

- From “To Flush, My Dog” by Elizabeth Browning

Sharia Law in the United States?

Sometimes we can be tempted to believe the cult of Islam is innocent, legitimate, or mainstream.

Don’t…