Book Excerpt: Without a Doubt by Kenneth Richard Samples

Embracing the grand evolutionary view that the sensory organs and cognitive faculties of human beings are the result of random and purposeless natural process raises an issue of trust regarding that which is observed. Does one's observations and thoughts actually correspond to reality? As a matter of reasonable practice, a person doesn't typically accept the idea that information, knowledge, and truth can come from a random, accidental source. How can such rational enterprises as logic, mathematics, and science be reasonably justified when the human brain and mind are the result of a non rational, mindless accident? Naturalism, in effect, purports that life, the mind, person hood, and reason came from a source that lacked each of these profound faculties and qualities. This would certainly be an effect much greater than its cause!

In table 1.1 two explanatory models show the plausibility of the atheistic and biblical positions:

Naturalistic atheistic model 

a. world created from nothing
b. life from nonlife
c. persons from the impersonal
d. minds from the mindless
e. order from the orderless
f. reason from the nonrational
g. morality from the nonmoral
h. information without a sender
i. code from a nonprogrammer
j. truth from an accident

Biblical theistic model:

a. world created by a Creator
b. life from Ultimate Life
c. persons from the Superpersonal
d. minds from the Ultimate Mind
e. order from an Orderer
f. reason from a rational Being
g. morality from a moral Person
h. information from a Sender
i. code from a personal Programmer
j. truth from ultimate Truth

You can learn more about Kenneth Samples work here.

To order your copy of this fine book, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

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Comments

Brian said…
A great interview with the author can be found on a recent Apologetics.com podcast with Kenneth Samples... click here.
Chad said…
Brian,

Excellent! Thank you for sharing!

Godspeed
Dante said…
I've been listening to his podcasts over at Straight Thinking, and I think he's a very good apologist.
Chad said…
Hey Dante,

The book is well worth the purchase as well.

Godspeed
Anonymous said…
If, as stated, rational beings could not have resulted from an irrational accident(evolution) -
Then how could imperfect humans have been created by a perfect god?
Chad said…
Anonymous,

Hello and thank you for stopping by.

According the Bible, God did create man perfect(Adam and Eve; Gen 1& 2); however, man choose, by exercising his God-given free will, to disobey God. As a result, sin entered the world.

So, to answer your question, God did create man perfect(a perfect God logically can only create perfect things; however, He also created them (Adam and Eve) with the freedom to obey or disobey Him. Forced freedom is clearly a contradiction. To be truly human and free, obedience must be chosen, not mandated.

I hope this answers your question.

Godspeed