OBJECTIVE VERITY

We are continuing in our study of sound Bible interpretation. I employ the principles of Logic, Divine Essentialism and Foundationialism. Following are some laws based upon these concepts taken from the "Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics." While not all thinkers agree that these should be accepted as guiding principles in discerning reality, I am firmly convinced that they must be, in order to achieve consistency, clarity and objective understanding of actual truth. Notice the irresistible conclusion when these truths are applied and followed to their logical conclusion.

OBJECTIVE VERITY

Logic is the tool used to understand all knowledge. The science of  logic is the basis of all the other sciences. Aristotle called it the “Organon” (Greek for instrument). Rational thought and reason would be impossible without the proper use of  logic, there are three primary laws of  logic, they are as follows.

 1.    The Law of  Non Contradiction- A cannot be A and non-A at the same time and in the same sense. A statement and its negation (or opposite) cannot be true simultaneously.

 2.    The Law of  Identity- A is A.

 3.    The Law of  Excluded Middle- either A or non-A.

By virtue of the fact that logic manifests reason, it flows from the very nature of God. God is a rational being. He cannot lie (Heb. 6:18) or contradict Himself (I Cor. 14:33).

Through the use of  logic the fundamental principles of reality may be known. These foundational truths are undeniable or reducible to the undeniable they are self-evident or reducible to the self-evident. A self-evident principle cannot be denied without using the principle itself.

 They are called -First Principles- there are twelve, they are as follows.

 1.    The principle of  Existence --- Being is - (B is)

 2.    The principle of  Identity--- Being is being - (B is B)

 3.    The principle of  Non Contradiction---Being is not non being -
(B is not non B)

 4.    The principle of  Excluded Middle--- Either being or non being-
(either B or non B)

 5.    The principle of  Causality--- Non being cannot cause being -
(non  - B > B)

 6.    The principle of Contingency (dependence)---
Contingent being cannot cause contingent being - (Bc > Bc)

 7.    The Positive principle of Modality--- Only necessary being can cause
 contingent being - (Bn —> Bc)

 8.    The Negative principle of Modality--- Necessary being cannot cause 
necessary being - (Bn > Bn)

 9.    The principle of  Existential Causality--- Every contingent being is
caused by a necessary being - (Bn —>  Bc)

 10.          The principle of Existential Necessity ---
Necessary being exists - (Bn exists)

 11.          The principle of  Contingent Being ---
Contingent being exists – (Bc exists)

 12.          The principle of Analogy --- Necessary being is similar to similar 
contingent being it causes --- (Bn—similar—> Bc). 
Because Necessary Being produces Contingent Being they are similar,
 in that they both have Being. Also, because the effect must resemble 
the cause, the cause of being cannot produce what it does not have. 
They are Similar, they both have being.

            Secondly, while the effect must resemble its cause in its being

 (i.e. its actuality), it must also be different from it in its potentiality.

For its cause (a necessary being), by its very nature has no potential not to be.

 But the effect (a contingent being), by its very nature has the potential not to be.

 So a contingent being must be different from its cause. 

They have analogical likeness, they are similar and different one to the other.

Demonstrating God's Existence Using First Principles

 1.     Something Exists (e.g. I do) (# 1)

 2.     I am a Contingent Being (# 11)

 3.     Nothing cannot Cause Something (# 5)

 4.     Only a Necessary Being can Cause a Contingent Being (# 7)

 5.     Therefore I am Caused to Exist by a Necessary Being (#s 1-4)

 6.     But I am a Personal, Rational, and Moral kind of Being (since I engage in these kinds of activities).

 7.     Therefore, this Necessary Being must be a Personal, Rational, and Moral kind of Being, since I am Similar to Him by the Principle of Analogy. (# 12)

 8.     But a Necessary Being cannot be Contingent (i.e. not necessary) in its Being which would be contradictory. (# 3)

 9.     Therefore this Necessary Being is Personal, Rational, and Moral in a Necessary way.

 10. This Necessary Being is also Eternal, Uncaused, Unchanging, Unlimited, and One, since a Necessary Being cannot come to be, be caused by another, undergo change, be limited by any possibility of what it could be (a Necessary Being has no possibility to be other than what it is) or to be more than One Being (since there cannot be two Infinite Beings).

 11. Therefore, One Necessary, Eternal, Uncaused, Unlimited, (= Infinite), Rational, Personal, and Moral Being Exists.

 12. Such a Being is appropriately called God in a theistic sense .

 13. Therefore the Theistic God Exists.

Taken from "Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics"