Review by RJP
If you love a logical approach to faith, R.C Sprouls book Defending Your Faith: An Introduction to Apologetics, will be for you. The title doesn’t do justice to the material inside. Sproul tackles philosophical issues and uses the classical logic upon which all modern science and mathematics is built. Of course Sproul is a Theologian and not a scientist; however he is still an expert on the foundation of rational thought in the Western world from the Greek philosophers to modern times.

All this may sound arcane and not incredibly entertaining but it’s all laid out so that it’s fun as well as informative. He takes delight in exposing the absurdity of modern pop-philosophies such as Relativism. After all, truth, by its very definition, does not change depending on conditions. The concept of truth implies that which is absolute. To say that all things are relative is a statement of absolutism. It makes you want to laugh out loud when you realize the Relativism is a self destroying philosophy!

Sprouls states “Also latent relativism is a denial of logic in general, and of the law of non-contradiction in particular. In the philosopher Aristotle’s own words, the law of non-contradiction states that it is ‘impossible that contrary attributes should belong at the same time to the same subject: A cannot be A and non-A at the same time and the same sense.’…Denying this would be like saying the book you currently hold in your hand is not a book but a fish. The law of non contradiction enables us to argue against such nonsense.”

The reading is quick and thoroughly enjoyable as Sproul moves onto the chapter on the Laws of Causality and tells of how he responded to criticism of his stance that every effect must have a cause. “The problem with his book, (Sprouls critic wrote) is that he will not allow for an uncaused effect” Sprouls response was as follows; ‘You wrote in your review that that one major problem with my book was that I would not allow for an uncaused effect…..However I would be most happy to recant if you would take the trouble to write me at least one example, anywhere in the entire universe of an uncaused effect.’ I am, of course, still awaiting his response. I gather that he realized, upon a moment’s reflection, that it is quite impossible to have an uncaused effect, because an effect, by its very definition, is something that has a cause.”

Sprouls reflections really begin to make you question the prevailing theories of origins of man and the universe. How can something come from nothing? How can non-existence explode into existence? How can non-living matter produce life? When you break it down you realize that many of these ideas violate rational thought. The answer is simple; nothing is not a cause and therefore cannot produce anything. Not even after billions of years.

The Chapter on Self-Creation proceeds to barbecue a sacred cow of atheistic origins theories; “Rarely do atheists speak plainly about the universe being strictly “self created,” but many theories that pass for viable account of the universe are nothing more than arguments for self-creation. It is indeed rare that opponents of theism will use the phrase “self-created” because of its manifest absurdity. Rather they mask the absurdity by using terminology that is not so self evidently absurd. They will use concepts such as “chance creation” or “spontaneous generation”.

Sproul argues that the idea of self-creation is false by definition. Logic dictates that something does not come from nothing. Sproul states; “For something to create itself, or to be its own effect as well as its own cause, it would have to exist before it existed. The universe, to be self-created, would have to be before it was. Stated in the terms of the law of non-contradiction, the universe would have to be and not be at the same time and in the same relationship.”

The reasoning is simple but not simplistic. The straight forward approach makes for a stimulating read and will provide you with intellectual ammo if you love to debate the topics of Evolution and Creation