Why Presuppositionalism fails to convince

For those of you who regularly follow my blog, you might have noticed, that I occasionally tackle some of the issues pretaining to Presuppositional apologetics (for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, here is pretty much all you need to know about it is in this debate, please get your alcohol ready you’re going to need it). I’ve already dealt with TAG ,the definitions of God (and why some can’t exist), accounting for things, why theists can’t be certain since God may be lying, and moral absolutes . While I do expect, that I might revisit these issues in the future, today I want to talk about what’s at the heart of Presuppositional Apologetics and why no one is convinced by this approach (at least I haven’t heard of anyone).

The very claim, that is at the heart of Presuppositionalism is found in Romans 1: 18-21:

 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Presuppositionalists understand this as an admission, that every human being knows that God exists and that we’re somehow just all lying about it. This position is intrinsically self defeating though for many reasons.

The first obvious one is, that I know that I don’t know it. With that in mind I know for certain, that the Presupp is wrong. Now he may insist, that I’m just lying and I have no way to convince him, that I’m not but that’s not what’s important here. I have no need, to further listen to anything else he says, because I have certainty for myself that he is wrong about this and if the God of his, that he is proclaiming may be immediately disregarded by me.

Not only is it not the case that I don’t know that God exists but there are human beings on this Earth for whom it is impossible that he does. According to Christians and science the life of a human begins at conception. This means of course, that every cygote from conception onwards should know that God exists. This of course is impossible because the brain only developes six weeks in. You can’t know anything without a brain which means that these humans don’t have knowledge of God’s existence. Presuppositionalism is therefore falsified.

Additionally of course, there is the point that Matt Dillahunty has brought up in his debate. The Piraha have no God concept whatsoever and don’t believe in any God. Therefore we have three independent lines of evidence, that say that they are wrong. If only Presuppositionalists cared about evidence…

Goodbye from yours Truly,

Rene von Boenninghausen @Renevelation