Convincing Proof

Adam continues this series examining Bart Ehrman's book "Did Jesus Exist?" by looking at how Ehrman and other scholars view the New Testament gospel accounts. Viewed purely as historical documents, the gospels provide a wealth of information about the life of Jesus, much of which is corroborated by other gospel accounts. However, some people have objected to using the gospels as historical sources. Reasons they usually give for this are that the gospels have been corrupted, that they were written by Christians and are thus biased, that they're not independent, or that they were written too long after Jesus' life. However, scholars like Ehrman do not believe that any of these are valid reasons to dismiss the gospels as containing valid historical information about Jesus. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated! Contents 0:00 The Main Argument Jesus Is God: Miracles 2:40 Why Look at What an Agnostic Scholar Says? 8:03 Using the New Testament Gospels as Historical Sources 10:46 Objections to Using the Gospels as Historical Sources 13:40 Objection #1: The Gospels Have Been Corrupted by Copying Errors 18:42 Objection #2: Some People Believe They Are God's Word 27:15 Objection #3: They're Written by Christians so They're Too Biased 30:45 Objection #4: They're Not Independent Sources 37:43 The Q Source: An Extra Gospel? 48:22 Objection #5: They Were Written Too Long After Jesus' Life 53:11 Ehrman's Respect for Christian Scholars 55:17 How Early Do Scholars Date the Sources Used in the Gospels? 1:01:14 In Conclusion, How Does Ehrman View the Gospels?

Continuing on in this series using Bart Ehrman's book "Did Jesus Exist?" to examine the historical evidence for Jesus, Adam takes a look at sources about Jesus found outside the Bible. Ancient Roman authors such as Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, and Tacitus talk about Jesus, as does the famous Jewish historian Josephus. There are also early Christian sources of interest such as Papias, Ignatius, 1 Clement, and even the Gospel of Thomas. Ehrman says we can use all these sources to establish and corroborate basic facts about the life of Jesus. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated! Contents 0:00 Introduction: Main Argument Jesus Is God 2:34 Bart Ehrman’s Book “Did Jesus Exist?” 6:11 What Gives Historians Certainty? 9:40 What Do Historians Affirm about Jesus? 13:05 All the Historical Sources for Jesus 18:12 Roman Source: Pliny the Younger 22:13 Roman Source: Suetonius 24:29 Roman Source: Tacitus 28:12 Jewish Source: Josephus 35:47 Concerns About Using Christian Sources 39:11 Christian Source: Papias 43:33 Christian Source: Ignatius 46:14 Christian Source: 1 Clement 47:50 Christian Source: Gospel of Thomas 51:48 Christian Source: Gospel of Peter 54:54 Christian Source: Papyrus Egerton 2 56:19 Pagan Myths Are Not Sources on Jesus 58:55 Many Gnostic Sources Are Not Credible 1:01:49 Conclusion: Laying a Foundation

This is the beginning of a series examining the historical evidence for Jesus presented in Bart Ehrman's book "Did Jesus Exist?" In this video, Adam gives an overview of how historians and scholars of ancient history evaluate the evidence we have concerning the life of Jesus. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated! Contents: 0:00 Argument that Jesus Is God from Miracles 5:10 Bart Ehrman’s Book “Did Jesus Exist?” 10:34 Why Study a Book by an Agnostic? 14:10 Structure of the Argument 23:13 Should We Disregard Christian Scholars? 27:13 Historically Evaluating the New Testament 31:05 The Limits of Historical Investigation 35:22 Criteria for Historical Reliability 37:45 Criterion #1: Multiple Sources 41:04 Criterion #2: Independent Sources 41:54 Criterion #3: Corroborating Sources 43:35 Criterion #4: Early Sources 45:18 Criterion #5: Extensive Sources 46:30 Criterion #6: Non-biased/Dissimilar Sources 54:12 Misusing the Criterion of Dissimilarity 58:00 How Do Historians Think about Sources? 1:02:27 Facts that “All Scholars” Agree On

Adam’s new book “Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality” just came out last month. In this podcast, Adam explains how the book came about and why he decided to write on topics such as morality, metaethics, and the moral argument for God’s existence. Adam also explains why much of the book is a critique of a moral theory proposed by Erik Wielenberg that doesn’t require God’s existence. Divine Love Theory is even endorsed by Erik Wielenberg himself along with other Christian philosophers and theologians such as William Lane Craig, J. P. Moreland, Robert Koons, David Baggett, Mark Linville, Corey Miller, Greg Welty, and Bryan Clark. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

"I believe Christianity is true, but I could be wrong." Is this something a Christian should ever say? Adam has often said it, and Francis Schaeffer did as well, but what do they mean by it? In short, it's a way of communicating that our belief in Christianity is the type of thing that can be right or wrong. People need to understand that Christianity is a propositional belief system that can be objectively true or false. It's not just a subjective feeling or personal preference that's helpful or meaningful to me. In the end, Christianity either corresponds to reality or it does not. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Sometimes you'll hear people say that using reason and logic or presenting evidence for your beliefs is only a Western way of thinking. Adam Lloyd Johnson examines the postmodern roots of this idea and explains why he thinks that it is misguided. Using reason and logic and presenting evidence are simply good ways of thinking that are common to all human beings, regardless of where they're from. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Adam Lloyd Johnson explores the historical evidence presented in Bart Ehrman’s book “Did Jesus Exist?” Ehrman wrote this book to respond to people who don’t think Jesus even existed as a person in history. However, Ehrman shows that there is good historical evidence that Jesus did indeed exist, and some of this evidence can be dated very early, within two or three years after Jesus’s death. Since Ehrman is not a Christian, his affirmation of these facts can be a powerful tool in making the historical case that Jesus is God. To watch the whole series on using evidence from Bart Ehrman's book to make the case for Jesus, see here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTEkXbr4qlVPGF3Qa2td7jZtRQhhIkcha Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Adam Lloyd Johnson discusses the struggle that all Christians experience between our new life in the Spirit and our sinful flesh. He examines an oft-repeated sentiment that goes like this: “Whoever you are when you’re alone is who you really are.” Is this statement actually true? Do our fleshly desires define who we really are? Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Adam Lloyd Johnson recaps his trip to the Evangelical Theological Society/Evangelical Philosophical Society annual conference in Denver. He recounts some of the interactions he had with fellow philosophers and apologists such as William Lane Craig of @ReasonableFaithOrg and Tim Stratton of @FreethinkingMinistries. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Adam Lloyd Johnson interviews Dr. David Baggett, a professor of philosophy at Houston Christian University (formerly Houston Baptist University). Dr. Baggett is the director of the Center for the Foundations of Ethics (formerly the Center for Moral Apologetics), which he discusses in this interview. Visit the Center for the Foundations of Ethics at https://www.moralapologetics.com for more resources by David Baggett, Adam Lloyd Johnson, and others about the moral case for Christianity. You can find the Worldview Bulletin newsletter mentioned in the interview by going here: https://worldviewbulletin.substack.com. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

In this lecture by Dr. David Baggett at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln on March 30, 2022, he discusses C. S. Lewis' novel "Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold." Dr. Baggett explores the theme of shame in this story through the character of Orual and relates how shame affects our relationship with the world and those around us. For more from David Baggett on C. S. Lewis' "Till We Have Faces," read his article "Till We Have Faces, Self-Knowledge, and Learning to Die" here: https://www.moralapologetics.com/wordpress/till-we-have-faces-self-knowledge-and-learning-to-die. Visit Moral Apologetics at https://www.moralapologetics.com for more resources by David Baggett, Adam Lloyd Johnson, and others about the moral case for Christianity. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated! Contents 0:00 Introduction by Adam Johnson 2:21 Preliminary Comments 4:39 Guilt and Shame 7:19 Synopsis of Till We Have Faces 12:50 Orual's Backstory of Being Shamed 16:16 What Is Shame? 19:47 Does Orual Experience Shame? 21:46 Orual's Complaint Against the Gods 26:07 Probing Orual's Wound 30:12 Orual's Three Complaints 34:45 Victims and Victimizers 39:03 Curing the Ultimate Shame 41:22 Turning Undeserved Shame to Honor 44:47 Mortality as a Source of Shame 50:25 Mister Rogers and Jeffrey Erlanger 54:52 What the Characters Represent 56:57 Is God a Good God? 58:21 Orual Goes from Sympathetic to Selfish 1:01:03 Some Shame is Deserved 1:04:37 Lewis Meant to Explore the Idea of Shame

Dr. David Baggett, the director of the Center for the Foundations of Ethics at Houston Christian University (formerly Houston Baptist University), delivered this lecture at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln on March 29, 2022. In this lecture, Dr. Baggett discusses the substance of moral knowledge and offers several possibilities for its justification. He then reviews evolutionary debunking arguments that have been put forward as defeaters for moral knowledge, after which he defends a theistic explanation for the existence of moral knowledge. Visit Moral Apologetics at https://www.moralapologetics.com for more resources by David Baggett, Adam Lloyd Johnson, and others about the moral case for Christianity. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated! Contents 0:00 General Structure of Moral Arguments 3:05 What Propositional Knowledge Is 6:01 What Moral Knowledge Is 9:22 Justifications for Moral Knowledge 11:23 Strategy 1: Deliberative Indispensability 15:19 Strategy 2: Proper Basicality 18:41 Strategy 3: Phenomenal Conservatism 21:19 Types of Defeaters 23:06 Evolutionary Debunking Objection 26:16 Naturalistic Origins Thesis 27:54 Evolutionary Debunking Examples 34:45 Naturalism Is Assumed 40:41 Can Theism Answer Debunking? 42:29 Variants of Debunking 45:07 Rejecting the Naturalistic Origins Thesis 47:17 Theism as a Solution 53:10 Conclusion: A Case for Theism

Episode 10 of the Convincing Proof Podcast. Given that God, a supreme being, exists, Adam Lloyd Johnson then explores what this supreme being is like. In other words, since many people and cultures have had different ideas about who this supreme being is, how can we know whose description of God is correct? Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Episode 9 of the Convincing Proof Podcast. Adam Lloyd Johnson responds to comments made by William Lane Craig about his Divine Love Theory. Craig critiqued Adam's Divine Love Theory for not also including an explanation of God's justice. Craig thought Adam's Divine Love Theory too closely resembled an idea called the 'Identity Thesis,' which claims that God's moral nature is reducible to just His love. Adam responds that his Divine Love Theory is only an explanation for moral value and moral obligation, not God's moral nature as a whole, and thus it does not need to take special account of God's justice. Adam's Worldview Bulletin article on his Divine Love Theory: https://worldviewbulletin.substack.com/p/divine-love-theory-how-the-trinity/ Watch William Lane Craig's critique here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeD8tkdMk3s Watch a longer response with FreeThinking Ministries here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNvOD8F1QdA Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Does the idea of the Trinity even make sense? Some have alleged that the idea of God or the idea of God being a Trinity is incoherent or contradictory. They say that God can't possibly be both three and one at the same time. But can He? And what about Christians who disagree about the Trinity? Some Christians tend to emphasize God's oneness and unity more, while others emphasize His threeness and internal relationships more. So which views are correct? Can they be reconciled? You can find the book "Two Views on the Doctrine of the Trinity" that I recommended here: https://www.amazon.com/Two-Views-Doctrine-Trinity-Counterpoints-ebook/dp/B00H6Y0RS8/. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated! Contents 0:00 Is the Idea of God Incoherent? 5:07 Why do Some Think the Trinity is Incoherent? 7:10 Where Did the Idea of the Trinity Come from? 14:42 God is One Being and Three Persons 21:47 Two Views on the Trinity 26:34 Classical and Social Trinitarianism Compared 34:58 Extreme Differences Between Views 49:47 Adam’s View on the Trinity 55:31 Why Conclude the Trinity Is Not Incoherent?

Dr. Erik J. Wielenberg, an atheist philosopher and Professor of Philosophy at DePauw University, and Dr. Adam Lloyd Johnson, a Christian philosopher and director of the Ratio Christi chapter at UNL, discuss the foundation of morality and whether or not God is necessary to explain the existence of objective moral values and duties. This debate was held on September 27, 2020, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, hence the requirement that all participants, including speakers, wear face coverings. To order a copy of Erik Wielenberg's book "Robust Ethics," which explains his theory of godless normative realism, visit this link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0198812000/. To order a copy of Adam Lloyd Johnson's book responding to Erik Wielenberg's theory, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity Is the Source and Foundation of Morality," visit its page here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0825447577/. You can also order a copy of the book mentioned during the debate of which both Adam and Erik are authors: "A Debate on God and Morality: What is the Best Account of Objective Moral Values and Duties?" at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0367135655/. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated! Contents 0:00 Introduction 2:49 How Do You Know Each Other? 5:26 What Do You Both Agree On? 10:39 Why Do You Believe that Morality Is Objective and Real? 16:54 What Is the Historical Context of Your Position? 23:01 Why Do You Think God Does or Doesn't Exist? 28:48 What Do You Appreciate about Each Other's Position? 33:05 TO ADAM: Is the Goodness of the Love in the Trinity a Moral Axiom? 38:48 TO ERIK: Do Atheists Reject Your Theory Because It’s Non-Natural? 43:14 TO ADAM: Without the Triune God, Does Human Love Have No Value? 48:19 TO ERIK: Do You Have Evidence to Believe Moral Axioms Exist? 52:24 TO ADAM: Why Is Anyone Obligated to Obey God? 56:47 TO ERIK: Are Moral Axioms Really a Good Stopping Point? 1:02:40 TO ADAM: Are We Morally Obligated Only if We’ll Be Punished for Not Doing Something? 1:07:12 TO ERIK: How Is Our Knowledge of Moral Axioms Not Just a Lucky Coincidence? 1:13:25 Questions from the Audience 1:13:41 What Methods Should We Use to Answer New Moral Questions? 1:18:50 What Would Make You Change Your Mind about God's Existence? 1:22:54 TO ERIK: What Is the Downside in Your View to Breaking a Moral Law? 1:27:20 TO ADAM: Would You Believe in the Trinity if You Weren't a Christian? 1:31:23 TO ERIK: What or Who Defines Right and Wrong for You? 1:35:57 TO ERIK: Should We Base our Laws on Moral Goodness? 1:40:36 TO ADAM: Could God Command People to do Different Things? 1:47:18 TO ERIK: Do You Morally Distinguish Between Animals and Humans? 1:51:40 Conclusion

Adam believes that his Trinitarian Moral Theory is a better explanation for the existence of objective morality than Erik Wielenberg’s theory of Godless Normative Realism. Why does Adam think his theory is better? The Trinitarian Moral Theory contains five elements that are important for moral truth to be objectively real that Wielenberg’s theory lacks. First, the Trinitarian Moral Theory posits the existence of an ultimate moral standard, God, to which humans can be compared. Second, it offers an objective purpose for human beings that contextualizes morality. Third, it provides a social context for moral obligation, since moral obligations arise out of social relationships. Fourth, it recognizes a personal authority at the head of the chain of moral obligation to whom human beings are obligated. Finally, it grounds all moral truth in an ultimate foundation. Taken together, these features of the Trinitarian Moral Theory make it a more plausible explanation for objective morality than Wielenberg’s theory. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Adam has proposed his own metaethical theory, a theory about where morality comes from, which builds on the foundation of Divine Command Theory. He calls it the “Trinitarian Moral Theory” because it holds that morality is based on the loving relationships within God between the members of the Trinity. God is love, and His love is the source of moral values and duties. Adam believes that his Trinitarian Moral Theory, which is uniquely Christian, is the best explanation for the existence of objective morality. He thinks that the Trinitarian Moral Theory is true for several reasons. First of all, his theory centers on the Trinity, which is a key aspect of who God is. In addition, focusing on the loving relationships of the Trinity explains why the meaning of life is personal loving relationships, it explains how we can be morally good by resembling God, it explains the purpose of God’s commands, and it explains why there are different types of commands from God. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

The two predominant positions within Christianity that answer the question of “Where does objective morality come from?” are known as Natural Law Theory and Divine Command Theory. Both theories have strengths and weaknesses, which leads to robust debate between proponents of each. Natural Law Theory says that both human moral values (i.e., what things are good and bad) and moral obligations (i.e., what things are right and wrong to do) come from facts about what causes human beings to flourish. In Natural Law Theory, God created the world, including human beings, and thus something is good or right when it causes human beings to flourish. On the other hand, Divine Command Theory says that our moral obligations come from God’s commands. Right and wrong are determined by what God commands us to do, and God commands us according to what is good. In this lecture, Adam explores each of these theories and discusses objections against each offered by proponents of the other. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Erik Wielenberg has proposed an atheistic theory of where morality comes from. He claims that God is not necessary in order to have objective morality by which humans are required to live. Wielenberg’s theory has three main components: First, it is not a materialistic theory, meaning that it does not assume that the physical world is all there is. Second, Wielenberg’s theory proposes the existence of “brute ethical facts” that exist outside of nature which ground moral values and obligations. Third, Wielenberg says that these facts become applicable to human beings by something he calls the “making relationship,” whereby facts about circumstances in the world cause moral facts to become applicable to certain situations (to be instantiated). This lecture explains the main concepts of Wielenberg’s theory and also examines some objections to his theory. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Metaethics is the study of what makes something good or bad. It is not the study of what is good or bad, but why there are such things as moral good and moral bad. What is morality? Where did it come from? There are many theories of what morality is; some think morality is subjective and depends on individual people, cultures, and circumstances. Others believe that morality is objective, that it is independent of human beings. Most theists think that morality comes from God, but many atheists claim that God is not necessary for morality. Non-naturalists, for example, believe that morality can exist objectively without God. Thinkers throughout Western history have defended many positions, both subjective and objective as well as theistic and atheistic ones. Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Click here https://linktr.ee/convincingproof/ for articles, podcasts, and other resources from Convincing Proof that give good reasons and evidence to believe that Christianity is true. You can find resources on apologetics, theology, philosophy, ethics, and more. You can order a copy of my book, "Divine Love Theory: How the Trinity is the Source and Foundation of Morality," from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Love-Theory-Foundation-Morality/dp/0825447577/. Like Jesus and His disciples (Luke 8:3), my missionary work with Convincing Proof is funded by a large team of people, most of whom are investing a small amount on a monthly basis. If God leads you to invest in my work, you can donate to Convincing Proof Ministries by visiting this link: https://convincingproof.org/donate/. Your support is greatly appreciated!