RC Sproul is an Agnostic - "God's existence uncertain"

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AndrewcBain
May 12, 2007

http://Godnoliar.com/Sproul... For the full context of the quotes in this video, see the link above. Also, here is the full context pasted below... QUESTION TO SPROUL FROM STUDENT Angus Gillespi...

http://Godnoliar.com/Sproul_vs_Bahnse...

For the full context of the quotes in this video, see the link above. Also, here is the full context pasted below...

QUESTION TO SPROUL FROM STUDENT

Angus Gillespie - of the South Carolina Gillespies. You can know nothing for certain - empirically or inductively, correct? That's what your saying? Then, you [RC Sproul] can't know anything at all, for certain, right? It seems to me, though, that the Scripture - and here it get back to the same argument I suppose - that Scripture does say you can know certainly. That, over and over again, the Scripture writers say, "These things are written, so that you can know certainly." And that are...we are...

You state that men know certainly that God exists. But you can't know for certain, that men know certainly God exists. You seem to end up in the same Skepticism that Gordon Clark does. I was wondering what your thoughts on that would be?

SPROUL ADMITS HE IS AGNOSTIC

Sproul response: Again, let me repeat the difference between how the word "certainty" is used. The Bible speaks of having assurance. I have a blessed assurance. But my knowledge of what the Bible is, and what the Bible says, is fallible, cause I'm less than omniscient [all knowing].

When I'm talking about certainty, I'm talking about philosophical certainty, in a very technically defined manner. And in that sense I don't have certainty about anything, even that I'm right here. Deduction - I think, can give us far more certainty than Greg [Bahnsen] allows, in terms of the relationship of propositions, and the laws of immediate inference and that sort of thing. But, I grant, that that's even then, only if rationality is valid. And the only way you can have rationality valid - I've already yielded, is that ultimately that God exists. But I cannot know for certainty - you know, that God exists. I can have full assurance of heart - when the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit comes, you see - I look at the evidence, and I know the evidence is overwhelming - the Holy Spirit tells me, "Hey, that evidence is for true, that's for real," - you know? Cool. How do I know for sure, that the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit isn't indigestion? I'm playing the Devil's Advocate now. I have to deal with pagans every day, and not just Christians. And, I'm not going to go up to them and say, "Because I say so." And that's what you're left with. And that gives you precious little certainty. Cause then in the final analysis all I have is the autonomy of your presupposition about the boldest assertion the world has ever heard - the existence of God. And I want to know - How you escape subjectivism - I want to know - How you escape fideism - I haven't heard it yet. I keep hearing denials about fideism. Fideism historically means the rejection of natural theology, by definition. You know, historically going all the way back to Cusanus, right up through the history of philosophy, the term fideism has meant, that any knowledge of God must come - not through natural theology but through faith - I've heard all night, that we don't come through natural theology, we do come through faith, but where not fideists. I'm absolutely bewildered at that point.

Objection to this video -- from user "Aspenmarelle" wrote me -- "Sproul is stating that to attain "ABSOLUTE" certainty would require omniscience. But he elsewhere says VERY CLEARLY (see his work "Classical Apologetics") that the evidence for the existence of God is ALL TOGETHER CONCLUSIVE. Demonstrably conclusive. Irrefutably conclusive. These are his words, not mine. Sound agnostic to you?"

My response: G'day! Thanks for the comment.

You seem to agree with Sproul we cannot be absolutely certain that God exists. I know Sproul admits that it is only "probable" that God exists and not "certain". He's forced to this position because he says that human testimony can prove God. (i.e. human Science / theistic proofs can prove God).

And since everything human is fallible - Sproul is basing God's existence on something fallible - and he is therefore forced to say that God's existence is fallible, or "probable".

C'mon - anyone that thinks that God "probably" exists or that it is "probably" conclusive that God exists, is an Agnostic.

Clearly, we cannot adopt Sproul's position that God's existence is supported by human testimony (science/arguments). Anything human is fallible - human evidence is always uncertain.

We must stick to Divine Evidence - the Bible. It's only BY FAITH we know God created the words (Heb 11:3). Divine Evidence is always certain. God cannot lie and he cannot make a mistake. In fact, he is the perfect communicator - being the author of language itself. The Bible is therefore, Perfect Evidence. And if evidence is perfect then it will make the man who believes it absolutely certain. "He that receives the testimony of God has set to his seal that GOD IS TRUE" (John 3:33).

Category: People & Blogs

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RC Sproul Ligonier Ministries Calvinism Reformed Theology Sovereign Grace Piper Driscoll Desiring God

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This is a video response to RC Sproul Debates Greg Bahnsen on Apologetics

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flagranger (3 weeks ago) Show Hide

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hey Andy let me more direct. I believe I have said this before on some other dumba** vid you made. YOU ARE A MORON!!!!!!!

aletheia29642 (1 month ago) Show Hide

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GODISNOWHERE.
How do you read it?
GOD IS NOW HERE
or
GOD IS NO WHERE.
You can read into it anything you want.
Same is true of this selective editing.
In Matthew 27:5 we read Judas "...went off and hanged himself.
In Luke 10:37, Jesus said "Go and do likewise."

doulostheou777 (2 months ago) Show Hide

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Andrew, when are you going to stop this continual silliness. It's getting boring. You do your self and God no service in posting these rediculous videos. You edit things to your own advantage to make your point, which is really just to discredit godly men. Please stoppppp!!!

timnanFrancis (2 months ago) Show Hide

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This video is a pure LIE. Or made by someone with the Blindfold on!
What a pitiful attempt at distorting what a Godly man is saying. Truly Pitiful!!!!

rdm0001 (3 months ago) Show Hide

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Can anyone tell me if Macbain has ever made a video that was worth anything?

I haven't seen one yet.

dmac14af (4 months ago) Show Hide

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"When I'm talking about certainty, I'm talking about philosophical certainty in a very technically defined manner." Why in the world would you not use this as the basic premise of everything else he says? He is speaking in "very technical" philosophical terms. Please go study philosophy and do not misrepresent Sproul anymore than you already have.

stevestutz (6 months ago) Show Hide

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How ridiculous, how about you listen to what he says in context, and you will see he is saying everything you would say. If you don't understand what he's saying then it's ok to admit it.

kristjanerik (6 months ago) Show Hide

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This is such an easy issue, omniscience necessarily entails absolute knowledge, any being that is finite and non-God does not have omniscience, therefore certainty is not within our realm. But when the omniscient Being - the Holy Spirit indwells you, then you can enjoy His certainty of God's existence. Simply put, finite beings have finite knowledge and when indwelt with an infinite Being you can have assurance of all God wants you to know.

Terri3210 (7 months ago) Show Hide

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An intellectual ascent to Jesus lacks heart and knows Him not.

tipsband004 (7 months ago) Show Hide

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Wow, good thing you posted this.

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RC Sproul is an Agnostic - "God's existence uncertain"

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