I intend to shatter this script; though one would be hard pressed to prove that this script is worthy of response? In most cases it's simply better to leave fanatics alone.
Proof of Robinson's fanaticism:
"It is impossible for the Christian world view to be wrong." Pg.70
"It is impossible for God not to exist." Ibid.
(And again, just to be sure we get his point)
"It is impossible for God not to exist." Pg.71
If we take these assertions seriously, then it doesn't matter what one can prove, Robinson has already made up his mind, long before any discourse, that "nothing" can refute what he believes, no matter how authentic, not matter how violent the contradiction Robinson will still assert that his position is true! That is to say, even if one legitimately refuted Robinson-- Robinson would still claim that the refutation was illegitimate, because of course, for his system, refutation is declared to be "impossible." Consider Robinson's response if the same claim was made by a Muslim or an Atheist? Would he validate the form of the argument?
Please note: Robinson's position is not a position of probability, but he actually claims infallible certainly:
"I agree with Van til's admission [which is no surprise seeing Robinson merely rehashes Van til's arguments]: The argument for the existence of God and for the truth of Christianity is objectively valid. We should not tone down the validity of this argument to the probability level. The argument may be poorly stated, and may never adequately stated. But in itself the argument is absolutely sound." Introduction Pg.xiv
"...I know that God certainly exists..." Pg.70 [Which should read, "I know that my specific concept of God certainly exists."]
"There must be a certain, immutable, and infallible authority; that authority is God Almighty." [By which of course, Robinson means a specific concept of tri-personality.] Pg.86
I have a general rule, whenever a religious person says that there is no possible way their system could be false... well, this is my queue to leave the conversation. Nevertheless, because I tire of fanatics like Robinson, and because, for some strange reason, people actually believe what he says (authoritarianism), I will take a moment to smash Mr. Robinson and his assertions to pieces.
Mr. Robinson says his arguments were merely "influenced" by Lewis, Van til, Bahnsen, Craig and Polanyi (see Acknowledgments section), more like he "hijacked" these people and then called his emphasis originality (the same pattern can be seen in the writings of the fanatic Vincent Cheung). If Robinson's arguments were only "influenced" by the likes of Van til and Bahnsen, then how do his arguments actually differ from the likes of Van til and Bahnsen?
Analysis:
"Many spend the majority of their adult life carefully husbanding their thoughts, shielding their worldview and ultimate precommitments from critical analysis. Many atheists base their philosophy on wishful thinking as they seek to put away theism's moral absolutes." Introduction Pg.5
Never mind Robinson's authoritarian assertion: that his specific brand of theism (interpretation) automatically achieves the status of being absolute, the very essence of the identity of reality, is it the case that Robinson is guilty of his own charge? Is he shielding the commitments of his worldview from "critical analysis"; is his worldview a form of "wishful thinking"?
Let us begin at the foundation; does Robinson start with a specific concept of scripture, or does he start with a specific concept of God? Indeed, is it even possible for Robinson to start with a specific concept of God without deducing that concept from scripture? ...does Robinson's concept of God inform Robinson's concept of scripture; or does Robinson's concept of scripture inform his concept of God?[1] I argue that he can't have it both ways-- however, this is his problem not ours!
Nevertheless his answer: "There are numerous SCRIPTURES that reveal to man that God is three persons in one God." Pg.90
*************
Please note: EVERY TIME Robinson uses the word "God," "Scripture," or "Christian theism/worldview," he means a very specific thing... Indeed, Mr. Robinson would like to use the terms generally, but the specific nature of his discourse will not permit it.
When Robinson says, "it is impossible for God not to exist," he actually means: 'it is impossible for a specific concept of Trinity-- for God as tri-personality, not to exist!'
"God is a self-complete and self-contained unity. There is but one God. God is an absolute personality. There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Within the being of God, diversity is no more fundamental that unity. God is a tri-unity. The persons of the one God are mutually eternal and exhaustive of one another. The Holy Spirit and the Son are ontologically equal with God the Father." Ibid. pg.92
Suppose Mr. Robinson would like to argue the rational nature of these assertions... we need only ask, did he deduce these statements from nature or did he deduce them from a specific construction and harmonization of scripture? Surely any novice can see that these are "theological statements" as opposed to statements conduced on the basis of natural reason? Hence, the criticism stands: In order for Robinson's worldview to be true, his specific interpretation and harmonization of scripture must be true. Indeed, there must actually be such a thing as written revelation; his specific idea of God must actually exist! Never mind the fact that he uses the terms "self-complete and self-contained unity," without any explication as to what these terms mean... surely these are not simple concepts? [I believe most readers will miss the force of this argument.][2]
Now we drop the thesis against the rocks: In order for scripture to occupy the place of authority, which Mr. Robinson would like to claim it has, it MUST NOT appeal to anything outside itself for justification, presuppose a commitment to something more primitive, i.e. inductive science or human reason. To quote Kant (from whom Van til extracted the theory of transcendental reasoning) "...Whatever be the content of our conception of an object, it is necessary to go beyond it, if we whish to predicate existence of the object..." [Great Books of the Western World, second edition Vol.1 pg.443]
And yet, how does Mr. Robinson account for the existence of a specific text, from a multitude of options, if not by the selection of human reason through the method of inductive science? [I have already refuted Dr. Frame on this point; I don't find it necessary to repeat myself to a plagiarizer like Robinson-- see my exchange with Dr. Frame, pay special attention to my emphasis on the last twelve versus of the Gospel of Mark- skepticthinker (dot) com.
To recap, we said: Robinson's specific authority MUST NOT presuppose a commitment to something more primitive, or in Robinson's own words:
"All men have their own controlling presuppositions; no one is truly detached but is empowered by a priory biases and engrained assumptions." Introduction Pg.xxv
"All men approach the pursuit of truth or science with rational precommitments and personal biases. The wise man recognizes this and the honest man admits it. I have a rational precommitment to the Christian worldview..." Ibid.
Is Mr. Robinson a wise man by his own definition? Will he admit that his commitment to the authority of scripture presupposes an even more primitive commitment to the authority of science and human reason? Again, how can Robinson account for scripture without the aid of these two things? Did God (by which Robinson means the Trinity) provide a pre-deciphered text of scripture, or have men decided, on the basis of inductive science/human reason, what should and should not be placed in the text? When Robinson argues any point from the basis, of what he chooses to call scripture, is he not first assuming the authority of human reason? How can this not be the case if there is NO SUCH THING as scripture, but only a series of documents from which men have arbitrarily chosen to extract something they call scripture?
As if to say: "Yes, we have thousands of documents, but from this pile we have only extracted the truth! Never mind what we rejected, for we did so on expedient grounds, by the fact that they didn't correspond with our creed!" [Theology as the determining factor of authenticity].
The argument here is too great for Robinson's theism to overcome. Allow me to explain what I mean: It is Robinson's contention that the non-believer presupposes the Christian worldview (that is, Robinson's specific interpretation of the Christian worldview) simply because Robinson's concept of, Christian worldview, provides a narrative by which certain concepts might be explained. Now, I ask every intelligent reader: does the fact that the Muslim religion provides a narrative by which to interpret existence automatically make the Muslim narrative true? Well then, why should it be any different in the case of Robinson? Notice his special pleading:
"The false gods of other religions cannot lend an epistemic hand to anyone. They do not exist for they are made in the image of man. The only God who is both transcendent and immanent is the true and living God of the Bible. The Mormon Gods, the Hindu Gods, and the Islamic God do not have necessary existence." Pg. 67
And because Robinson claims that the trinity can provide an explanation by which to interpret reality, therefore the trinitarian God is necessary? Surely Mr.
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