General Revelation, Empiricism and The Ugley Vicar on Sexual Reproduction

John Richardson

If skepticism means that man can have no knowledge, then an appeal to revelation, with its subordination of ethics to theology, is not skepticism. But everything else is.  -- Gordon H. Clark

Over at The Ugley Vicar blog, John Richardson tries to convince the unregenerate that nature proves them wrong.  Good luck, brother!

Why is it that Christians think that general revelation, nature, and empiricism will defeat the liberals at their own irrational game?  Rationalism has not nor ever will convince the unregenerate man of the truth. (Romans 1:18-32).  In fact, rationalism inevitably leads straight to irrationalism, Kantian philosophy, and dialectical theology.   It really boils down to the fact that inductive arguments can never substantiate or prove universal axioms like, "Thou shalt not commit adultery."  (Exodus 20:14 KJV). 

Just as we cannot prove the Trinity from nature, so it is impossible to prove that transgenderism, homosexuality, or monogamous marriage is sinful from nature, empirical science, or any other source based in rationalism, reason, or empiricism.  As Gordon H. Clark pointed out, you cannot inductively prove universals or axioms.  Unless we begin with Scripture as the first axiom, the result is always skepticism, unbelief, and irrationalism.  All truth is propositional in form and without propositions knowledge is impossible.  That's why Scripture alone is the beginning axiom for all knowledge, including knowledge about gender, sexuality, and morality. 

If reason could change the minds of the liberals surely it would have worked by now?  On the other hand, maybe we ought to try Scripture?  (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

In regards to natural theology, Gordon H. Clark criticizes the Thomist view:

Natural Theology

That true religion is preceded by or in some way founded on the activity of natural reason is an idea that has been and continues to be widely prevalent. The proper procedure is pictured as beginning with a proof of the existence of God. When the unbeliever is convinced by an argument drawn from nature, then he may next be shown the antecedent probability of a special revelation, and finally the reasonableness of the Scriptures.

Gordon H. Clark. Religion, Reason and Revelation (Kindle Locations 806-810). The Trinity Foundation.

But does this procedure work?  That's a good question.   According to Dr. Clark, the answer is an emphatic no:

. . . No ethical standard formulated through empirical observation, no, not even a previous command of God himself, suffices for the repudiation of God’s next command.

This, however, does not mean that we are left with moral skepticism, as Dr. Carnell claims. We are left with the definite commands of God. We have his complete preceptive will in the Scriptures. Of course, if skepticism means that man without a supernatural revelation cannot establish the norms of morality, so be it. The analyses of the earlier sections are supposed to have clinched that conclusion. Neither Utilitarianism, nor Kant, nor Dewey can anticipate God’s standards of rectitude. But the failure of non-revelational ethics does not leave man without a knowledge of right and wrong. If skepticism means that man can have no knowledge, then an appeal to revelation, with its subordination of ethics to theology, is not skepticism. But everything else is.

Gordon H. Clark. Religion, Reason and Revelation (Kindle Locations 4316-4324). The Trinity Foundation.

There really is only one way to prove that transgenderism, homosexuality, and other sexual perversions are morally wrong.  The dialectical theologians, Van Tilians, neo-orthodox, and evidentialists do not like this answer.   But the answer is the same nevertheless.  Homosexuality is morally wrong because God says so in the plenary-verbally inspired words of Holy Scripture.  The moral law makes propositional truth statements that flatly contradict homosexuality.  And other issues like the transgender propositions of the liberals can be logically refuted by the Scripture easily.  Scripture is given in propositions than can be systematically organized into theological outlines of theology.

 `You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22 NKJ)
 `If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20:13 NKJ)
 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. (Romans 1:26-27 NKJ)
 And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally." (Genesis 19:5 NKJ)
  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJ)

While natural revelation leaves men without excuse, only special revelation can give the knowledge that God commands men and women not to commit acts of sexual immorality.  (Romans 1:18-21; Romans 3:20; 7:7; 8:7).

To read Richardson's article click here:  The Ugley Vicar:  Further Thoughts on Sexuality and Gender

R. L. Dabney, Systematic Theology, and Knowing God

The southern presbyterian, R. L. Dabney, wrote a Reformed systematic theology.  Nineteenth century Calvinism had already become infected with the semi-Arminianism of Abraham Kuyper and Herman Bavinck.  Dabney was also an infralapsarian and thought that God was not absolutely immutable.  I say that because Dabney was inconsistent on the anthropopathisms in Scripture.  

If God does not literally have a physical body or body parts, why is it so difficult for Calvinists to see that God literally does not have emotions either?  If God can be "moved" by emotions, then God is not immutable.  That's simple enough logic.  God has no succession of thoughts in His mind.  He perceives and understands all of creation and all the temporal succession of time from beginning to end all at one time.  God literally is not mutuable or susceptible to change whatsoever.  

As Gordon H. Clark rightly asked, why do those who have no problem with anthropomorphisms have a problem accepting the anthropopathisms in Scripture?  This is difficult to understand given that Scripture is logically consistent.  (Listen to Clark's MP3 lecture, How Does Man Know God?).

See also, J. Ligon Duncan III on God's immutability and anthropopathisms here:  Does God Have Emotions or Feelings?

Click here to see Dabney's systematic theology:  R. L. Dabney

B.B. Warfield on Natural Revelation to the Heathen and Special Revelation to God's Elect People

In the sporadic instances when God visited an alien with a supernatural communication—such as the dreams sent to Abimelech (Gen. 20) and to Pharaoh (Gen. 40, 41) and to Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:1 ff.) and to the soldier in the camp of Midian (Jgs. 7:13)—it was in the interests, not of the heathen world, but of the chosen people that they were sent; and these instances derive their significance wholly from this fact. --B.B. Warfield

Behind even the ethnic development, there lay, of course, the supernatural intercourse of man with God which had obtained before the entrance of sin into the world, and the supernatural revelations at the gate of Eden (Gen. 3:8), and at the second origin of the human race, the Flood (Gen. 8:21, 22; 9:1–17). How long the tradition of this primitive revelation lingered in nooks and corners of the heathen world, conditioning and vitalizing the natural revelation of God always accessible, we have no means of estimating. Neither is it easy to measure the effect of God’s special revelation of Himself to His people upon men outside the bounds of, indeed, but coming into contact with, this chosen people, or sharing with them a common natural inheritance. Lot and Ishmael and Esau can scarcely have been wholly ignorant of the word of God which came to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; nor could the Egyptians from whose hands God wrested His people with a mighty arm fail to learn something of Jehovah, any more than the mixed multitudes who witnessed the ministry of Christ could fail to infer something from His gracious walk and mighty works. It is natural to infer that no nation which was intimately associated with Israel’s life could remain entirely unaffected by Israel’s revelation. But whatever impressions were thus conveyed reached apparently individuals only: the heathen which surrounded Israel, even those most closely affiliated with Israel, remained heathen; they had no revelation. In the sporadic instances when God visited an alien with a supernatural communication—such as the dreams sent to Abimelech (Gen. 20) and to Pharaoh (Gen. 40, 41) and to Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2:1 ff.) and to the soldier in the camp of Midian (Jgs. 7:13)—it was in the interests, not of the heathen world, but of the chosen people that they were sent; and these instances derive their significance wholly from this fact. There remain, no doubt, the mysterious figure of Melchizedek, perhaps also of Jethro, and the strange apparition of Balaam, who also, however, appear in the sacred narrative only in connection with the history of God’s dealings with His people and in their interest. Their unexplained appearance cannot in any event avail to modify the general fact that the life of the heathen peoples lay outside the supernatural revelation of God. The heathen were suffered to walk in their own ways (Acts 14:16).

Warfield, B. B. (2008). The Works of Benjamin B. Warfield, Volume 1: Revelation and Inspiration (9–10). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.