15 Quotes by Alvin Plantinga

In religious belief as elsewhere, we must take our chances, recognizing that we could be wrong, dreadfully wrong. There are no guarantees; the religious life is a venture; foolish and debilitating error is a permanent possibility. (If we can be wrong, however, we can also be right.)

Reason is the power or capacity whereby we see or detect logical relationships among propositions.

De jure objections are arguments of claims to the effect that Christian belief, whether or not true, is at any rate unjustifiable, or rationally unjustified, or irrational, or not intellectually respectable, or contrary to sound morality, or without sufficient evidence, or in some other way rationally unacceptable, not up to snuff from an intellectual point of view.

Most of us form estimates of our intelligence, wisdom, and moral fiber that are considerably higher than an objective estimate would warrant; no doubt 90 percent of us think ourselves well above average along these lines.

There is superficial conflict but deep concord between science and theistic religion, but superficial concord and deep conflict between science and naturalism.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1.

If you believe in evolution and naturalism then you have a reason not to think your faculties are reliable.

Things don’t look hopeful for Darwinian naturalists.

Hence our verdict on these reformulated versions of St. Anselm’s argument must be as follows. They cannot, perhaps, be said to prove or establish their conclusion.