What is Christian Apologetics?

What is Christian Apologetics?

Posted on by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

When I first began my master’s degree program, I remember telling my father that I was in a Christian apologetics degree. He chuckled and said, “Well, it’s about time you Christians start apologizing.” I retorted, with a playful smile, “Now, Dad, you know that’s not what I mean.”  I explained to him what I’m about to share with you, that apologetics entails offering a case for Christian beliefs and answering objections against Christian beliefs (see 2 Corinthians 10:5 and 1 Peter 3:15)…doing so with gentleness and respect.

What is Christian Apologetics? A Sports Analogy

My dad was a huge sports fan, and just like him, any coach of a sports team knows that to be well prepared for their games, they need to have both a good offense and a good defense. Dad frequently complained about a lack of one or the other with whatever team he was watching at the time. If a team goes into their game without any understanding of how to defend their goal, they are going to lose the match. If a team only knows how to defend their goal, but not how to win points through offensive strategy, they will also lose the match. While Christianity is not about “winning” or “losing” in this way, we can encounter difficulties in our own game of life for which we feel unprepared if we are not intentionally building our analogous offense and defense.

On the Defensive Line

Christian apologetics can help an individual understand the doubts, questions, and objections that are: 1) part of growing up and maturing as a person, and 2) part of living in an increasingly post-Christian society.

When we are young, we tend to trust, for the most part, the authority figures in our lives. We believe what they say and try to live like those teachings are true. As we age, and begin to encounter more experiences in life, we naturally begin to question what we’ve learned so far. Ideas, such as the goodness of God, which were simpler concepts when we had less experience with pain, suffering, and death, now become much more complicated. This questioning isn’t a bad thing, rather it’s a part of maturing as a human thinker.

As our society’s culture becomes increasingly relativistic, post-Christian, and social media/entertainer influenced, the profound philosophical Christian concepts begin to lose their comprehended complexity, becoming more caricatured and reduced even to absurdities. Thoughtful questioning and understanding of beliefs are often traded for quick, inflammatory sound bytes and slogans. As these short, uncritical ideas become popularized through various streams of social media, they become harder to engage well. Apologetics helps believers answer these popularized caricatures of Christianity, as well as engage in the deeper questions of life.

On the Offensive Line

When professing Christians do not know what they believe or why they believe it, their trust and faith in God can be affected. For example, at times, when I’ve conversed with someone who left Christianity and the church, and I’ve asked them what they used to believe, I’ve ended up saying, “Well, I don’t believe that about God, either.” While I’m sure there are many reasons why this happens, in my own church education, I rarely came across any depth of teaching on basic Christian theology, church history, or aspects of philosophy such as basic logic (thinking well) and the difficult questions of life. I’ve noticed that believers are left to piece together Christianity between their own experiences, intermittent bible study(ies), topical sermons and/or sermon series, church cultural interests, and overall cultural influencers. Too often, this leaves them with an emaciated Christianity, stripped of its deeper explanatory power for the human experience.

Through building a positive case for belief in God, Christians can begin to discover why it is they believe that God is the answer to the fundamental questions of meaning, purpose, and value to human life. People can learn that God is not only worthy of our trust, but also of our worship and love (1 John 4).


What is apologetics? A game plan

In creating robust offensive and defensive apologetic lines, Christians develop a game plan for understanding and communicating their faith. Learning how to make a case for what we believe is not a “10-step-program to winning in life,” but, rather, an important piece of the holistic development of a maturing believer in Christ. As the Apostle Peter admonished us, we are to “always be ready to give a defense (apologia) of the reason of your hope.” That reason is the hope that Jesus provided for us through the resurrection and redemption of humankind. And although we’re not apologizing for our beliefs, in a way, we are saying, “Sorry, not sorry,” for holding onto that redeeming hope within a society that needs to see genuine Christians living out, and putting into action, the truths they profess to believe.


*Author’s note: In a future post, I’ll discuss the important aspect of apologetics, which entails communicating our beliefs with “gentleness and respect.”

HCU: One More Year

HCU: One More Year

Posted on by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

This year begins my last year as a full-time professor at Houston Christian University! When I came on board in 2012, the goal was to create a flourishing apologetics degree alongside some great colleagues. Over the years, the program exceeded our expectations! Our HCU apologetics students and graduates are engaging in the public sphere, going onto PhD’s, ministering in the local church, and so much more.

HCU: One More Year

Our original vision included an emphasis on how to combine the arts and apologetics. We perceived that apologetics–the task of making a case for the existence of God–had been well explored in rhetoric, such as debates, as well as through  lecture-style argument presentation. However, the arts, which have much persuasive power, needed more attention. So, we first focused on the development of a cultural apologetics program. As this part of our endeavor began to flourish with graduate students from all types of backgrounds and interests, we turned some attention towards creating a philosophical track. We now have the two tracks going strong at the university: cultural and philosophical. Often times, students take electives from the track of which they are not in…they just want that philosophical boost on the problem of evil…or, perhaps, they couldn’t resist trying out Dr. Tallon’s apologetics and film course. (I still want to take it myself!)

Twelve Years a Professor

Now, here I am, twelve years into my professorship. Funny, I never intended to be an apologetics professor. Isn’t that how things go sometimes? And while it wasn’t my intention, I have desired to be an educator since my early high school years. I began in public school music education and I ended up in university apologetics, an important field that brings together theology and philosophy in a 1 Peter 3:15 way.  I am sometimes amazed that God brought together my longtime interest in education with the study of my beliefs…and that I was entrusted to teach others to do the same.

Oh, I would be remiss not to mention how much the students have enriched my life! I have met and engaged some amazing people, doing all sorts of ministry work: from a Screamo band lead singer to a local church pastor; from a tabletop role-playing game developer to an international public speaker. These students have encouraged me with their visions for ministry, their eagerness to learn, and genuine commitment to God. I had the privilege of helping most of our students form an apologetics presentation during one of my courses.  Over many years of working on and grading these projects, I have watched them develop into podcasts, blogs, books, journals, speaking platforms, professorships, and even PhD confirmations. Plus, my students have reciprocated and helped me along the way. They’ve read chapters of books I wrote, helped research topics I’ve debated, and engaged me in looking at the toughest questions of life through different angles.

Further, there are my colleagues…whom I lovingly call the “merry band of misfit apologists.” Don’t hold this title against any of them…this one’s all on me. (I sometimes leave out the “misfits,” just in case.) I cannot imagine a life without having known these folks. They have been an encouragement to me, embracing me for where I am skilled, and yet not looking down on me for things I have yet to learn. Ever resourceful and always surprising, I will miss my merry band of colleagues.

So, in summing up…to say this has been a rewarding experience doesn’t quite capture the depth of that reward.

Looking Ahead

As I enter this final full-time year, I can fondly look back at the enriching experience at HCU while also looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. At this point, I don’t know what God has in store for me next, but He has taught me at least one thing over the years: whatever it is, it’s never boring!

“Further up and further in!”

Professor Mary Jo Sharp

The Case of Ahsoka Tano and the Ethics of Church

The Case of Ahsoka Tano and the Ethics of Church

Posted on by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

In my three decades of local church ministry, I have found it to be an unfortunately rare circumstance in which church leadership recognizes and admits that their ethics, methods, and discernment have failed, and then makes appropriate changes. While I could chalk this up to the general fallenness of humankind, I also generally expect to find something better from those who profess God as the standard of goodness, and who then take leadership roles in adherence to that profession. Though I understand my experience is not the experience of every Christian, it’s probably the reason why I connect with the story of the Star Wars character Ahsoka Tano.

If you aren’t familiar with this character, Ahsoka comes into the Star Wars universe via the animated television series, “The Clone Wars,” as Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker’s [1] outspoken, brave, and feisty preteen padawan. Throughout the series, the audience watches her grow into her young adult years, matching her master’s passion, skill, loyalty, wit, and somewhat reckless Jedi behaviors. Yet, overall, Ahsoka is genuinely and deeply devoted to the teachings and ethics of the Jedi Order. While she does question the things she is taught, she seems to do so out of respect for the Order, not in defiance…nor from a darker turmoil, such as found in Anakin.

[Spoiler Alert for The Clone Wars]

So, it is an especially troubling situation when Ahsoka is falsely accused of an egregious crime by the Jedi Council (and the Senate) and is swiftly brought to judgment and punishment, including her expulsion from the Order. Given the years of Ahsoka’s proven character, the action taken seems uncharitable and even irresponsible on behalf of the leadership. However, as the storyline goes, there is a difficult to discern and complex fallenness to the Order, which shows up quite dramatically in this circumstance. They pursued the perception of wrong-doing, rather than deeply considering the somewhat obvious things such as the character, motive, and desires of the accused.[2]

Ultimately, Anakin discovers the truth of the false accusation and Ahsoka is acquitted of all charges, being asked to come back into the Jedi Order. However, Ahsoka is deeply troubled by these proceedings. The Order, being funded by the Senate, seemed to simply fall in line with the structural and organizational patterns that would keep them on good terms. When the situation became difficult to discern, they did not seem willing to stand up for the very ideals they profess. [3] Their wavering ethics and distrust of Ahsoka led to her walk away from the Order, not from their teachings but from their leadership.

As good stories and characters tend to do, this character helped me to understand some problematic aspects within local and global church cultures. Sometimes, church organizations and leaders fail to recognize a person who holds deeply to a high Christian ethical standard. We’ll begin the conversation with two reasons why this might happen: pragmatism and the culture of the company man.

#1. The person’s high commitment to ethics challenges the pragmatism of the leadership.

I’ve often heard Christians say, “There’s too much worldliness in the church.” However, I have a different take on what this means than others using it.

For the most part, “worldliness” seems to be used in reference to the culture wars of the church. It therefore implies the various social and political attitudes or stances that Christians or churches may adopt. Yet, many times, I’ve seen churches adopt a methodology that is pragmatic and utilitarian in approach; where the “ends justify the means.” This utilitarian approach, with a subsequent consequentialist morality,[4] is something I would call “worldliness” in the church.

If a church, Christian leader, or influencer has adopted an “ends justify the means”[5] attitude towards whatever they are attempting to do or say, they have fundamentally left behind the model of Christ. Christ is the master of the content of truth, of the method of communicating truth, and of the ability to live out truth, all at the same time. However, Christians are prone towards adapting worldly methods and means of communicating and living out truth that are antithetical to the model of Christ, while simultaneously professing a strong commitment to content of truth. [6]  One cannot profess to be against worldliness in the church while using a philosophically worldly methodology to communicate that message. [7] It’s hypocrisy. Listen to what Jesus had to say about such practices:

Matthew 23:1-3 ESV Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”

Matthew 23:27-28 ESV “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

When the Jedi Order became a military arm of the Senate, rather than a separate religious entity that would challenge the Senate’s thoughts and actions, they gave into a pragmatic existence. The Senate funded their Order, which greatly aided their abilities to maintain their systems and organization…the status quo. Yet, as the saying goes, man cannot serve two masters. Ahsoka was blindsided by the extent of their fallenness when it came to her false trial. Even though she was proved innocent, their inability and unwillingness to discern goodness and truth left her disillusioned with their institution. They had allowed the worldliness of the Senate, and its pragmatism, to corrupt their high moral commitments to the Jedi way. To keep her faith, Ahsoka had to leave the Order behind.

#2. The person won’t just “fall in line” or be a “company man”

From my observation over those three decades of church ministry, there exists a strong culture of “being a company man” within the church. A company man isn’t necessarily a thinker, questioner, or challenger, he rather just falls in line with whatever the leadership says. He tends to support the organizational leadership no matter what. Loyalty, in of itself, is a virtue, and not necessarily bad. Yet, this previously mentioned type of loyalty is often at the cost of the company man’s family and/or their own godly conscience. [8] Of course, this type of environment is typically ripe for abuse. If leadership cannot be challenged, or even questioned, then there’s no accountability for their thinking and actions. This environment is not in line with Scriptural teaching which admonishes believers to seek advice and understanding from others:

Proverbs 19:20 ESV Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

Proverbs 12:15 ESV The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 18:2 ESV A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

Ahsoka’s trial was symptomatic of the internal rot within the Order, even though it seemed highly efficacious in outward appearance. As the truth of Ahsoka’s innocence came to light, she was shaken by the lack of trust in her character. She didn’t always fall in line with the thoughts and actions of the leadership, but she always had the best intentions in mind. Her false trial was an opportunity for the Jedi to reflect and grow from this out-of-the-ordinary circumstance; and it had potential to change their looming trajectory of destruction. A few of the leaders seemed concerned with the mistreatment of Ahsoka, but that concern didn’t translate to significant, or even initial, reform. The Jedi had become their own worst enemy, with blind spots that left their organization open to a dangerous downfall.

Proverbs 27:5-6 CSB Better an open reprimand than concealed love. The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.

Recognizing our own Ahsoka Tanos

In circumstances where an ethical problem in the leadership, structure, or overall organization is pointed out by another leader in the church, the most frequent result I have experienced is that the ethics advocate ends up walking away to “not disrupt the church.” And, in not disrupting the church, it is therefore left on its trajectory of moral and ethical failure. We see such a circumstance in Ahsoka Tano’s stepping away from the fictitious world of the Jedi Order, but can we not yet see it in the real-world Church with all the past and current moral failures?

We, the body of Christ, need to be much more mindful of those in our midst whose character is akin to Ahsoka Tano…a truly committed believer whose clash with the church is over unethical leadership or worldly methodologies, such as “the ends justify the means.” Instead of pushing such individuals out, or maliciously attacking them, we should make space for their voice…as it could be a needed attempt focus us back on our commitment to putting God, and His ways, first.

 

Footnotes:

[1] For those who are not Star Wars fans, this character becomes Darth Vader, with whom you are probably familiar.

[2] Such as her unwavering devotion to the Jedi Order.

[3] As far as we know, they didn’t even use the force together as a council in attempting to discern about her innocence or guilt! What? Crazy.

[4] Consequentialism, as its name suggests, is simply the view that normative properties depend only on consequences. “Consequentialism.” Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. June 3, 2019. Available from: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consequentialism/ Accessed August 2, 2023.
Further, whether an act is morally right depends only on consequences (as opposed to the circumstances or the intrinsic nature of the act or anything that happens before the act).

[5] A good outcome excuses any wrongs committed to attain it. “End justifies the means, the.” Available from: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/the-end-justifies-the-means. Accessed August 7, 2023.

[6] Often referenced as “biblical truth.”

[7] I’m not saying that it’s always possible to avoid pragmatism or that pragmatic practices are inherently evil. Rather, it is important to consider our philosophical methodology when it comes to accepted practices within the church.

[8] Without unpacking this statement all the way, the family pays for the loyalty as the minister puts the demands of the ministry leaders before the nurturing and care of the family. I’m hoping the violation of the conscience is more implicitly self-explanatory.

 

 

Author’s note: While not my typical educationally-focused apologetics, this article comes out of my journey of doubt from the book “Why I Still Believe,” specifically from the hypocrisy I found prevalent in the church body. 
_______________________
Pic credit: Ahsoka Tano on trial with the Jedi Council in Season 5, Episode 20 “The Wrong Jedi” | Lucasfilm
What I Have Learned from Fallen Leaders

What I Have Learned from Fallen Leaders

Posted on by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

This is a hard moment to process.

In 2019, I wrote these words, “For in each human, I see the reflection of an indescribable beauty, and I see the destructive powers of a raging evil.” I was reflecting on my own experiences in the church, trying to put into a single phrase a hard-learned lesson about the nature of mankind. And now once again, I am faced with the vivid reality of this abstract idea incarnated in someone I trusted. It’s one thing to write from abstraction, but it remains a difficult experience to put into words.

When I began to hear rumblings of an insidious nature about Ravi Zacharias, I didn’t know what to think. It’s not that I didn’t want to believe any bad about him, but it’s more like it didn’t make any sense to me. He spoke like a person who truly enjoyed God. But the devastating truth was that he wasn’t living out the beautiful messages he spoke to us. He used those beautiful words as a shield in sowing destruction. 

For me, this is all too familiar. In my own story, the man who led me through the prayer of salvation, and was an important early source of understanding Christianity, is now a convicted pedophile. Further, I’ve experienced several leaders who speak one way from the pulpit and overtly live another way in their personal lives. So, what should I do with that knowledge and experience? Here’s some of what I’ve been holding onto in the last few years:

1) Trust is a desirable quality

Oftentimes, we approach people whose opinion and theology we agree with from an attitude of trust until they prove they are untrustworthy. This seems to be a Christian approach; in a sense, it’s an innocent until proven guilty approach. Imagine if I took the opposite view, one in which everyone is untrustworthy until they prove they are otherwise. Such an attitude could make me jaded, cynical, paranoid, and superstitious. Because of my belief in the goodness of God and the confidence of redemption in Jesus, I am inclined to be trust-filled and ever-hopeful. This is not an attitude to rebuke, but a redemptive approach towards life.

2) Be wise in dealing with humans

Due to the problem of evil in our world, my trust will be violated over and over. In this case, it was violated in some of the worst ways with life-long damage and consequences. I’m still processing the grief and shock. Wherever I end up in this situation in grief or anger or confusion, I cannot denigrate my desire to trust. It is a gift from a loving God. People will abuse it, because we live in an evil age. God therefore tells us to “be wise as serpents and as innocent as doves,” (Matthew 10:16) and that if we suffer harm that it should be from the evil actions of others and not from our own evil. (1 Peter 3:13-17)

3) Community is still valuable 

I need community with fellow humans, even Church community– which means I will continue to experience evil such as fraudulent behaviors and activities. Because of that need for community there is no way for me to completely escape the failings of fellow humans—nor my own failings—as long as I am living. We are made for community, specifically for our own flourishing. It affords us accountability, encouragement, learning, and love. 

I will also lean into Jesus’s own words and let God minister to my aching soul, but I don’t wish to sound too tidy on this matter. Learning to bear such atrocities is not an easily won education, even when trusting Jesus. I will give myself room to lament this cruel tragedy, and at the same time realize that I don’t fully understand how to proceed. But I do know that right now I can pray for our community, for the fellowship of believers who are in shock, disgusted, angry, victimized, and in lament. I can uplift the marginalized and abused. I can encourage others to persist in loving and doing good.

4) Learn to enjoy God

I haven’t been taught how to enjoy God very well. Mostly, I’ve learned a list of what to do and not do to live a moral life; a set of rules (spoken and unspoken). But rules are not equivalent to relationships. My relationship with God is supposed to be something that satisfies even where desires go unsatisfied in life. In this case, my desire is for there to be leaders I can look up to. 

I have longed over my life to have a human mentor I can fully trust, who does what is right…always; my own Captain America. But that is just unrealistic. The only one who will never fail me is God. I am learning that no matter what happens in this life, I still have the purpose and intention of being in relationship with God and of enjoying Him forever. Because of this relationship with God, the apostle Paul, in the face of great suffering and evil said: 

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18) 

I take hope that Paul’s words are not merely wishful or even fanciful, but the reality of relationship with the Creator. 

May God bring comfort, healing, and hope to those who have suffered greatly.  

A Different Kind of Trust

A Different Kind of Trust

Posted on by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

An excerpt from Why I Still Believe was featured on Ann VosKamp’s blog today. Thanks to Ann for inviting Mary Jo to the farm’s front porch.

Here’s a Preview:

If I ask a person why they aren’t in church today, many may say it’s because of the hypocrisy of Christians. For Mary Jo Sharp, this objection is personal, painful, and forms the background of her latest book, Why I Still Believe. Though she’s an apologist and professor, her experiences in the church have driven her to question if Christianity is true…or even worth it. Having been drawn to God through the beauty of His creation, but seeing the ugliness of human failings, she’s heartbroken that what she found in church didn’t match what she longed for. Mary Jo calls her journey an “anti-deconversion” story about finding hope and answers in the grace of truth of Jesus. It’s a grace to welcome Mary Jo to the farm’s front porch today…

guest post by Mary Jo Sharp:

My husband isn’t good at recognizing the difference in women’s clothing sizes. However, he is extremely thoughtful about washing, folding, and putting away laundry.

When these two characteristics come together, it can be quite amusing.

Roger would fold the laundry and put the items in our dresser drawers. Then, in the morning, I would open my underwear drawer and find my preteen daughter’s set of underwear staring back at me.

“Roger-dodger?” “Yes?”

“Where are you? I need to show you something.”

“I’m in the kitchen.”

I sauntered into the kitchen with my daughter’s underwear halfway up one leg over my clothing, a completely serious look on my face. “So, I think I’ll wear these today. I found them in my drawer. What do you think?”

Roger smiled. “Oh, that’s not your underwear, is it?” “No, but I’m flattered that you think I’d fit into these.”

It wasn’t just an underwear issue. Roger’s clothing-size judgment skills extended to all pieces of my wardrobe. Over the years, I’ve found my shirts in Emily’s room and my jeans in Roger’s closet. I routinely engage in impromptu fashion shows to demonstrate the error.

Now, suppose for a moment that I didn’t recognize the error before I put an item on. Assume that I just put on the under- wear and then wondered why I felt uncomfortable.

For me, that is what “churchy faith” felt like. Trying to put on my church’s cultural expression of faith made me feel like an imposter, like I was wearing someone else’s Jesus-believing clothes.

Yet I had no idea how to find a genuinely fitting faith. And so doubt began to creep into my soul.

Head to Ann’s blog to finish reading…

Author Chat: The Search for God – Chapter 1 Why I Still Believe

Author Chat: The Search for God – Chapter 1 Why I Still Believe

Posted on by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

Last week I announced the a weekly Author Chat over on YouTube. The best way for you to know when videos go live is to subscribe directly to the YouTube channel. Then you’ll receive an email notifying you that when a video publishes.

I thought I’d also include my house rules. They’re included in every video as a friendly reminder that we want to keep this new space welcoming for everyone.

Some house rules:

1) Luke 6:31 is the standard for this comment section. “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” We will remove any ad hominem attacks, trolling, off-topic posting, and vulgar language. Our goal is productive conversation, which may include disagreements, but disagreements should be handled with humility and respect.

2) No linking to non-relevant posts and articles. Relevance will be determined by channel administrators.

3) There typically will be no warnings given prior to removal of posts that violate our house rules.”

 

Apologetics For The Sake of Others

Apologetics For The Sake of Others

Posted on by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

I see a concerning trend coming out of surveys of Gen Z: that apologetics was used in the church to create a divisive atmosphere between Christians and non-Christians. In other words, this field of knowledge was weaponized. This situation should never have happened.

My own story:

When I first found apologetics, I was so excited to see that there was a rich body of thought dating back thousands of years in offering a case for Christianity. It was an intellectually rigorous tradition, with some of the world’s greatest thinkers, including philosophers and scientists of many differing backgrounds. I was excited, because I had encountered so much of the cultural mantra that lauded Christians as anti-intellectual, non-inquisitive, and outright stupid. And that is a real and fashionable cultural view of Christianity. It’s an unreasonable and marginalizing view of people of faith.

So, at first, I had a reflexive reaction to show people that it wasn’t the Christians who were disingenuous about the tough questions. I was going to show that Christianity had robust intellectualism whereas atheism was the view that was shallow and leaning on blind faith. There was enough material out there to build up, not only my view, but also my ego. And build my ego, it did. When I started out in ministry, I labelled it as an “apologetics and discernment ministry.” I debated with people online and in person, which afforded me some basic skill with arguments (*some). But a little success can build a big head.

I quickly began to realize that I didn’t like the tone I was taking. I grew discontent and reframed the ministry to exclude “discernment.” What did I know of discernment? I was relatively young in the study of this important work, The Bible. I was just beginning the journey of understanding pain, suffering, loss and healing through the lens of the Bible and God rather than working through these things on my own.

When I looked more carefully at what Jesus and the disciples were teaching, there was no room for hubris. They deeply cared for and loved the people around them. They were willing to suffer harm to their bodies and reputations in order to share deep truths of Christianity. Further, the disciples were immediately given the “smack down”[1] by Jesus when they tried to figure out who was the greatest among them.

I began to discover that I enjoyed the feeling of “being right” in an argument. It makes me nauseous to think of how very wrong it is to enjoy that feeling. This attitude is not present in how Jesus engaged the ideological commitments of others…ever…even for a moment.

 

The current situation:

Over the years, I’ve noticed some public speakers point to how Jesus flipped tables in the temple courtyard to justify their own aggressive proclamation of truth. However, the same people rarely comment on how Jesus wanted to gather up the people of Jerusalem into his arms:

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37) This is loving imagery of a mother caring for her children, not of a sword-wielding soldier cutting down enemies with truth. Yet, look at who Jesus references as wanting to “gather up” here: basically, even the worst of people, such as the murderers.

For us humans, there is a tension to be learned in the commitment to truth while still loving those around us…even those who do the worst things. Notice the compassion of Jesus, his love, even in the midst of error and falsehoods. Notice his response to the destruction of life all around him. As God, he has the ultimate right to judge all of this evil, but He shows us righteousness combined with mercy.

In accordance with recent surveys of Gen Z, we have unfortunately taught a generation that being able to wield truth as a sword to cut people down is more important than ministering to them.[2] That teaching is explicitly rejected by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1-6. He admonishes that if one understands all mysteries and all knowledge—and even has “all faith so as to move mountains”—but doesn’t have love…that person is nothing. He didn’t say that person is “misguided,” or “in error.” He said, they are “nothing.” He made it personal, too, so he couldn’t escape his own teaching.

We have unfortunately taught a generation that it is more important to have the answers than to be curious. Jesus understands how very little we actually know, and he encourages us to come to Him with an attitude of curiosity and humility as seen in Matthew 19: 14, “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

We have the opportunity to help set things back on a better path. We can share the reality of our modest knowledge by continuing to place learning as a high priority in our individual lives. We can recognize our desire to get quick sound byte answers, rather than engage in thoughtful and lengthy consideration. We can place the self-sacrificing love towards others as a goal for our Christian life. None of these things require agreement with falsehoods or errors in reasoning. But all require the love described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

 

Apologetics should always be an endeavor to love people well.

 

[1] An outdated colloquialism from the 1980’s or 1990’s…but I’m still using it!

[2] These “unfortunately taught” statements are generalizations in response to surveys of Gen Z indicating their view of apologetics. For example, see The Gospel Coalition article: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/things-frustrate-gen-z/

Is It Okay to Question Beliefs? Part 3

Is It Okay to Question Beliefs? Part 3

Posted on by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

Check out part one and part two if you missed them! 

Over the years, I have talked with a number of people who have been told in response to their questioning about God, “You just don’t have enough faith,” or “You just need to read your Bible.” Some were given such a response in their childhood years; others, in their teenage to young adult years. In every situation described, the result was damaging to the person’s belief in God. I don’t know the mind of the responder, nor the reason why such a response would be given. However, I can say that Christians should thoughtfully engage with questions about doubt.

In Paul Copan’s book, “A Little Book for New Philosophers,” he cites several reasons as to why we should engage. In the previous posts we’ve looked at why we should engage in questioning. In this post, we will look at the doubt itself, including equally applying doubt to alternative views.

  1. Those engaging in doubt should doubt fairly.

Many people have told me about how doubt (either their own or a loved one) has caused a turning away from faith in God. I rarely hear a person tell me that while they had doubts about God, they had equal doubts about other views they were exploring and/or about their doubts, in general. Paul Copan in A Little Book for New Philosophers suggests that we should not only investigate our beliefs, but also our doubts. He wants us to consider “doubting our doubts.” Why?Those engaging in doubt should doubt fairly

For some reason, we seem to take aim at our beliefs and wonder if they are true, but we almost never seem to take aim at the doubt itself and wonder if it has merit. Are we taking doubts more seriously than beliefs? Copan gives us an example: “After all, it’s logically possible that the external world is illusory, the universe isn’t older than fifteen minutes, and that other minds don’t exist. But we never truly contest these things; we rightly take them as properly basic.”

He goes on to say that we rightly trust our rational capacities, even when we are in the midst of doubt. It takes rationality to doubt beliefs. However, why do we not apply our doubt to our rational capacities? Why do doubters rarely ask from where their own rational capacities come? Why should they trust that their own rationality and thinking are working properly?

Copan responds, “Being made in the image of a rational, truthful God makes excellent sense of this fundamental trust we have that our cognitive faculties aren’t systematically deceiving us and thus that we can seek after truth.”

We’ll look at understanding the different kinds of doubt we face.

A Final Consideration

As we consider our beliefs in Christianity and ask questions about why we believe those things are true, we should also consider the alternative views. In my own experience, people limit themselves to questioning their particular religious beliefs. Yet, we should not only question what we’re coming from, but also question what we might be going to. We don’t just step out into a void of belief, we’re adopting other views. What does an atheistic view of the universe offer in the way of establishing human value and human rights? What does Buddhism offer as far as establishing ultimate justice and injustice (good and evil)? What is the Islamic view of the nature of man and the nature of God…do humans have free will? There’s a lot to be questioned and considered before stepping away from the Christian faith. No matter where one ends up, it will be considerably different from the Christian worldview. So, we must question and apply doubt to those beliefs as well.

In Conclusion

Doubt is not the enemy of faith. It is a part of our maturing in our faith, by growing in our knowledge of and relationship with God. A youthful faith that overtly trusts what our religious authorities teach is appropriate for a youthful Christian. However, a maturing believer is called to a maturing faith, questioning even the very teachings of those we’ve entrusted with authority.

“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.”
1 Thessalonians 5:20-21

 

Original publication date June 12, 2017. Updated September 28, 2021.

Is It Okay to Question Beliefs? Part 2

Is It Okay to Question Beliefs? Part 2

Posted on by confidentchristianity@gmail.com

Missed part one? Read it here. 

Over the years, I have talked with a number of people who have been told in response to their questioning about God, “You just don’t have enough faith,” or “You just need to read your Bible.” Some were given such a response in their childhood years; others, in their teenage to young adult years. In every situation described, the result was damaging to the person’s belief in God. I don’t know the mind of the responder, nor the reason why such a response would be given. However, I can say that Christians should thoughtfully engage with questions about doubt.

In Paul Copan’s book, “A Little Book for New Philosophers,” he cites several reasons as to why we should engage. Let’s look at a couple more reasons to add to the previous post.

3. The Christian faith offers ample resources and evidence to assist us.

The Christian faith has a two-fold approach in assisting us with answering our doubts. As Copan states, “When God enters our lives, we have the Spirit’s internal confirmation that we are children of God, that we have been accepted before him through Christ and that we can thus approach him with confidence (Rom 8: 14-16; Gal 4: 5-6; Heb 4: 16; 1 Jn 5: 13).”[1]

The internal confirmation relates to the personal and individual salvific experience of God. There is truth we learn through the experience of forgiveness of guilt and relief from shame, as well as from understanding that we have ultimate significance—that not only did God create us, but that he valued his creation as “good” and then gave himself as a sacrifice to reaffirm and redeem the goodness of his creation. However, internal confirmation is not the whole story. There are also external supports for the existence of God such as the historical reliability of the Scriptures, the evidence of the resurrection, the existence of objective moral values, presence of design in the universe, and many more. These two types of support work in concert to assist us in answering our doubt.

While we will not get exhaustive answers, we can begin to get answers. The doubts don’t just go away on their own. It’s been troubling me that many of the people who talk with me about doubt haven’t tried answering any of their doubts, though these folks have had the same questions or wonderings for years. The doubts don’t just go away on their own, we have to be responsible to use the gift of learning with which God has endowed his creation to seek answers. One of my favorite quotes from Dallas Willard is, “If you’re going to be a doubter, you need to believe your beliefs and doubt your doubts as well as to doubt your beliefs and believe your doubts.”[2] We need to be responsible with our doubts and our beliefs.

4. Fourth, we should reject the false and pernicious idea that knowledge requires 100 percent certainty.

This reason for engaging with doubts has been an idea on which I have been chewing for some years. The belief that one must have 100 percent certainty to have knowledge about a thing seems to be problematic for both those who believe in God and those who do not believe. I’ve heard Christians say things like, “I have no doubt in God. I will not be shaken. I cannot be moved.” While I believe the intention of such statements is from a desire to be obedient to God and trust Him, I think it may send an unrealistic message to others (and to ourselves) about faith. Faith in God doesn’t mean you will never have that trust shaken. I’ve had mine rocked to the core. Faith in God doesn’t mean that there are no more questions to ask. Rather, faith should mean that the questions have begun. After all, God is an infinite being and we are finite beings; this fact alone means there are things about God and the universe He created that we will never know. Yet, there are so many things that we can learn about our reality. When we first place our trust in God, we are beginning the life-long journey of learning the deep things of God.

I also mentioned that this desire for certainty was a problem for those who don’t believe in God. Atheism does not imbue the human being with any more intellectual power to gain certainty of knowledge than does any other worldview. While some people may argue to the contrary, this idea seems to be a misunderstanding of human nature; specifically with regard to our individual abilities in learning. The ability to gain knowledge through different modes of reasoning is not specific to any worldview. Rather, the ability is a human trait. Ultimately, the same problem arises for the atheist as for the Christian in that the universe is vast and we know so little about it, even with all of our current knowledge. The more knowledge we gain, the less ground we understand we have covered in our endeavors (Socrates was famous for stating this understanding of the world). One gain against nature unlocks several more mysteries.

As Copan states, to say that we need 100 percent certainty in order to say we have acquired knowledge is a statement that cannot live up to its own standard. How did we gain the knowledge with 100 percent certainty that we need this level of certainty in order to have acquired knowledge? It is an unattainable goal. Knowledge does not require 100 percent human certainty…not in atheism, and not in Christianity.

What should we do instead?

5. Those engaging in doubt should doubt fairly.

While we will not get exhaustive answers, we can begin to get answers. The doubts don’t just go away on their own.

 

For further reading, pick up a copy of Copan’s short book, “A Little Book for New Philosophers,” here.

[1] Copan, Paul (2016-11-19). A Little Book for New Philosophers: Why and How to Study Philosophy (Little Books) (Kindle Locations 1143-1144). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

[2] From Dallas Willard, The Allure of Gentleness, as quoted by Copan, Paul (2016-11-19). A Little Book for New Philosophers: Why and How to Study Philosophy (Little Books) (Kindle Locations 1086-1087). InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition.

Original publication date June 12, 2017. Updated September 21, 2021.