The Most Common Mistake when Talking with Skeptics

Conversational evangelism and apologetics can be very frustrating. Christians often to get to the end of a discussion with an unbeliever and think, “Well, that was a waste of time! We weren’t connecting on anything. Did we even speak the same language?  All my great points fell completely flat.”

What causes these conversations to go wrong? The most common reason is that believers launch into a defense of the faith before finding out anything at all about the skeptic.

Instead of jumping right in to address some objection or present an argument, Christians would be much better served by asking a few important questions and then listening carefully to the answers.

For example, these queries work wonderfully at the beginning of a conversation:

“Tell me a bit about yourself. Do you have a background in Christianity or some other church or religion? Have you always been a skeptic? If not, how did you arrive at your position?”

“I understand you don’t believe that Christianity is true, but what worldview do you hold, then? In other words, I realize you think that Christianity offers false answer to life’s biggest questions, but what do you think are the right answers?”

“Speaking of the answers that Christianity offers, could you tell me the Christian message from your perspective? What is the story of the Bible as you understand it?”

There are several reasons this method leads to more fruitful evangelistic and apologetic conversations.

First, it builds relationship and defuses animosity. As Hugh Hewitt writes: “When you ask a question, you are displaying interest in the person asked. Most people are not queried on many, if any, subjects. Their opinions are not solicited. To ask them is to be remembered fondly as a very interesting and gracious person in your own right.” (In, But Not Of: A Guide to Christian Ambition, p. 172).  Greg Koukl adds “[Questions] invite genial interaction on something the other person cares a lot about: her own ideas.” (Tactics, A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions p. 48)

Second, it keeps the two sides from addressing people and positions that don’t actually exist. As I write in my new book,

Too many religious conversations involve people talking past each other because they haven’t taken the time to find out what the other person actually believes. The result is that each side tries to knock down a straw-man version of the other’s position. The skeptic argues against a version of Christianity that the believer does not hold and the Christian attacks an atheistic worldview that the unbeliever does not hold. Then they wonder why the conversation never gets anywhere. (p. 49)

Third, it offers the opportunity to present the gospel without being preachy. When you ask the skeptic about what he or she believes the Christian message to be, you will inevitably find that they have some poor theology. You can then step in and gently say, “Well, that’s not exactly what Christianity teaches. In order that we can understand each other clearly, let me share with you how I understand the Bible’s message. “

Fourth, it helps bring to light some of the underlying non-intellectual reasons that people reject Christianity. Many skeptics do not base their unbelief on a hard examination of the facts or a deep analysis of the various philosophical arguments. Rather, a variety of other factors are at play, including painful experiences with Christians, anger at God over a heartbreaking loss, and the desire to rationalize immoral behavior. By asking a few questions, the Christian can become more aware of what is going on under the surface.

A conversation with skeptics that doesn’t start with some good questions will almost always lead nowhere. Avoiding that mistake will help us be much more effective at reaching the world for Jesus.

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Apologetics 315 Guest Writer Donald Johnson has served in vocational ministry since 1993, including extensive experience as an inner city youth worker and young adult pastor. He has a B.A. in Theology, Missions and Intercultural Studies from San Jose Christian College, an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and an M.A. in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He has also done graduate work in the evangelism program at Multnomah Seminary and the philosophy of Religion program at Talbot School of Theology. His newest book is How to Talk to a Skeptic: An Easy-to-Follow Guide for Natural Conversations and Effective Apologetics. Hear his interview with Apologetics 315 here.

Apologetics Toolkit: Tips for Lifelong Learning #01

This post begins an Apologetics Toolkit series on: Tips for Lifelong Learning. The goal here is to provide a sort of "apologetics toolkit" -- habits, tips, and tools the Christian apologist can use to continue to grow, learn, and develop.

Tool #01: Use Topical Reading

The Problem: Good books are imperative for learning and growing. However, many people read their good books at random. Sporadic or scattered reading may have the small benefit of keeping you interested as you jump from topic to topic -- but one problem can be that often the information hasn't saturated your mind long enough for you to think deeply on that particular subject over an extended period of time. You haven't let it simmer in your mind. You haven't developed your own thoughts on the topic. You quickly moved on to another topic when you could have gone deeper.

The Tool: The idea behind topical reading is to explore a subject deeply by using a number of books. Think about delving into a variety of books on one subject -- say, half dozen to a dozen -- and letting your mind be immersed in that subject. Throughout the process, which will last a few months, start to do a few things: 1) look for the answers to your own questions; 2) look for patterns and principles; 3) take notes and highlight meaningful passages; and 4) develop your own ideas on the subject.

The Benefit: The reward of topical reading is a deeper understanding of an area of interest that goes far beyond a piecemeal reading method. For the Christian apologist, this means gaining a better grasp on a challenging issue, developing mastery in a subject of particular interest, and going beyond the superficial knowledge that often results from scattered, non goal-directed reading. So try it -- pick a subject of interest and really delve in.

What are your tips for reading? What methods work best for you?

For the book on learning through reading, Apologetics 315 recommends How to Read a Book by Adler and Van Doren. You won't approach reading the same again.

What was last year's post? It's audio from Dan Wallace.

Do You Really Want Answers? by Everett Piper

More than sixty years ago, in The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis challenged Christian scholars to enter the “town square” and the “market place of ideas.” He argued that if we failed to do so, we would become “men without chests:” a culture of heartless people satisfied with our own subjectivity and divorced from any common agreement of what is right and wrong; a culture of disconnected individuals who care little for what is immutable and enduring, accurate or true. Lewis warned of a time when life’s big questions would lie fallow in a field of disingenuous inquiry, where shallow people with shallow minds would have little interest in a harvest of meaningful and objective answers.

Today is a time of big questions:

• Life: When does it begin, and when does it end, and who has the right to define it and take it?
• Global warming: Is its premise scientific, political, principled or pragmatic?
• Sexuality: What is healthy and best for our bodies, our souls, our families and our society?
• Tolerance: Are all worldviews epistemologically, ontologically and morally equal, or are some philosophies and religions simply better and more accurate than others?
• Marriage: Should its definition be God’s or the government’s?
• Justice: If radical Darwinism and moral neutrality are true, isn’t the concept of justice rather arbitrary and meaningless? The strong should subdue the weak and the “fittest” should survive, shouldn’t they?  If we are all nothing more than the products of happenstance and chance then there is no reason to object to those with power prevailing over those without it.  In fact, in such a world, all “morality” is really nothing more than the imposition of bourgeois rules upon the oppressed proletariat. Right?

Why Telling Your Story is NOT the Best Way to Share the Gospel

Anyone who’s ever taken a class on how to share their faith has heard some well-intentioned teacher say, “You don’t need to learn a lot of big words. Just tell them your story. Just tell them how Jesus changed your life. No one can argue with that.”

Then everyone sighs a big sigh of relief because they thought they’d have to spend time learning how to answer hard questions. Questions like “how do you know Jesus rose from the dead?” Or “how do you know the Bible’s inspired?”

I understand why this method of what we used to call “witnessing” is popular. Well-meaning pastors realize that people are scared to tell people about Jesus, and they want to find an easy method that they can use to teach their congregation how to share their faith without actually having to ask them to do anything—at least anything hard.

Apologetics Toolkit: Advice for Apologists from the Christian Apologetics Alliance

A frequent and important question asked in the Christian Apologetics Alliance is how aspiring apologists should use their time and develop their abilities. In a recent thread, members of the CAA addressed this question. Tim McGrew summarized the main points from that discussion, and it is presented here as a featured Apologetics Toolkit post.

(1) Online arguments are not a good training ground for someone who does not have experience. Stay away from them completely until you have studied deeply, and even then, don't just dive into every argument headlong.

This is the hardest piece of advice for most young people to accept, but it is one of the most important. I know how it feels to want to save the world, to stand up to the intellectual bully on Twitter or YouTube or some chat board. But if that is all you do, you will fritter away years in the intellectual shallow end; you'll be at best a playground hero, and sometimes, you'll get your nose bloodied and look like a fool. Take the long view instead. Begin training now for the serious battles, and when they come, in the mercy of God, you will be ready for them.

Eight Issues That Do NOT Make or Break Christianity

The following is a guest post by C. Michael Patton of Credo House Ministries. (Hear his interview with Apologetics 315 here; transcript here.) Find out more about Credo House resources here.

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I realize that posts such as these have the potential to create quite a bit of heat and get me in a lot of trouble. As well, I don’t really want to be seen as one who is always trying to unsettle things. I like to be settled, and in a very pastoral way, I like to settle others. However, in Christianity, both for our personal faith and our public witness, we need to speak with the emphasis necessary to carry our faith truly. It is my argument that often – far too often – conservative Christians become identified with issues that, while important, do not make or break our faith. This creates extremely volatile situations (from a human perspective) as believers’ faith ends up having a foundation which consists of one of these non-foundational issues. When and if these issues are significantly challenged, our faith becomes unstable. I have seen too many people who walk away from the faith due to their trust in some non-essential issue coming unglued. That is why I write this post. Whether you agree with me or not, I hope this discussion will cause you to think deeply about what issues create the bedrock of our (and your) faith.

Here is a list of what I believe to be eight issues that do not make or break our faith:

1. Young Earth Creationism
There are many people who spend an enormous amount of money holding seminars, building museums, and creating curricula attempting to educate people on the importance and evidence for a six-thousand (give or take) year-old earth. There is certainly nothing wrong (in my opinion) with holding to and defending such a view. The problem comes when those who hold to this view teach that to deny a literal six-day creation is to deny the Gospel (or close to it). There is simply no sustainable reason to believe that one’s interpretation about the early chapters of Genesis determines his or her status before God.

The Top Ten Same Sex Marriage False “Facts” by Frank Turek

Apologist Frank Turek (blog | books | interview | resources) has posted an article entitled "The Top Ten Same Sex Marriage False 'Facts'" Worth reading in light of the issues surrounding California's Prop 8. Turek also talks about this article in his recent radio broadcast. For a fuller treatment, check out Frank's book: Correct, Not Politically Correct; How Same-Sex Marriage Hurts Everyone.

Article HERE. MP3 Audio here.

Edit: Frank Turek also speaks on the subject on this episode of Issues, Etc.

Enjoy.

The Golden Rule Apologetic by Bob Passantino

Nearly everyone is familiar with the "Golden Rule" even if they don't realize that it comes to us in its perfect form as a command of Jesus: "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). [1] This command to deal fairly with others should govern everything we do as Christians, including how we defend our faith.

Stand to Reason's Top 20 Articles of 2009

Greg Koukl's excellent apologetics ministry Stand to Reason has featured their Top 20 Articles of 2009. Of course, don't forget STR's podcast here, and their video resources here. And pick up Tactics: A Gameplan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (one of Ap315's top 3 apologetics books of the year). Here's the list of the top 20 articles:

• Augustine on Evil
• A Good Reason for Evil
• Never Read a Bible Verse
• Euthyphro's Dilemma
• 10 Tips to Help Your Prayer Life
• Abortion and Human Rights
• What was the Sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?
• Reasons for Capital Punishment
• What Exodus 21:22 Says About Abortion
• The Intolerance of Tolerance
• Equal Rights for Homosexuals
• The Bible and Capital Punishment
• Is the New Testament Text Reliable?
• Christmas Card Captions
• What Science Can't Prove
• Do Animals Have Souls?
• Jesus' Missing Years
• Paul, Romans, & Homosexuality
• Capital Punishment: Is Man a Machine or a Moral Agent?
• Unstringing the Violinist

Enjoy.
[HT: Rob]

All About Atheism: An Extensive Guide

Looking for an article dealing with atheism? Look to this article by Mariano of Atheism is Dead, where you can find lots of other atheism links. Or, download the 32-page PDF here.

Article here.

Enjoy.

Does God Have to Obey the 10 Commandments? - by Greg Koukl

Greg Koukl has written a brief article discussing whether or not God has to obey the 10 Commandments, found here.

If you want to call moral rules absolutes in the sense that they can never be trumped, then that is probably too strong a definition and not a Biblical definition. And if you are not careful, it makes God subject to His own rules in a way that puts the rules above God instead of God above the rules. more...

Happy Reading.

A Critique of Bart Ehrman's Jesus Interrupted by Ben Witherington

New Testament scholar Ben Witherington (blog, wiki) has an insightful look at Bart Ehrman's book Jesus Interrupted. His detailed analysis is worth reading; in five parts:

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Enjoy.

Evidence for the Resurrection of Christ by Peter Kreeft

Dr. Peter Kreeft presents an article on the evidence for the resurrection of Christ. Kreeft presents 5 different theories and offers a critique of each.
This was recently featured over at Truthbomb Apologetics, along with this nice resurrection post, which included this flash video.

Article here.

Have a blessed Easter holiday.

God's Problem by Bart Ehrman Critique

The other day Challies mentioned William H. Willimon's review of Bart Ehrman's book God's Problem that is worth the read.

"While reading God's Problem, I kept asking myself, why bother? There are no new insights or discoveries here . . . Ehrman proves the dictum that old fundamentalists never die; they just exchange fundamentals and continue in their unimaginative, closed-minded rigidity and simplicity."

Find the full review here.

The Apologist’s First Question

This is a must-read article geared toward apologists by Ravi Zacharias. "I have little doubt that the single greatest obstacle to the impact of the Gospel has not been its inability to provide answers, but the failure on our part to live it out."

Click here for entire article over at apologetics.com.

By the way, tomorrow we will announce the winner of the drawing. It's not too late to take part!

A Universe Built for Us - Discover Magazine and the Multiverse

Tom Gilson's Thinking Christian blog has a good write-up on Discover Magazine's current issue regarding the multiverse theory. It seems they just can't get away from God -- although are trying very hard.

"Call it a fluke, a mystery, a miracle. Or call it the biggest problem in physics. Short of invoking a benevolent creator, many physicists see only one possible explanation: Our universe may be but one of perhaps infinitely many universes in an inconceivably vast multiverse."

Be sure to keep up with Tom's blog for other good stuff.