Analysis of 8 Reasons for Apologetics - Critical Assessment

1. We recite Matt Slick's article “8 Reasons for Apologetics” with critical remarks to each reason. CARM: 8 reasons for Apologetics

2. Reason 1: The first and most obvious is because we are commanded to defend the faith: 1 Peter 3:15 says, "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. We agree with this purpose for apologetics.

3. Reason 2 From CARM: Second, we need apologetics because it helps Christians know their faith. This is something that is sadly lacking among believers. Most don't know much about their faith, let alone be able to describe the Trinity, His physical resurrection, or even to tell the difference between justification and sanctification. Apologetics helps to define and defend what the truth of the gospel is.

4. Reason 2: Introduction Does presenting inaccurate information and poorly done apologetics help or hurt the cause of Christ? Does poorly done apologetics help or hinder Christians “know their faith”? The purpose of this video series is to point out inaccurate information, ill defined terms, and anemic scholarship in CARM apologetics. And it follows that correcting inaccurate information, ill defined terms and anemic scholarship helps the cause of apologetics and the cause of Christ.

5. Reason 3: From CARM: Third, apologetics is an attempt to keep people out of hell. God takes sin very seriously, and He will punish those who have rebelled against Him and are not covered in the blood of Christ. As Christians, we should be motivated to present the truth of salvation in Jesus. We should not sit idly by and ignore the dilemma of the unbeliever. We need to tell them that sin is real because God is real, and that breaking God's law has a consequence. Since we have all sinned, we cannot keep God's law perfectly.

6. Reason3: Critical Analysis Matt Slick is a Calvinist. Calvinists like Matt Slick believe God has chosen who goes to heaven (and everyone else goes to hell), before the foundation of the world. How is apologetics supposed to keep anyone from hell? Additionally, Calvinists like Matt Slick believe the number of the “elect” is fixed (according to the 1619 Canons of Dordt). How can apologetics change that fixed number? Does it help the cause of Christ for Matt Slick to assert a reason for apologetics that explicitly contradicts his own theology? Is Matt Slick deliberately contradicting his theology, or is doing it out of ignorance?

7. Reason 4 • From CARM: Fourth, we need apologetics to counter the bad image that Christianity has received in the media and in culture. Televangelists and their scandals—both sexually and monetarily—are a disgrace to Christianity. The Catholic church hasn't helped with its scandals involving priests. On top of that, the media is very biased against Christianity, and you will see negative opinions of Christianity promoted everywhere.

8. Reason 4: Critical Analysis Apologetics will do nothing to counter the bad image of Christianity. Especially the image created by poorly done apologetics. As has been shown, Matt Slick and CARM gives us poorly done apologetics. The bad image of Christianity (especially the association of Calvinism with corrupt and decadent capitalist multi-national corporate interests for nearly 400 years) will go on as long as people are involved. Apologetics will not change that.

9. Reason 5 • From CARM: Fifth, we need apologetics because there is a constant threat of apostasy in the visible Christian church.

10. Reason 5: Critical Analysis Matt Slick is a Calvinist. Calvinists like Matt Slick believe everything happens because God has determined it happen according to His will. Can apologetics do anything to stop God's will? Indeed, does apologetics, or any Christian activity (or lack of any Christian activity), change ANYTHING that God as not willed to be? Doesn't the very ACT of doing apologetics (or any other Christian activity) necessarily imply that it makes a difference?

11. Reason 5: Analysis (Continued) And isn't the very ACT of doing apologetics explicitly contradictory to the notion that God has ordained all things according to His Will (as Calvinists like Matt Slick believe)? The threat of apostasy has always been evident in Christianity (that's the context and purpose of the Book of Revelations and the Letter to Jude). The threats were there long before poorly done rationalist or logical apologetics, and they will be there long after their demise. And poorly done apologetics will do nothing to stem the threat of apostasy.

12. Reason 6 • From CARM: Sixth, another reason we need apologetics is because of the many false teachings out there. We agree with this purpose.

13. Reason 7 • From CARM: Seventh, the rise of immorality in America is a threat not only to society but also to Christianity. This is a serious issue because an immoral society cannot last long. The Barna Research group statistics show that 64% of adults and 83% of teenagers said moral truth depends on the situation that you are in. 19% of the adult population believes that "the whole idea of sin is outdated." 51% believe that "if a person is generally good, or does enough good, he will earn a place in Heaven." When a society's morals fail, the society fails. Just look at history and think of Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece or present day Enron, Watergate, and White House interns. Immorality seeps down into all areas of our culture. Consider this: In the New York Times, online, of May 12, 2002, in the article "With Games of Havoc, Men Will Be Boys," the author, Warren St. John, interviews some players of what he says is a very popular video game. One young man says, "What I like to do is get in the car and drive around and do drive-by shootings. You can haul someone out of their car and beat on them and steal their money and their car. It's kind of amusing that you have that ability." .

14. Reason 7: Critical Analysis Just exactly how does apologetics change this? Was any society better than it is today? Was politics any better when Christians ruled? There is no “rise in immorality”, it has always been there, sometimes more evident than other times. It will always be there. Apologetics is a meaningless influence upon corruption and immorality. In fact, historically when ever someone in political power feels a divine rulership or “i have the truth” mentality, those has been the darkest days of history. Apologetics would only compound that feeling. A purpose of Apologetics is to assuage the (supposed) effects of violent video games? Or any other social trend? Really?

15. Reason 8 From CARM: The eighth reason we need apologetics is because schools are not friendly to Christianity. My own experience in non-Christian schools was a strong awakening to the unprovoked hostility that exists in school, where the philosophy teachers, history teacher, and even the art teacher all took shots at Christianity. Don Feder in the Conservative Chronicle, in his article of Sept. 22, 1993, titled "Fighting Censorship, PAW Does it Its Way," said that in some junior high libraries, book titles included The Joy of Gay Sex and How to Make Love to a Single Woman. There is an impressions series for grades one to six which promote the New Age and the occult; a controversial drug education program called Quest, which tells students that they alone can decide whether or not it's OK to use drugs; as well as texts that direct students to fantasize about suicide, attack religion and undermine family authority.

16. Reason 8: Critical Analysis And how does apologetics accomplish this? Was education any better when there was more “friendliness to Christianity”? Was the Dark Ages better when Christians forbade the study of math and science? It's interesting that Matt Slick brings up the issues he does and ignores violent Christian groups (Westboro Baptist, and godhatesfags type groups) which is typical of Christian apologists to “give a pass” to folks that share a common or similar theology with them.

17. Reason 8: Critical Analysis (Continued) Why does he ignore the 30+ year epidemic of divorce in conservative/evangelical/Calvinist churches? Could his interests be for marketing and sales purposes rather than moral purposes? I am Christian, but I will not “give a pass” to anyone that puts themselves in the public as a teacher, apologist, or expert. Strong critical analysis needs to come from within the body of believers. Pointing out the weaknesses and failures of current apologetic methods helps the cause of Christ, and causes apologetics to become stronger.

18. Epilog: Col 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

19. For more Information: • WWW.CARMFALLACIES.COM • WWW.MATTSLICKFALLACIES.COM • WWW.WHYCARMSUCKS.COM