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or. “Methods of Defense”. Presented by. Eternal Answers Ministry www.EternalAnswersMinistry.org. Apologetic Tactics.

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  1. or “Methods of Defense” Presented by Eternal Answers Ministry www.EternalAnswersMinistry.org

  2. Apologetic Tactics "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.“ -1 Peter 3:15-16 - The Gospel is offensive enough; we need not add offense - Good Apologetic tact allows you to argue without being argumentative

  3. Proper Use of Apologetics Tactics are Powerful Tools for Steering the Conversation A. You do not need Greek or Hebrew to understand the Bible - You do not need "experts" or "gurus" - The plain surface message is understandable to even a child: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." -Romans 10:17

  4. Proper Use of Apologetics Tactics are Powerful Tools for Steering the Conversation A. You do not need Greek or Hebrew to understand the Bible - But the Bible has a depth to it such that with study comes deeper understanding “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” -Proverbs 25:2

  5. Proper Use of Apologetics Tactics are Powerful Tools for Steering the Conversation B. Natural theology assumes man's reason is sovereign - Man's will never reason to God - There are no atheists: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

  6. Proper Use of Apologetics Tactics are Powerful Tools for Steering the Conversation B. Natural theology assumes man's reason is sovereign - Man's will never reason to God - There are no atheists: “… Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

  7. Proper Use of Apologetics Tactics are Powerful Tools for Steering the Conversation B. Natural theology assumes man's reason is sovereign - Man's will never reason to God - There are no atheists: “… Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

  8. Proper Use of Apologetics Tactics are Powerful Tools for Steering the Conversation B. Natural theology assumes man's reason is sovereign - Man will never reason to God - There are no atheists: “… Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” -Romans 1:18-25, 32

  9. Proper Use of Apologetics Tactics are Powerful Tools for Steering the Conversation B. Natural theology assumes man's reason is sovereign - Romans 1 tells us all men know God but suppress the knowledge of His existence - Non-belief is never a matter of lack of knowledge or proper argument, it is a moral defect - All we can do is remove intellectual barriers, point out the dialectical tensions; we can never "prove God" nor should we try - Non-belief is not non-belief in God; as Greg Bahnsen once put it, "The non-believer believes in God; he just doesn't believe that he believes in God."

  10. Proper Use of Apologetics Fideism - exclusive reliance in religious matters upon faith, with consequent rejection of appeals to science or philosophy. - We are called to much more than this: “And [Jesus] answered saying, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” -Luke 10:27

  11. Proper Use of Apologetics Fideism - exclusive reliance in religious matters upon faith, with consequent rejection of appeals to science or philosophy. - We are called to much more than this: “Wherefore gird up the loins of thy mind, be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” -I Peter 1:13 = prepare your mind for action, be self-composed & self- controlled & be of one hope only that being in the revelation of Jesus as Christ.

  12. Proper Use of Apologetics Fideism - exclusive reliance in religious matters upon faith, with consequent rejection of appeals to science or philosophy. - Fideism is a lazy man’s religion & an abandonment of Biblical faith - If Jesus left us evidence, we are obligated to use it (500 people) - If God gives us evidence in the universe, we are obligated to use it - Seek COMMON ground; there is no such thing as NEUTRAL ground

  13. Tactics A. The “Columbo” Tactic Ask “just one more question” Ask “What do you mean by that?” Ask “How did you come to that conclusion?” Ask “How do you know?” Ask “Have you ever considered...?” Ask “What if you are wrong?” Ask “What would you accept as evidence?” - Good psychiatrists & counselors are taught this as a method of getting the patient to see his own problem for himself as opposed to just being told what the problem is, which is of very limited benefit

  14. Tactics B. Suicide Tactic - Exploit the weakness in many assertions to refute themselves and watch the view commit hare-karri Ask “Why not?” - “You shouldn't force your morality on anyone else” - “You shouldn't judge people” - “You shouldn't try to change other people's view (ie missionary)” - Why not? Aren't you trying to change mine?

  15. Tactics B. Suicide Tactic - Reducio ad absurdum - “All religions are true.” - That means Christianity is true which says that all other religions aren’t - Buddhism – “meditate & you will know you are nothing” - “How can nothing know what or who it is?”

  16. Tactics B. Suicide Tactic - Great for the Modified Choice assertion: - "I don't like abortion personally, but wouldn't force that on someone else." Ask “Why don’t you personally like it?”

  17. Tactics C. Taking the Roof Off - Adopt the other point of view for the sake of argument & demonstrate where it leads - Moral Relativism - Steal their stereo; say you need it more than they do - Nothing is real-(Eastern religions) - Take the money in their wallet - Everyone has their own morality “Don’t we call people who only recognize their own morality ‘sociopaths’?”

  18. Tactics C. Taking the Roof Off - Adopt the other point of view for the sake of argument & demonstrate where it leads - Minimalist Ethics "It doesn't hurt anyone" - What about dentists/doctors molesting unconscious patients? - Peeping Toms? - "I was born that way" - what about homophobia?

  19. Tactics C. Taking the Roof Off - Adopt the other point of view for the sake of argument & demonstrate where it leads - "The law of non-contradiction/laws of rationality isn't/aren’t true." - "So you think the law of non-contradiction is true." "no, laws of rationality aren't true." "then you're saying they do apply." etc etc

  20. Tactics C. Taking the Roof Off - Adopt the other point of view for the sake of argument & demonstrate where it leads - "The law of non-contradiction/laws of rationality isn't/aren’t true." Similar: "Language is just a convention not a function of reality." "So I'm not supposed to believe that statement is not real." "No, language can't really mean anything." "What is that supposed to mean?"

  21. Tactics D. Rhodes Scholar tactic - Used when people raise "experts" opinions - Why do "experts" say that? - does the why lead to the what - Cross-examine the "expert" - Jesus Seminar by scientific method claims there was no resurrection - they're not using scientific method but naturalistic assumptions used in science - no evidence, just presupositions

  22. Tactics D. Rhodes Scholar tactic - New Agers-Why believe the alien? - Gospels were written by Christians-so what? Are they wrong? - Cross-examine the "expert" - We, also, must be sure not to fall into this fallacy - ie sometimes information about the nature of homosexuality will be released by homosexual lobbies citing scientific studies - “That evidence was studied by homosexuals"

  23. Tactics D. Rhodes Scholar tactic - Cross-examine the "expert" - New Agers-Why believe the alien? - Gospels were written by Christians-so what? Are they wrong? - We, also, must be sure not to fall into this fallacy - So? Do homosexuals by nature do bad science? - This is the genetic fallacy-the information may or may not be accurate or well-founded, but that is determined by the nature of the science, not the nature of the scientist

  24. Tactics E. Just the Facts Ma'am (“Where’s the beef?”) - Substantiate assertions - “Religion has caused more bloodshed than anything else” - What makes you say that? (Columbo) - Guinness says 3 people caused more bloodshed than all others combined, all atheists enforcing atheistic systems: Stalin, Mao & Lenin - 100 million - The fact is that religion has done more than cause bloodshed, it has predicted it!

  25. Tactics E. Just the Facts Ma'am (“Where’s the beef?”) - Substantiate assertions - “The Bible has so many contradictions/versions etc” - Sufficient evidence? - Jehovah’s Witnesses & blood transfusion - Chariot’s of the gods - “Ark was electrically charged” because when Uzzah touched it he died - Does the text say electricity killed him? No

  26. Tactics E. Just the Facts Ma'am (“Where’s the beef?”) - Substantiate assertions - “The Bible has so many contradictions/versions etc” - Sufficient evidence? - Reincarnation was taken out of the Bible (Elizabeth Claire Prophet) - Where is the evidence for this? None exists! - Where is the evidence that it was ever in there to begin with?

  27. Tactics F. Anti-Steamroller - Defusing the overassertive person who likes to overwhelm you - Do not let them control the exchange - Three steps: 1. Put up your hand, stop them & negotiate an arrangement “Give me a second" “Do you want an answer?" “Is it OK to answer now? One at a time" “May take a minute...I'm almost done"

  28. Tactics F. Anti-Steamroller - Defusing the overassertive person who likes to overwhelm you - Do not let them control the exchange - Three steps: 2. Shame them "Oh! You just want to vent. OK, go ahead." "I'm sorry, I thought you wanted a conversation" 3. Leave them "no pearls before swine" (Matt 7:6)

  29. Practice! Practice! Practice! - Make mental notes of conversation for research later - Hold imaginary conversations, rehearsing the facts of your answer - Ask a friend to try their hardest to respond to your points, trying to find flaws in your argument

  30. Christ is not the question He is the answer!

  31. Eschatology Seminar! What does the Bible say about the End Times? April 5-7, 2012 Faith Bible Baptist Church 2063 Ocean Heights Ave., Egg Harbor Twp, NJ For more info, contact Lauren Conforti: 609-576-1211 questions@eternalanswersministry.org

  32. Eternal Answers Ministry http://www.EternalAnswersMinistry.org questions@EternalAnswersMinistry.org

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