Apologetics as Evangelism

Filed under: Apologetics — Barry Carey at 2:41 am on Saturday, August 26, 2006

It is thought by some that apologetics might be of some value in solidifying the faith of one who already believes, but is of little value in evangelizing unbelievers. It has occurred to me that there are some who could care less about the truth value of what they believe. They believe what they believe because it makes them feel good. It meets some need in their life. This, by the way, is not only true for Christians, but for non-Christians as well. There are others, however, who are concerned with truth. They have intellectual issues with the claims of Christianity, often due to some basic misunderstanding of Christian claims. Perhaps, they have failed to investigate fully those claims.

I say this to direct your attention to a friend of mine, Nabeel, who was a former Muslim who became a Christian through apologetics. His testimony is here. As a Muslim youth, he was strongly interested in Islamic apologetics and gave himself to defending Islam. When he was confronted with the claims of Christianity, he realized that both could not be true. A Christian friend was able to present a rational defense of the Christian faith and Nabeel embraced the truth of Christianity. He and his friend, David, have their own website, Anastasis Apologetics, dedicated to presenting the evidence for the Christian worldview

3 Comments »

Comment by Jonathan

August 27, 2006 @ 5:17 pm

I’ve been struggling with the fact that many people don’t need an intellectual explanation for their beliefs. I honestly still think it’s stupid to not at least quesiton what you believe and how logical it is at some point. I’m finally starting to realize that some people only need ‘feeling’ in order to believe (not sure how I feel about that because I think alot of the problems with some denominations are based around that idea of a quick ‘feeling’ being the spirit of god… pentecostals to be more specific).
I just don’t feel that I can discuss anything on a ‘philisophical’ level (or deeper issues) with anyone (at my particular church) because they are basing they’re beliefs on what they’ve heard and the feeling they get at church (which are equally important things as well I guess).

I’ve also been wanting to see some christianity->

Comment by Barry Carey

August 31, 2006 @ 1:14 pm

Jon, The intellectual life of a Christian has definitely been neglected in Pentecostal churches. Being Pentecostal does not necessitate this. There is a fear among some leaders that if their members are encouraged to think, some of their distinctive beliefs may be rejected. Truth need not fear scrutiny. I encourage you to use your mind for the glory of God. Make a difference in people you know by challenging them to grow in their worship of God with all their mind.

Comment by Aaron Snell

September 2, 2006 @ 12:27 am

Good post, Barry. Jonathan, for an understanding of why many people today “only need feeling in order to believe” read Nancy Pearcey’s excellent book “Total Truth.” Her analysis (a sort of updated version of Francis Schaeffer’s) is spot on and will revolutionize how you look at the modern world from an ideological standpoint, as well having some very practical implication in how you live your life and relate to others around you. And don’t become frustrated! I can understand how you feel in the church environment you find yourself. I second Barry’s encouragement - be an influence in your own sphere for the life of a mind for God. Blessings.

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