Apologetics for the rest of us

4. ‘Defeating Defeaters’ – Common questions in Apologetics Defeaters are those well-known ‘stumbling block’ beliefs that stop people considering seriously the claims of Christ. In this final session we will look at the best ways to tackle these head on.

Introduction  Cultural ‘plausibility structures’ A plausibility structure is a web of beliefs that are so embedded in the hearts and minds of the bulk of a society that people hold them either unconsciously or so firmly that the never think to ask if they are true. In short, a plausibility structure is a worldview of a society, the heart of a community…One of the main functions of a plausibility structure is to provide the background of beliefs that makes arguments easy or hard to accept. (Sire, Naming the Elephant, p. 112.)

 ‘Defeater Beliefs’ = Belief-A is true so belief B cannot be Remember - Doubts are beliefs: Our purpose with these defeaters or doubts is not to ‘answer’ them or ‘refute’ them but to deconstruct them. That is, to “show that they are not as solid or an natural as they first appear” (Kevin Vanhoozer). It is important to show that all doubts and decisions to Christianity are really alternate beliefs and faith-acts about the world. (if you say, “I just can’t believe there is only one true religion” – that is faith-act. You can’t prove that.). And when you see your doubts are really beliefs, and when you require the same amount of evidence for them that you are asking of Christian beliefs, then it becomes evident many of them are very weak and largely adopted because of cultural pleasure. (Keller, Deconstructing Defeater Beliefs)

- saying that we don’t know is not admitting defeat - defeaters are culture specific - however slowly always be trying to steer towards Jesus: who he is, what he has done, and what he calls us to do. A. Defeaters about the Bible  The challenge 

The nature of the challenges - not untrue, unreliable, irrelevant, ignorant - MUSA

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The nature of our response to the challenges:

impact:

“Therefore, today’s apologetics should encourage literacy before defending historicity. We must challenge people by asking, “Why don’t you read it?” more than, “Why don’t you believe it?” .....”The sooner we declare what the Bible says rather than defend how the Bible says it, the more powerful our case will be.” (Randy Newman)

1. The authority challenge 2. The historical challenge 3. The cultural challenge 4. The relevance challenge 1|P a g e

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Apologetics for the rest of us

1. The authority challenge: “It’s a Word from another world” If a personal God exists don’t you think it is reasonable that he would speak to us in an authoritative way? That it would be verbal? That it would be written down?

2. The historical challenge: “It’s Gospel ” e.g. Keller: The timing is far too early for the gospels to be legends The content is far too counterproductive for the gospels to be legends The literary form of the gospel is too detailed to be legend “I have been reading poems, romances, vision literature, legends and myths all my life. I know what they are like. I know none of them are like this. Of this text there are only two possible views. Either this is reportage..or else, some unknown ancient writer…without known predecessors or successors, suddenly anticipated the whole technique of modern novelistic, realistic narrative” (C.S. Lewis) “What comes across is the stubborn stenographic tenacity, the dull disinclination to break with routine. The Bible writers were only too happy to repeat themselves. They would be perfect in the witness box, ideal as court reporters – dreadful as screenwriters, awful as novelists.” (Steve Hays)

3. The cultural challenge: “It’s timelessly unfashionable”  The Bible as timelessly unfashionable  A Stepford god or a personal relationship?

4. The relevance challenge: “It’s the most precious gift this word affords”

 The ‘messiness’ of the Bible  The impact of the Bible its cultural impact:  Law  Science  Economic growth  Social transformation its personal impact  The content of the Bible - “it’s all about Jesus”

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Apologetics for the rest of us B. Defeaters about religion All religions are as bad as each other (intolerant, self-righteousness, arrogant) An overall argumentative strategy together with individual arguments: 1. ‘Religion’ can easily produce intolerance and division 2. You can’t get rid of ‘religion’ – we are all ‘religious’ and all make ‘exclusive’ claims 3. Only Jesus can save us from our ‘religion.’ It is the exclusive claims of Christianity that gives us the world we all want. 1. ‘Religion’ easily produces intolerance and division

Tactic – Q: If ‘religion’ is such a problem, what should we do with it?

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Do away with religion…..

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Dilute religion……

Option 1: The Pluralist Answer…bring all religions in (Basically religions are good things!)  Religions are all valid aspects of one truth.  Religions are a product of social conditioning and so can’t make absolute claims The Story of the Blind Man and the Elephant Once upon a time there were six blind men. They lived in a town in India. They thought they were very clever. One day an elephant came into the town. The blind men did not know what an elephant looked like but they could smell it and they could hear it. 'What is this animal like?' they said. Each man touched a different part of the elephant. The first man touched the elephant's body. It felt hard, big and wide. 'An elephant is like a wall' he said. The second man touched one of the elephant's tusks. It felt smooth and hard and sharp. 'An elephant is like a spear' he said. The third man touched the elephant's trunk. It felt long and thin and wiggly. 'An elephant is like a snake' he said. The fourth man touched on of the legs. It felt thick and rough and hard and round. 'An elephant is like a tree' he said. The fifth man touched one of the elephant's ears. It felt thin and it moved. 'An elephant is like a fan' he said. The sixth man touched the elephant's tail. It felt long and thin and strong. 'An elephant is like a rope' he said. The men argued. It's like a wall! No, it isn't! It's like a spear! No it isn't! It's like a snake! They did not agree. The king had been watching and listening to the men. 'You are not very clever. You only touched part of the elephant. You did not feel the whole animal. An elephant is not like a wall or a spear or a snake, or a tree or a fan or a rope'. The men left the town still arguing.

but…..  what looks like an inclusive view is very exclusive  what looks like a humble view is a very arrogant view  what looks like a tolerant view is in fact intolerant. Relativity relativizes itself: Q: “If you were born in Morocco you wouldn’t even be a Christian” A: “That’s probably right. Are you telling me that therefore Christianity can’t be true? If you were born in Morocco you wouldn’t be a religious relativist. Does that mean what you are saying isn’t true?”

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Apologetics for the rest of us Option 2: The Secularist Answer…keep all religions out (Basically Religions are bad things)

Tactic – Q: Why do you believe that justice, freedom, human dignity and flourishing are good things? Where do get your ‘ought’ and ‘should’ from? Try and steer away from using terms like ‘faith’ and ‘religion’ but maybe speak of ‘cherished beliefs’ or ‘ultimate commitments.’

Question: Given that we are all exclusive, which set of exclusive beliefs produces peaceful, loving, reconciling behaviour which can give us hope in a hope-less world? (Keller) Answer: the unique good news of Christianity 1 John 4:1-12:  

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origin of Jesus’ salvation – ‘come from God’ - somewhere else – other religions, human founder - God himself purpose of Jesus’ salvation – ‘come in the flesh’ – transformation – liberation – escape – redeem this world – get rid of what is wrong with the world. Christianity gives hope for ‘this’ world – what salvation method of Jesus’ salvation – ‘not that we loved God but that he loved us’ in other religions – perform the truth – can’t do it – v. 10 Christian method opposite – Jesus is not mainly a teacher, but a saviour –

Christians know they are not saved because they are good – they are to be humble (not about performance) Christians know they are to serve others because God’s creation matters (resurrection shows this) Christians know that a self-sacrificing God must lead to self-sacrificing followers. (not self-righteous)

3. Defeaters about inclusivity and sexuality 

The ‘post- rational’ nature of this defeater

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Freedom, inclusivity, tolerance and love are slippery concepts

Six bases we need to be covering…… e.g. Keller at Oxford Mission 1. always called to love 2. disagreement does not mean judging 3. the Bible’s clear sexual ethic

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Apologetics for the rest of us 4. Do not let your sexuality destroy your objectivity. 5. becoming a Christian shifts and in so doing relativizes your primary identity from ‘x’ to Christ 6. your sexual desires are more malleable than you are being led to be believe

Conclusion I paused last eve before the blacksmith’s door, And heard the anvil ring, the vesper’s chime, And looking in upon the floor Old hammers, worn with beating years of time. “How many anvils have you had?” said I, “to wear and batter all these hammers so?” “Just one” he answered. Then with twinkling eye: “The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.” And so, I thought, the anvil of God’s Word For ages skeptics’ blows have beat upon, But thought the falling blows was heard, The anvil is unchanged, the hammers gone. (John Clifford)

“All men are like grass, And all their glory is like the flowers of the field; The grass withers and the flowers fall, But the word of the Lord stands forever “ (1 Pet. 1:24-25a)

Tim Keller, The Reason for God (Hodder, 2008) ---------------‘How can there be just one religion?’ http://www.bethinking.org/truthtolerance/intermediate/exclusivity-how-can-there-be-just-one-true-religion.htm ‘Defeaters’ http://www.case.edu.au/images/uploads/03_pdfs/keller-deconstructing-defeater.pdf Keller at Oxford mission, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_evDnWpkG9Y Koukl, Gregory. Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (Zondervan, 2009) Randy Newman, Questioning Evangelism (Kregal, 2004) Lennox, John. God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God (Lion Publishing, 2009)

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