Different approach to apologetics

Faith & Science Conversation
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Having been an atheist and being a psychiatrist, I was always impressed by Freud. In psychoanalytic school I had the opportunity to read this great scientist. Before WW2, someone had the idea of how to prevent the war and they thought that if they could get the two greatest geniuses of the 20th Century to write each other that might shed some light. Freud wrote to Einstein. His letter is in his collected works, “Why war”. Logic, arguments, psychoanalysis and apologetics share a common root.

I think God woos us, like a bridegroom woos his bride before they are married. He does it in various ways. For me it included apologetics. CS Lewis Mere Christianity was a start, even more impressive though was The Great Divorce. Apologetics are there.

Just a few other thoughts on Apologetics. I do not want to believe in God. I was sufficiently happy without God in my life- but I do love science having gone to a science HS in NYC and becoming a physician, Science is a pursuit of the truth. If there is no God, I want to know it- if there is a God, I want to know that. One of my favorite scenes in the Bible is Jesus in front of Pilate. Pilate is a little freaked out. His wife tells him to have nothing to do with ‘this just man’ and the religious leaders will be satisfied with nothing less than his death. Pilate probably has heard the stories, a miracle worker, ‘the son of God’. He asks Jesus, “Why did you come?” and Jesus replies, “I came to bring truth” I love that. Pilate probably shakes his head and says, “What is truth?”

Apologetics, even bad apologetics is just that- a search for the truth- which is at the heart of science. One other physician, recently passed away wrote a number of books. He was a Muslim evangelist. Trying to use apologetics to convince Christians to turn from their blasphemy. He attributes his conversion to two things, the arguments (apologetics) of a close friend and his friend’s love.

For me, truth and love go together. I do believe God has planted a search for the truth in the human heart. There are things that block that search. Jesus talks about in the parable of the four soils- but there are many other things, probably the worst is pride. One has to get small to see God.

That book, if you have never read it “Seeking Allah Finding Jesus” was wonderful. Nabeel Qureshi had a website which had outstanding Islamic scholars and Christians in a respectful debate forum.

Some of my Christian friends don’t understand why I pray for my friends who don’t know the Lord. Yet, if you truly love someone - how can you not be concerned for their souls? Jesus put it this way, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul and what can a man give in exchange for his soul.”

So these two things, a tireless search for truth and the willingness to love, even to the point of sacrifice is for me, the foundation of apologetics.

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Interesting observations – I used to listen to Christian hip-hop a lot, maybe 15-20 years ago, and some of it has held up for me, but a lot has not – some of it feels polemical (which is also the case for some of the hard rock and other groups that took a didactic approach), as well as dated (which I guess is a risk for any form of music that frequently uses pop culture references).

I was reading recently about a member of the group Cross Movement (Phanatik), who renounced his faith not that long ago. It sounds like he started studying at a seminary and came up against questions that didn’t make sense and it fell apart from there. Which is unfortunate, but seems to fit with the starkness of these kinds of apologetics, as you imply – either you’re 100% “in” or 100% “out,” with little room for anyone who experiences a faith shift or has questions they can’t answer.

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He probably did not say it in Latin, but I think this is cool:

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Oh cool! Who are some of your favorite groups from that time period? That was around the same time I was more into it (and doing it myself!).

Yeah, I read about Phanatik. That’s exactly the kind of thing I worry (not exactly the right word) about with the strict apologetics scene. I wonder how many people like Phanatik would have stuck around if they were given some grace for having different views? I have very much come to a peace about my deconstruction and it’s made my faith a lot easier for me to handle. When I come up against a hard question I don’t have to cast it away because it’s not essential to my faith. Back in the day when I was more into this stuff I would have had a major crisis and wondered if I was a Christian anymore.

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Some of my favorites were Grits and Knowdaverbs (who later changed his name to Verbs), but I also had CDs from DJ Maj, KJ-52, and a few others.

I’m glad you’ve been able to come to that point! I think I have for myself, but how to navigate that within a more fundamentalist atmosphere is still a challenge.

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Nice! KJ is a friend of mine - he lives down here in Florida near my dad. It’s a really small world honestly! I miss those days when CHH was experimenting a lot with different sounds.

I’m definitely still in a fundamental atmosphere. Luckily, I haven’t encountered too many people upset about my “controversial” views. I’m sure some people feel uncomfortable but they don’t say it! :slight_smile: I try to keep my thoughts to myself unless someone asks me. I won’t lie - but I definitely don’t try to rock the boat unless I feel safe.

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In my teens while still in the church me and my friends would listen to Stryper and DC Talk. Dates me a bit, I guess.

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That’s so cool! :exploding_head:

I used to listen to DC Talk too – right before they broke up.

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