Beer Mat Apologetics: Five Principles of Sharing our Faith
We’ve all been there. The conversation is flowing, everyone is engaging, and things are moving along, well, nicely.
But then a question threatens to derail the conversation or stop things dead in their tracks. When sharing our faith with our friends, our colleagues, or our family, it’s helpful to have a few things in mind to keep the conversation on the rails and avoid the traps. Here are some top tips for defeating the defeaters to help you to share your faith more effectively.
1. Answer The Question
It may seem obvious, but when a question is asked, we should do our best to address it directly.
Yes, there may be a question behind the question etc. but taking the time to answer the question being asked shows consideration for the questioner and a willingness to engage with the topic on the table.
This may mean doing some research, reading a few books, and involve us saying, “I don’t know, but let me do some research and get back to you.”
Many people see a huge credibility gap within Christianity. Let’s make sure we’re doing our part to present the case for our hope (1 Peter 3:15) in a straightforward and clear manner, treating the question – and by association the questioner – with the respect they deserve.
2. Recycle The Argument
The philosopher A. C. Grayling would have us believe the many people believe in God for psychological reasons, that belief in God is akin to believing in fairies.
We’ve looked at this argument before on this blog and have seen that this can be argued both ways. That is, people may believe in God for psychological reasons or likewise they may not believe in God for psychological reasons.
This argument may appear at first glance to pose a problem, but when we examine it, we realise that the very same argument may be employed to defeat the objection.
Recycling: good for the planet, good for the apologist.
3. Ask The Question: ‘Who’s asking?’
You may have heard the Indian story of the blind men and the elephant. The story depicts a room with an elephant in it and some blind men. These men can feel a certain part of the elephant and from that the try to describe to each other what they feel.
One man has a leg and thinks he has a pillar. One has the side and is convinced it’s a wall. Another has the tail and believes it to be a rope. Yet another has the ear and mistakes it for a fan, and, finally, another man things the tusk is a stone.
This illustration may be used someone in attempt to demonstrate that the many faiths/truth claims of the world are like this room with the elephant and the men. We are told that we each have a grasp on some aspect of the truth, but we are only feeling a part of the truth. In this view, Christianity may be, perhaps, the ear, but it’s not the whole thing.
But wait just a minute. We haven’t been told the whole story. We have left one person out of the account, namely the narrator. For this story to be retold we must have an observer who can see the whole picture! And if the narrator possesses the whole truth then what is the story really saying?
4. Applicable To All
William Lane Craig has said that the problem of pain and suffering is,“undoubtedly the greatest intellectual obstacle to belief in God.”
This particular questions poses a great challenge (and I believe a great opportunity) for the Christian. It’s a problem to be wrestled with, thought much of, and answered slowly and carefully.
But it’s also a question that every worldview must answer. The challenge is not unique to the Christian but common to everyone, everywhere. It’s not so much of a guided missile aimed at our camp as an asteroid headed for the planet.
Christianity has good answers to offer to everyone who ponder this question and when seen in this light we can move towards commending Christianity to our friends, and away from just defending it. Reframing the question leads us to talk about the benefits of the answers and gets us towards Jesus.
5. Point To Jesus
Talking of Jesus … There may be times that you feel that the conversation is getting away from you. That the carefully crafted route that you hold in your mind is not going exactly to plan. Thoughts have fallen into a hole and are continuing to burrow with greater speed than repressed men in need of beer.
It’s at times like these that it’s good to remember why we’re even in conversation in the first place. Put simply, it’s all about Jesus. We can talk/discuss/argue about philosophical/historical/theological points and these are good. But the goal of all of these is to clear the way to talk about Jesus.
The Apostle Paul said that, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” (1 Cor. 15:14) If Jesus really lived, really died, and was really raised to life, then that’s a game changer.
Meeting Jesus was the changing point of our lives. In our efforts to proclaim His name let’s make sure we’re talking about him a whole lot.
These notes are from the talk ‘Beer Mat Apologetics’. Drop the Demolition Squad a line if you would like us to speak at one of your events.
Our family had on Thursday stumble accross the issue and thank God because He was in control. Sometimes out egos gets the better of us leaving Jesus out of the picture.
Thanks for the comment Frank!
Hi Jonathan. This reads as a way to win an argument rather than a way to lead people to their Saviour, which is interesting to me at least.
Would it be ok to ask some questions here in the comments so you can show how best to use these techniques?
Hi Tom – thanks for the comment, and thanks for asking about the questions. I’d be really happy to discuss things in this area and open a dialogue on this.
Hi Jonathan.
Sorry, I didn’t get a notification you’d replied – I must have made a typo in my email address.
Here is my question: Who decided that Jesus had to be killed, and why?
The answer ‘to fulfill scripture’ doesn’t work, because God wrote/inspired that. And the answer ‘so our sins could be forgiven’ doesn’t work either because, being all-powerful, God could forgive our sins anyway.
My question is, if God is all-powerful, Jeus’ death can’t have been required by anyone or anything else, so it must have been either required by God or desired by God.
So why would God choose to – or be in a position where he has to – kill his own son?
Cheers, Tom.
Hi Tom – sorry for the late reply. That’s a great question! Would it be OK if I replied in the form or a new post on this subject? Then perhaps we can discuss that question in further depth in the comments.
Hi Jonathan – missed your replies again. Perhaps I should register to get notifications 🙂
Anyway, I’ve posted in the comments on your new post. Thanks. Tom.
Hi Tom – I’ve started a new blog on this topic: Why Did God Have To Die?
Thanks again for the comment 🙂
Your god was dead?
How can an immortal being die?
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‘But it’s also a question that every worldview must answer. The challenge is not unique to the Christian but common to everyone, everywhere.’
No, the problem of evil is not a problem if you don’t believe there is a Heavenly Father who loves his children.
Neither is it a problem if you believe in a Heavenly Joseph Fritzl.
It is only a problem if you believe in the Christian god – the one who crosses by on the other side when his children are begging him for help.
Hi Steven,
I would suggest that the existential reality of pain and suffering is a real problem to all people. That is, it’s a problem that humanity faces, not one that a religion faces. All people face the reality of the existence of pain and suffering.
Different religions attempt to provide an answer to this challenge – loss of meaning, why pain and suffering exist in the first place etc.
In the person of Jesus we see the problem diagnosed as well as a solution offered. Other viewpoints may offer coping mechanisms, Jesus offers a real hope.
Thanks for your comment.
Pain and suffering are real problems.
Only reality tells us why pain and suffering exist in the first place.
it is not because the Christian god decided , for example, to make childbirth painful to punish women because Eve disobeyed one of his commands
Isn’t Jesus the one who appointed 12 fishermen and tax collectors to help him judge the 12 Tribes of Israel after they had risen from the grave?
Does that sound like a sensible thing to do?
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“Christianity may be, perhaps, the ear, but it’s not the whole thing.” can you explain this more please. Reads to me like all faiths lead to the truth. Is this what you meant?
Hi Graham – no, this isn’t what I meant! I was stating the point from the side of someone who would believe that all religions hold part of the same truth. But Christianity wouldn’t posit this view. Thanks for the comment!
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