Watch "Defeated atheist Walks Away (Presuppositional Apologetics)" on YouTube
Hi there! You haven't heard from me in a while. Sorry about that. Please watch this video as an example of how not to defend the gospel.
On the one hand, there is nothing this Christian apologist says that I disagree with. He skillfully exposes the flaws in the atheist's worldview. On the other hand, by the time the atheist angrily walks away he is no closer to accepting the gospel than he was before talking with the apologist. Perhaps he is even less likely now to repent and believe the gospel.
If the point was to show that the apologist's view of abortion and morality was more logically consistent than the atheist's view, then I suppose the apologist was successful. If the point was to lead the atheist to Christ, the apologist failed miserably. But is outfoxing atheists the primary goal of apologetics? No, the point of defending the gospel is to persuade atheists and other nonbelievers that Christianity is true. In reality, this Christian apologist failed as a defender of the gospel either way.
If we aren't defending Christian truth in a way that persuades others to follow Christ, we are wasting our time and energy on a fruitless endeavor. There are plentiful examples in the Bible of Jesus, the Apostles, and other saints intelligently proclaiming God's truth. While they did not persuade everyone, there is not a single case where they ended a debate with, "Well, I certainly made that guy look like an idiot, didn't I?"
The true purpose of Christian apologetics is to persuade others that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He died and rose again to save us from our sins. To use apologetics to show everyone how clever you are is actually very stupid.
"An argument in apologetics, when actually used in dialogue, is an extension of the arguer. The arguer's tone, sincerity, care, concern, listening, and respect matter as much as his or her logic - probably more. The world was won for Christ not by arguments but by sanctity: 'What you are speaks so loud, I can hardly hear what you say.'"
― Peter Kreeft
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