An insight about apologetics

[DL82]

I recently had the chance to witness to my faith to some Muslims, and one Muslim man gave me a whole library of DVD talks on Islam and Christianity, which I am still working through prayerfully so as to construct a Christian response for him. (Most of the tapes, ironically, only point out the errors of Bible-only protestantism, which he will be surprised to learn I tend to agree with.)

Anyway, it occurred to me when talking to this guy that it’s highly unlikely that I will ever convince him to become Catholic (though with God all things are possible), nor will he convince me to become a Muslim.

And again, that got me thinking of the lengthy exchanges between St Thomas Aquinas and the Muslim theologian Averroes. Neither of them convinced the other, and in fact, the dialogue probably only served to make Aquinas a stronger Christian and Averroes a more committed Muslim. All the same, when two apologists clash horns like that, the light it generates helps other people to re-consider their own faith.

So, in summary, an apologist who engages in a debate with another apologist engages in a profoundly selfless act, because he hopes to influence those who hear the debate, even though he knows in humility that the debate will almost certainly end in stalemate for himself and his opponent.

 

[MichaelMurphy]

On Muslims:
Let the dead bury their own dead.
The Muslim heathen doesn’t wish to open his heart to the truth because he is boxed in by his own false beliefs and spiritual pride.
Better to spend our precious energy and time helping the lame to walk, because they’re TRYING to get up.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

It is my experience from going to debates by church of christ pastors that not even the listeners change their mind. Those who were whatever before the debate are the same after the debate.

 

[MIZER]

Danial Marsh,

I agree with you although I think we may be a victim of cynisism.

It is my experience from going to debates by church of christ pastors that not even the listeners change their mind. Those who were whatever before the debate are the same after the debate

I think the only people who change are those who get it into their own head on their own (with the help of the Holy Spirit of course) to start asking questions about what they already believe. I don’t think we change the minds of anyone who is steadfast in their current faith tradition, through these debates. I do think the "lurkers’ as they are called, may come to some knowlege of the truth but only if they were open-mindedly seeking it in the first place and only if they have it in their mind already that they may not currently posses it. Know what I mean?