Apolgetics Secretly

[Cliff_Jumper]

Is it okay to do apologetics secretly? For example, teaching the Faith while remaining anonymous, as in keeping your identity secret? Just an interesting question I have been batting around in my head and I am curious to hear other people’s thoughts?

 

[DavidFilmer]

There are many reasons why an apologist might wish to defend the faith, but not reveal his actual identity. Years ago (back in 2005), I conducted a poll to ask why people on this forum use aliases. The poll gathered 215 votes, the significant majority of which (70 votes, 38.5%) voted “I don’t use an alias - my logon id is my real name”

Yet, in reading replies to the poll question, I find only a small handful (maybe five or so) people who actually responded under a userid that matched their real and full name. Some people seemed to think that their initials, or something like “JohnK” represented their “real” name. I have always posted everywhere (even in the usenet badlands) using my real name (which really is “David Filmer”) and I have not been very secretive about where I live (my CAF user profile says “Diocese of Portland,” which comprises about 1/3 of the state of Oregon (which is not very specific), but I have often said in many posts that I actually live in Portland, and you could find my address (and aerial and street-level views of my house) if you spend about 30 seconds using Google.

My brother (Eric Filmer) also posts here under his full and true name. And you can Google him as well (and probably find out more about him than you would find out about me).

But there is no reason why any author should be more (or less) credible if he/she chooses to write under a pseudonym. I do not claim to be any more credible simply because I publish under my own name. Complete idiots are perfectly free to publish under their own name (and I’m sure that some would say that I am a prime example).

 

[DavidFilmer]

Oh, and for what it’s worth, I know someone personally who is on this forum with some regularity. He is a devout priest, but does not make this fact widely known because he wants his posts to stand on their own merit, without invoking his priesthood.

 

[Cliff_Jumper]

That’s cool about the poster. I was thinking along this line because of the Matthew 6:1. I know what Matthew 6:1 means and that it does not necessarily entail being 100% secretive about all your good works, but it is an interesting idea.

 

[grannymh]

Is it okay to do apologetics secretly? For example, teaching the Faith while remaining anonymous, as in keeping your identity secret? Just an interesting question I have been batting around in my head and I am curious to hear other people’s thoughts?

Just curious. Where would one “do apologetics secretly”?

 

[ahs]

I kinda like to remain anonymous. My very first stab at apologetics (which flopped massively due to my ignorance) I named myself “a humble servant” (which is what my userID here stands for , “ahs”). I told myself it was to avoid pride and trying to gain recognition for my “good” work. Yeah, right…it was because I was afraid, plain and simple.

But now I use it to remind myself that it isn’t me (Dave) that is giving a message. It is a humble servant of God who is simply doing his best to speak Truth. And if I say something that makes someone take a moment to reflect and have an “oh, now I get it” moment…it isn’t “Dave’s” message that did that…it is just some servant doing his best to give God’s message. At the same time, I have noticed that most people I speak with will give more attention to a real person than they will a “user ID”. So I do let my real name out of the bag now and then. (It’s Dave Manthei…and if you google me, I’m NOT the sports enthusiast from Colorado…I’m the plain-ol fella in Texas. )

 

[Cliff_Jumper]

Just curious. Where would one “do apologetics secretly”?

Online for instance.

 

[grannymh]

Online for instance.

I thought you would say on line; however being totally new to any kind of forum, I needed reassurance.

granny is my name. Daughter who was giving birth to my first grannychild, named me after the granny in the Beverly Hillbillies TV comedy. She saw a resemblance.

 

[Cliff_Jumper]

I thought you would say on line; however being totally new to any kind of forum, I needed reassurance.

granny is my name. Daughter who was giving birth to my first grannychild, named me after the granny in the Beverly Hillbillies TV comedy. She saw a resemblance.

It’s cool. Well I go by Cliffjumper after the transformer or Spider-Man.

 

[EricFilmer]

Is it okay to do apologetics secretly? For example, teaching the Faith while remaining anonymous, as in keeping your identity secret? Just an interesting question I have been batting around in my head and I am curious to hear other people’s thoughts?

It’s cool. Well I go by Cliffjumper after the transformer or Spider-Man.

Sounds good, Cliff Jumper. Contrary to what I (and my brother, DavidFilmer) have done, the CAF Forum Rules suggests doing exactly what you did:
“We recommend that you use a nickname or pseudonym, and not your real name.”