Is Internet apologetics as stupid as it sounds?

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XndrK

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One of my hobbies is doing apologetics on Internet news/blog comboxes. It keeps me sharp on my points and lets me link to others’ stuff (which is surprisingly handy), and it’s a lot easier than actually arranging a meeting, but at the same time, it’s so impersonal that I feel that it’s a waste of time.

Is it?
 
There is difference between the ‘real’ world and the internet. But, I don’t think it is stupid. It is just one more method of communication. But I agree that sometimes it feels like it is pointless when are conversing with someone who is not interested in what you have to say or is hardened to your message. Now, in my experience it is much more convenient to use the Internet. In the’real’ world things are more ‘messy’.😉

Personally,I think I communicate better in writing. It is much more difficult to discuss these things face to face, especially when I have a hard time remembering complex concepts while speaking.

However, in both situations I have felt the Lord using me. But when in person there is the personal connection that is there. But on the internet you have conversations with people whom you probably would never meet otherwise.

I use to do more ‘internet apologetics’. But, There are some sites that seem pointless. But I find this site to be valuable for learning and sharing knowledge with people. You are not being’attacked’ so much on this site. So you can be less defensive and more about exploring concepts and ideas. No one knows everything and we are all learning. This is a good site since it is Catholic with similarly minded people.
 
I think you could end up dancing around the line of “trolling”.
 
XndrK said:
One of my hobbies is doing apologetics on Internet news/blog comboxes. It keeps me sharp on my points and lets me link to others’ stuff (which is surprisingly handy), and it’s a lot easier than actually arranging a meeting, but at the same time, it’s so impersonal that I feel that it’s a waste of time.

Is it?
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If the whole effort of everyone on these forums combined results in the salvation of a single soul, it will have all been worth it. Even if it doesn’t, we are still engaged in one of the spiritual acts of mercy, which is good for our souls. So no, not stupid. Ineffective sometimes, sure, but still a good pursuit.
 
XndrK said:
One of my hobbies is doing apologetics on Internet news/blog comboxes. It keeps me sharp on my points and lets me link to others’ stuff (which is surprisingly handy), and it’s a lot easier than actually arranging a meeting, but at the same time, it’s so impersonal that I feel that it’s a waste of time.

Is it?
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It’s not a waste of time so long as it’s somewhere that gets noticed.
 
It doesn’t sound fruitful to do apologetics with a person who is convinced he is right, and just knocks down what you say.

For discussing differences in beliefs, it is important to pray much for the person you are having the discussion with and for one’s self to be able to discuss in love and peace.

I believe if I pray to become more like Jesus than others will be interested in the faith.
 
I think good, sound apologetics online isn’t a waste of time. It may or may not help the person you are debating, but it might help a future reader

Just don’t stoop to the low level of many commenters.

God Bless
 
I think it’s a good idea. I’ve posted in other threads about the arguments I’ve had with atheist friends on Facebook. I may not have changed minds but they’ve reduced or toned down their rhetoric as a result.
 
If you have a thick enough skin to deal with the trolls - and not turn into one! 😃 then it’s not stupid or pointless. Thoughtfully worded responses, reference links to back up your points, and always, always prayer. I had to “Let Go and Let God” on Facebook in many instances, though. Drama is what’s pointless, IMO.
 
I do the same thing. I mostly inhabit Facebook, and once in a while I “adopt” a page to like and evangelize to the denizens there. Currently I’m working on “The New Civil Rights Movement”, a homosexualist agenda news aggregator.

I feel that the Church needs people like you, people willing to step into the breach and go where angels fear to tread. This includes the neglected atheist liberal secularist echo chambers where no self-respecting Catholic would be caught dead. Someone needs to be a “voice in the wilderness” to represent the Truth to people who have obviously heard many lies in their lifetimes.

It is unforgiving, and people can be heartless and vicious, and sometimes it feels like you’re not getting anywhere. But like any evangelization in hostile territory, sometimes there are glimmers of hope.

I consider every online contact, every in-person encounter, every meeting of the minds to be a fertile opportunity for evangelization. We should be proclaiming the Gospel to everyone we meet, especially the people who may be the most hostile to the message. We should be preaching without words, of course, in leading our lives righteously and blamelessly, but we should also be using words where necessary. Proclaim the kerygma every chance you get and it will eventually bear great fruit, if not in their hearts, in our own.
 
I personally like sitting face to face and looking into the topics together, but the online communications allow for food research into the topics spread out over greater time. No waste of time if you’re both learning.
 
XndrK said:
One of my hobbies is doing apologetics on Internet news/blog comboxes. It keeps me sharp on my points and lets me link to others’ stuff (which is surprisingly handy), and it’s a lot easier than actually arranging a meeting, but at the same time, it’s so impersonal that I feel that it’s a waste of time.

Is it?
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No it’s good because there are other people read it that you don’t see who learn things.
 
XndrK said:
One of my hobbies is doing apologetics on Internet news/blog comboxes. It keeps me sharp on my points and lets me link to others’ stuff (which is surprisingly handy), and it’s a lot easier than actually arranging a meeting, but at the same time, it’s so impersonal that I feel that it’s a waste of time.

Is it?
Click to expand...
Proclaiming Christ is never a waste of time. We may never see the fruit of our apologetics, this side of heaven (harvest time), but planting or watering seeds is never a waste of time. Keep on planting and watering. One never knows what little seed might germinate in one’s mind with time.
 
Dorothy said:
It doesn’t sound fruitful to do apologetics with a person who is convinced he is right, and just knocks down what you say.
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I think it is good even if the other person is adamant in their position. Many people have never been confronted with a strong Catholic Christian point of view.

Somewhere down the line your points may rise to the top. After all Catholics should always be seekers of the truth no matter where it comes from. Opinions come and go but the truth is eternal. Jesus Christ is the way, the “truth” and the life.

God bless.
 
XndrK said:
One of my hobbies is doing apologetics on Internet news/blog comboxes. It keeps me sharp on my points and lets me link to others’ stuff (which is surprisingly handy), and it’s a lot easier than actually arranging a meeting, but at the same time, it’s so impersonal that I feel that it’s a waste of time.

Is it?
Click to expand...
On the internet one never knows who a response will ultimately reach. It’s not just to the one we’re directly responding to. These responses reach the entire internet. Which means anyone speaking English, and can read, can read the response. Maybe one’s cogent answer to a provocative question, is all that another curious reader somewhere on this planet, needed. We just don’t know. Having said that, I am absolutely sure this is not a waste of time, providing one gives or can give, qualified evidence for their answers.

Besides, apologetics is scripturally based.

1 Peter 3:15 but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. *Always be prepared to make a defense *ἀπολογίαν apologia ] to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence;
 
Internet apologetics and this website is how I ended up caring about Catholicism. 👍
 
Elizium23 said:
I do the same thing. I mostly inhabit Facebook, and once in a while I “adopt” a page to like and evangelize to the denizens there. Currently I’m working on “The New Civil Rights Movement”, a homosexualist agenda news aggregator.

I feel that the Church needs people like you, people willing to step into the breach and go where angels fear to tread. This includes the neglected atheist liberal secularist echo chambers where no self-respecting Catholic would be caught dead. Someone needs to be a “voice in the wilderness” to represent the Truth to people who have obviously heard many lies in their lifetimes.

It is unforgiving, and people can be heartless and vicious, and sometimes it feels like you’re not getting anywhere. But like any evangelization in hostile territory, sometimes there are glimmers of hope.

I consider every online contact, every in-person encounter, every meeting of the minds to be a fertile opportunity for evangelization. We should be proclaiming the Gospel to everyone we meet, especially the people who may be the most hostile to the message. We should be preaching without words, of course, in leading our lives righteously and blamelessly, but we should also be using words where necessary. Proclaim the kerygma every chance you get and it will eventually bear great fruit, if not in their hearts, in our own.
Click to expand...
👍 to the whole post, but I’m interested in something in particular.

Is Into the Breach just Diocese of Phoenix? Because if I can implement this (the youth conference especially) in my home diocese (OH NO! Everybody knows I don’t live in Phoenix now! There’s a chink in the armor of my Internet anonymity! :p), that would be great.
 
Internet apologetics are what led me to convert to the Catholic faith in the first place. Because the Catholics in my life were either too unknowledgeable or too polite to be apologists.
 
Apologetics have there place and can be fun and even fruitful. But, I found in my own life apologetics is not enough. I need something deeper than just arguments for the faith. Something is missing if we are just focused on apologetics. After awhile I found myself finding apologetics feeling empty and shallow. I wanted more. I wanted to go deeper. Deeper into my walk with Christ, deeper into my faith and spirituality. That is the journey I find myself on now. Praying is an important part of my life. I need to pray every day or I feel like something is missing. One doesn’t just want to have arguments for God’s existence,but to have God himself. I like to learn and that will probably never change. Having canned arguments for the faith is one thing. But it is a whole other thing to live the faith itself. And to live it with integrity. That is the challenge and the joy set before us.
 
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