“Unbelievable” Podcast, Apologetics, and Christian Conversions

“Unbelievable” Podcast, Apologetics, and Christian Conversions

Jan 11, 2023 | Apologetics, Uncategorized

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I had my biggest show biz break earlier this week appearing on the Unbelievable Podcast with Justin Brierly. Promoting a book as a “nobody” author without a “platform” is a formidable challenge. Zillions of people write books and are trying to get noticed, so not having a “name” makes the game especially difficult. I’m convinced Uninvented is unique enough to justify the attention of a “somebody,” and I’ve prayed and worked to that end. One prayer has been to have someone with a big platform appreciate the book and give it some attention. Unbelievable is certainly a big platform given it’s maybe the longest running apologetics podcast in existence. I think Justin told me he started in 2004, and in the podcasting world that’s positively ancient! In apologetics circles everyone knows Justin and Unbelievable.

(In case you’re not familiar with the reference of the podcast title, it comes from a catchy 1990 pop tune of the same name.)

The reason I’m writing about it now (before the episode comes out) is because it got me thinking about apologetics and Christian conversions. If you’re not familiar with the podcast, Justin created a niche by often having two people with different perspectives on things having a respectful dialogue. He’s a very good facilitator, doesn’t act like a cheerleader for the side he may be on, and asks solid questions. He certainly demonstrated this in our conversation. I’ve never been a fan of apologetics debates, whether it’s the atheist against the Christian, or the Calvinist verses the Arminian, etc., but Unbelievable never felt like a debate platform to me. Rather it’s more like two people who may disagree just having a conversation with someone helping it along. No wonder it’s lasted so long.

Regarding the topic of apologetics and converting people, and as I state in Uninvented, I don’t see apologetics primarily as something to convert non-Christians, although it is of course used by Christians to help people see the veracity of Christianity. Rather I see it as a ministry for building up the faith, i.e., trust, of the saints in their God and Savior. The verse from which we get the English word apologetics is I Peter 3:15,

But in your hearts set apart (sanctify) Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect . . .

The word reason in Greek, ἀπολογία-apologia, means a verbal defense, specifically like what a lawyer does in a court of law. The words, “everyone who asks you” has always stood out to me. There are several ways to take this, but at the least it assumes our Christian life is so apparent to those we interact with that they’re prompted so ask us about the reason for our hope. It doesn’t apply to incognito Christians. Our faith should be so apparent to those we interact with that they might be motivated to ask us why we’re different. To them there is something about us that doesn’t seem “normal.” I like to think of it as being a little annoying for Christ as I try to throw out hints to people I interact with. It all depends on the relationship and the situation, but our relationship with Jesus has to be something that compels us to want to do this.

What I know, though, whether it’s on the Unbelievable podcast, or in any other interaction with a non-Christian or a Christian, is that nothing I say in and of itself will make any difference whatsoever. The transformation of the human heart is God’s business, not the power or persuasiveness of my words. I’ve learned this lesson six ways from Sunday; meaning it takes me a lot of failure to learn my lessons, but God is patient with clueless sinners like me. As with all sanctification, it’s painful but gratifying beyond description. It’s hard to describe, especially for one who for many years was deluded in thinking my words did have the power to change another person, how freeing it is to know I have literally zero power. That it’s all God. And being a convinced Calvinist, I mean literally all. I have a printout of these words from Zachariah 4:6 pinned to my bulletin board to remind me that it’s all him in all things:

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty.

I can hear the non-sequitur forming in some of your minds: then doesn’t this mean what we do and say doesn’t matter? If it’s all God, some think, then what we do doesn’t matter. Oh yes it does! God’s sovereignty, his rule over all things, never precludes human agency and responsibility. I’ve found in knowing and trusting God’s sovereign power is incredibly freeing. The results are not up to me, but the work and obedience, that is. Thy will be done should always be our final prayer.

Regarding apologetics, few Christians are good at it, and I was one of those for much of my Christian life. I’ve always been zealous to want to spread and defend the faith, I just didn’t work at it. But in 2009 I had a turning point. In an encounter with a co-worker, I did a terrible a terrible apologetics job and I was embarrassed, although my interlocutor wouldn’t have seen it that way. I was ashamed of myself, so I decided to dive in and learn how to defend the faith. I was delighted to discover a wealth of resources were now available that were not there in the over two decades since I had studied apologetics. Podcasts were a growing phenomenon and I listened to everything I could find, and there was a seemingly endless supply of books and website articles as well. I was amazed how little I knew and set about to rectify that.

As the Lord commands us to defend the reason for the hope that we have, he has graciously provided us with a faith that can be defended with integrity; we have the advantage of knowing Christianity is true! It only requires a commitment on our part to put in the effort to acquire that knowledge and develop the skills to use it. It doesn’t mean we have to know everything, and often the best strategy isn’t transmitting knowledge but just asking questions. Most people we will interact with have no idea what they believe or why they believe it. When we do, God may use us to bless others to advance his kingdom and build his church.

 

Consideration of the Alternative: Putting Ourselves AND Non-Christians on the Defensive

Consideration of the Alternative: Putting Ourselves AND Non-Christians on the Defensive

Aug 27, 2022 | Apologetics, Uncategorized

I recently wrote a piece about a young man who “de-converted” from Christianity, and in it I made this assertion: “the burden of proof is on everybody!” Non-Christians attack Christianity while assuming Christians are the only ones who need to defend their beliefs. That has been the secular assumption for the last several hundred years, and by the 20th century it became the default position of secular Western culture. And we as Christians all too often play the part, accepting the assumption of the critics. We need to understand everyone, every single person, lives by faith. All people are fundamentally religious, which is one of the reasons I dislike referring to Christians as “believers” and non-Christians as “unbelievers.” There is no such thing as an unbeliever!

The question is, who’s faith is most credible, most plausible, makes the most sense, is most logical, and has the evidence to back up its claims. When secularism became the default plausibility structure of Western civilization, a world devoid of God became the most credible and plausible worldview, and made the most sense for most people (whether God exists or not is irrelevant because as I always say, there are very few philosophical atheists). Whatever they believe, most people are practical atheists, they live as if God didn’t exist.

Western culture in its many varied forms drives practical atheism, be it in education, media, entertainment, government, etc. One example from popular culture makes the point. In most of the shows and movies we watch, all in some way deal with the fallen human condition, which is why they can be so entertaining. However, most leave out the most important piece of the puzzle: God! It’s like going to the beach in the middle of the Sahara Desert; uh, there’s something missing. I can’t watch a TV show or movie where God is ignored without shouting, you’re missing the God part!!! They want me to believe human nature as we find it, as it’s being dramatized on screen, just is, no explanation required. I’m to believe, and assume, no higher answer exists to the continual conundrums that make up the human drama? Mere matter cannot explain it. As Blaise Pascal put it in his Pensées:

What kind of freak is man? What a novelty he is, how absurd he is, how chaotic and what a mass of contradictions, and yet what a prodigy! He is judge of all things, yet a feeble worm. He is repository of truth, and yet sinks into such doubt and error. He is the glory and the scum of the universe!

 

Man’s greatness and wretchedness are so evident that the true religion must necessarily teach us that there is in man some great principle of greatness and some great principle of wretchedness.

As Christians we believe man became a freak, and displays such greatness and wretchedness, because he rebelled against his Creator (Genesis 3). No other religion or worldview or philosophy can explain why human beings are the way they are, why we are the way we are. Most don’t even try. That man is “the glory and the scum of the universe” just is. Deal with it. No, I won’t. I want to know not just that we are the way we are, but why. What Paul describes in Romans 7 captures it perfectly: why do I do what I don’t want to do, and don’t do what I want? I know how Paul feels:

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

He gives us the answer:

Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

We might call this the apologetic from human nature. I am more confident Christianity is true because human nature is what it is, exactly the way we’ve known it for thousands of years. 

As I wonder sometimes if my Christian faith is justified, if it’s true, and not a colossal multi-thousand-year scam, I always realize if it isn’t, some other alternative must be, has to be. Unlike agnostics and practical atheists, I can’t delude myself into thinking there is no non-religious sphere of existence. Some neutral place where faith is not required. So, doggone it, I need to know why man is such glory and scum, and how he get that way! Lucky dirt cannot explain Hamlet, for example, so please explain to me what can.

The beauty of the consideration of the alternative, is that in addition to being one of the most powerful strategies in Christian apologetics, it is essential for our own personal trust that Christianity is true and real and worth living and dying for. It forces us, and others, to defend the alternatives to Christianity, whatever the issue might be. We don’t just decide not to believe in Christian position X, and then believe in nothing. When we reject X, we must believe in Y, or A, B, C, D, or any other letter of the alphabet. And in case you weren’t aware, there are no in between letters in the alphabet.

It’s rather simple, really, and doesn’t require a theology degree, or masters in apologetics. If someone says they don’t believe in Christian letter R anymore (or Christianity), then we simply ask what they do believe. Then we ask, why do you believe that’s true? Then we wait. We’ll find most people have no idea why they believe what they believe, or that they even believe anything at all! They, like most every secular person, think belief is for religious folks, and since they’re not religious they’ll wonder, why you’re asking them what they believe.

For us, it works the same way. Doubt is a normal part of existence for finite creatures, and those who don’t doubt are not normal. Have you ever met someone who is six trillion on the certitude scale? It’s annoying. For instance, I might wonder if “nature” really is created by God, so I consider the alternatives. Atheistic materialism? Pantheism? Can you think of another alternative? Genesis 1 is far more plausible, especially as we continue to learn about the infinite complexity of creation. Another example is the Bible. Is it God’s inerrant, sufficient, authoritative Word to mankind? I wrote a book called Uninvented to argue that the only alternative, that it is made up, is not the least bit plausible. No matter what the topic is, the alternative to Christianity is not the least bit plausible. Ex-Atheist C.S. Lewis got it right:

I believe in Christianity like I believe the sun has risen not because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

What a Book Review! I Think She Liked It

What a Book Review! I Think She Liked It

Oct 17, 2021 | Apologetics

Given I’m not a “somebody” with a big “platform,” getting book reviews is not easy. I finally did get one, and it was at a site that was instrumental in my journey back into apologetics, Apologetics315. It was worth the wait. The author’s final words are most gratifying:  I love this book!

I think you will too. So if you’d like to see why she thought so, get yourself a copy of The Persuasive Christian Parent and you can find out for yourself. Let me know what you think.

God’s Amazing Goodness and My Apologetics315 Interview

God’s Amazing Goodness and My Apologetics315 Interview

Jul 18, 2021 | Apologetics

I had an interview recently about my book with a website that has special meaning in my Christian journey,  Apologetics315. God, as he often does with his children, made this uniquely special for me as I’ll explain.

When I became a Christian at Arizona State University back in the fall of 1978, those who introduced me to the gospel were not much into apologetics. The focus was on “spiritual” things, so reading the Bible, prayer, evangelism, church, etc. The goal of discipleship was building your relationship with Jesus, and sharing that with others. That is of course good and necessary, but it is not enough, as I found out in my junior year when I came across Francis Schaeffer’s The God Who is There. It was an amazing discovery for me because I learned that God’s truth applied to all of reality, not just so called “spiritual” things. Contrary to a narrow view of spirituality, he helped me to understand that the spiritual was so expansive that it addressed all of reality. That includes art, politics, law, literature, architecture, education, movies, business, you name it. (more…)

Third Time’s A Charm—The Persuasive Christian Parent is Finally Available!

Third Time’s A Charm—The Persuasive Christian Parent is Finally Available!

Jan 17, 2021 | Apologetics

I made one of the big mistakes of my life back when I was a young Christian some four decades ago. I asked God to give me patience . . . . and I’ve been waiting ever since! Writing a book, and finally getting a version up I’m not embarrassed by, has been a long, long wait, especially when I was thinking that I’d be doing what I’m doing right now three and a half years ago. As I’ve learned over the years, God’s timing is never our timing. Just read the Bible and that will become readily apparent not too many pages in. I’m pretty stubborn, though (ask my family), and I was determined that sooner or later I would get the book published, and it was definitely later. As the title indicates, the third publishing option finally worked: Me!

A funny thing happened after all this time on the way to publishing fame, I no longer really cared. I just kept trying to knock down walls as they appeared in front of me, and after a bloody nose or two, I would find a way through, over, or around, and made progress. It also seems in spite of myself, and by God’s grace, through the process I found I’ve actually matured a bit in my Christian life. I’m still fundamentally rotten (increasingly) old sinful me, but I find it’s much easier after four-plus decades to “let go and let God.” I do hate that phrase, but it does capture something of the trust I have in him that comes easier than when I was a younger man and lived as if I was the master of my fate, and the captain of my soul. When I was young and naive and full of myself (I’m only half full now), I believed I could change the world. It didn’t take all that long for God to disabuse me of that notion, and it was rarely a pleasant experience. But God crushes those whom he loves so that they will put their hope and trust in him alone.

I have found over time that I can be a pretty persuasive fellow to those who are persuadable, and it seems I’m not too bad at it. You’d have to ask my children who have been the object of my persistent persuasion (often annoyingly so) over the years, but I think they would agree. So writing this book, and finally getting it published, has been a wonderful experience, even if it took way longer than I thought it would. If others are blessed by it, and the confidence in the faith of my brothers and sisters in Christ, parents or not, grows because of it, all the better. Now on to the next part of the journey, which is trying to promote it. I don’t know if anyone will be interested, but you don’t know until you ask. Actually, somebody already was, and I got my first interview. I’ll put that in another post soon, but there is nothing I love doing more than talking about Jesus!

The Human Brain: Praise Chance!

The Human Brain: Praise Chance!

Nov 1, 2020 | Apologetics

Reading through Denton’s book is a mind blower. As I’m reading I keep thinking, I have to quote and write about this, then that, then this, then that, but when I got to his discussion of the human brain it was just too much. The complexity is staggering. To think that undirected “natural” random processes a la Darwinism could result in a human brain defies reason. I will quote several paragraphs, and see if you don’t agree. (more…)