A noble apologist is driven by an active love of God that seeks deeper knowledge of God. Faith seeking understanding. If you are Christian’s apologist bloggers who wishes to effectively communicate your worldview in a language, beliefs, values, symbols, traditions and practices that are already familiar to atheists, then reading atheists’ blogs could be the key and a treasure mine to help them understand their diverse atheistic worldviews.
As a Christian, who love to learn, think and share the reasons for what I believe and why I believe it to be true, reading opposite worldviews and see how they challenge my Christians worldview is an important part of correcting, reforming, changing or abandoning some weak or false perspectives that I hold. It also help me communicate Christian worldview in a way I can be understood.
Here are 10 stages that will help you enjoy and respectfully engage with atheists bloggers as you read and trying to understand their worldview in their own context, finding the common grounds, challenges, edifying ideas, and provocative positions that will ignite deep thoughts and reflections.
How To Read Atheist’s Blogs: Modified Adler & Doren’s Method
- Find what the article is about. Find the major subject matter. Define the problem(s) the blogger is trying to solve or setting and try to correctly outline the whole article.
- Come to terms with the blogger by interpreting his key words, grasping leading propositions in his most important sentences.
- Know the blogger’s arguments by finding them in, or constructing them out of, sequences of sentences.
- Do not begin criticism until you have completed reading and rereading the article, correctly interpreting the blogger’s words, understand and outline his argument. “Do not say you agree, disagree, or suspend judgment, until you can say “I understand.”- Mortimer J. Adler
- Do not disagree disputatiously or contentiously.
- Demonstrate that you recognize the difference between knowledge and mere personal opinion by presenting good reasons for any critical judgment you make.
- When criticizing, try to use as few, clear and kind words to show wherein the blogger is uninformed, misinformed, illogical or incomplete.
- Avoid disagreeing on minor details.
- “Pick your battles”. Do not comment on the topic you are not familiar with. Study, ponder, and come back when you are familiar with the topic at hand.
- Be quick to point out your own errors. Quick to admit you were wrong, and quick to correct your mistakes.
Remember, a noble apologist seeks proofs of certain doctrine of her faith not for the sake of attaining to faith by means of reason, as Anslem of Canterbury once said, but that she may be delighted by understanding and meditating on those things which she believes and always ready to convince any one who demands of her a reason of that hope which is in her.
Go be a noble apologist who walks in wisdom toward outsiders, makes the best use of the time. May your speech is always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Col. 4:5-6)
Recommended Reading: How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Lincoln Van Doren
Prayson Daniel
I am rather curious why you ” liked” my post?
(liar, lunatic, or lord and /or) did you read it all the way through? I appreciate the like , but after viewing a bit here must say it left me puzzled.
I love reading views that are different from mine and I believe you presented a picture which also some, sadly, Christians also hold.
I think there is good historical data that scholars both none-Christians and Christians agree on historical Jesus and only mythsists doubt the actual existence of Jesus.
I do no like posts because I agree but because I think they rose fair points that stir thinking and challenge what I think to be true. I hope that answered your question.
The obvious fallacy is that you – and every Christian – approach any such discussion with the preconceived belief you are right based on faith. Every argument seems from this , first and foremost.
Faith does not require evidence;in fact the Church (and all the many schisms and cultic offshoots it has spawned ) actively discouraged investigation for hundreds of years.
Even in this day and age, Evangelists (and other Christian sects) are encouraged to believe in the complete veracity of the bible, thus discouraging any form of meaningful discussion with the express objective of finding the truth. Evangelists like William Lane Craig are obliged to sign a Statement of Faith before commencing employment at the seminary he works at. No doubt other seminaries have similar employment practices.
More liberal Christians are not so dogmatic, yet they will, in most case, uphold the Nicene Creed and rationalize most of the difficult theological questions from this standpoint.
Thus, there is no possible to way to have a truly honest and open discussion with a Christian, or any other religious adherent, while faith, and not truth holds sway.
Thank you for raising your voice. I am curious what is the name of that obvious fallacy?
This is a trick question, right?
I understand your sentiment here, but I’m not sure that such a fallacy exists. You may disagree with their epistemic grounds of justification, however it is not universally fallacious to remain locked into a certain belief. If I am wrong here, it would be helpful if you provided the name of the fallacy you are referring to here.
These are very good advice once one has made the decision to comment on a blog, as per rataukyy. A humbly critical, and self-critical, approach is to be preferred (my friends called it epistemological humility in college). But what are the rules of deciding to engage?
If I want to be understood, your Mortimerian advice is worth considering but under what circumstances do I need to rally to the defense of something on another’s blog? What is the impetus of love for which I need to provide an answer, well-constructed and helpful or not?
As an atheist and a blogger, I would recommend your ten advices to any commenting on any sort of blog. It is not like we need to come up with a totally new etiquette for the internet. Common rules about politeness are quite adequate.
Thank you Rautakyy