Gary brings back “Memes of the Week.” Meme creators find interesting ways to communicate complicated topics in (often) humorous ways. Gary highlights a few of his most recent favorites.
The facts are not what’s really at stake, although it will sometimes seem like they are. Too often, we are made to believe that if we could just marshal better historical evidence, or better scientific evidence, or better psychological evidence, or whatever the field may be—if we could just get the facts—then we would win the respect of unbelievers. But that isn’t where the issue really is. Having said that, it is also true that you need to know the facts; in fact, you need to know the facts better than your opponent. That may seem intimidating, but it is possible.
You remember the biblical story of Gideon in chapter seven of the book of Judges about how Gideon sent the Midianites into flight in utter terror? He gave every one of his soldiers the mark of the leader of a band of soldiers; he gave him the light that would lead the army into battle. As the Midianites looked up and saw all these lights, they said, “There must be a huge army behind them.” There wasn’t, but because they thought there were so many there, they took off afraid, and Gideon fell upon them.
Unbelievers practice this Gideon strategy: They give the impression that they are familiar with what’s going on, that they know all the options, that they’ve read through all the books, and that they’re way ahead of the game.
I don’t want to be unrealistic and just turn it around and pretend that we know all the options and we know better than they do, but I want you to remember that they’re finite, and not just finite but lazy, and not just lazy but prejudicial. When they get into a certain way of thinking, they tend to pay attention only to what follows that line of thought. They do not pay attention to other arguments. Sometimes, in fact, they are just bluffing.
I want you to see the antagonism of the unbeliever and to know that the facts—or what are called facts, such as the things you can see with your eyes—are not what separates you from the unbeliever. What separates you are the underlying worldview. It’s the philosophy, not the facts.
Against All Opposition: Defending the Christian Worldview
An apologetic methodology that claims Christians should be "open," "objective," and "tolerant" of all opinions when they defend the Christian faith is like a person who plans to stop a man from committing suicide by taking the hundred-story plunge with him, hoping to convince the lost soul on the way down. No one in his right mind would make such a concession to foolishness. But Christians do it all the time when they adopt the operating presuppositions of unbelievers. There are no "neutral" assumptions about reality.
Buy NowIt’s now official! Gary brings back his segment “Memes of the Week” making it a regular feature of the podcast (or least one that has recurred). Meme creators find interesting ways to communicate complicated topics in (often) humorous ways. Gary highlights a few of his most recent favorites.