I’m an avid reader of all sides, including Brian Auten’s very useful Apologetics 315. Early this morning he reposted his 52 tips for apologists in an attempt to answer the following question: “What kinds of attitudes and character traits should Christians adopt as they use apologetics in conversations with skeptics?” It’s a good read, packed with useful advice for Christians.
Now, I’ve been in this apologetics/counterapologetics game since the roaring ninties, back when the internet was wild and free, and I’m going to attempt to answer the question from the other side: “What kinds of attitudes and character traits should Skeptics adopt as they use counter-apologetics in conversations with Christians?” For the sake of unfairness, I’m going to use Auten’s own advice to Christians as a temple for my advice to you, with minimal redactions and modifications. For the sake of unboringness, I’m going to add in a few relevant links as jumping off points whenever they come to mind.
1. Be first a person of prayer [contemplation] with a goal to know the Lord [truth].2. Be a continual reader.3. Know both sides of the issues.4. Listen to as many good lectures as possible.5. Listen to every debate you can get your hands on.6. Learn from the best debaters.7. Learn from the worst debaters.8. Find a mentor if you can.9. [Rational disputation] is not a boxing match; it’s walking along side another in dialogue.10. You’re not in it to win arguments; you are in it to win people [learn to think more critically and help others do the same].11. Be mindful of your spiritual life above your apologetics studies.12. Allow your apologetics studies to be worship unto the Lord.13. Your wife doesn’t want to hear about your online debates [unless she does].14. Don’t talk about apologetics at the dinner table unless you are with apologetics buddies.15. Find like-minded friends to fellowship with and reflect on [philosophical] issues.16. Get input and feedback from other apologists and mature Christian peers.17. Pray for the people you are interacting with. If you don’t pray for them, what do you expect to accomplish?18. Never respond to blog comments in an emotional state. Cool off first and pray.19. Remember, you don’t have to win the whole world.20. Study how Jesus [notable figures] interacted and communicated with people.21. Remember that you have [a desire to discover] the truth.22. Pray all the time.23. Spend time with your family [those whom you love].24. Enjoy worship at your church [participatory mass experiences, such as rock concerts].25. Get away from the apologetics stuff [rational disputation] for a while regularly.26. Avoid taking extreme views and ignoring other options.27. Study logic and critical thinking; it will help you more than you can imagine.28. Get into public speaking and learn communication skills. And learn to spell.29. Always seek first to win the person.30. You don’t have to respond to every possible objection.31. Study theology alongside or before you get into apologetics.32. Study and understand different apologetic methodologies and don’t defend your method to the death.33. Read Pascal’s Pensées.34. Read stuff that challenges you to think hard.35. Be humble; you know so little no matter how expert you become.36. Draw from the expertise of others.37. Specialize if you can.38. Understand the spiritual [psychological] condition of those you are interacting with.39. Understand the psychological reasons people have for holding their views.40. Admit it when you are wrong.41. Realize that there is no end to the subject; get in it for the long haul.42. Don’t rush your studies.43. Don’t be a hypocrite. Stay pure.44. Poor character will destroy your apologetics life.45. An apologist is ultimately an evangelist; so first know how to share the Gospel well.46. In evangelism, start with the Gospel and use apologetics only if the need arises.47. Realize that not everyone at your church is going to be as excited about apologetics as you are.48. Apologetics is about loving people; remove the love from your apologetic and you fail.49. You don’t have to know every answer, just where to go to get [a reliable method for determining] the answers.50. Apologetics can bolster faith and dispel doubt, but it cannot bend the will.51. The results are up to the Lord.52. At the end of the day, are you walking with Jesus your dogs?
What advice would you remove from or add to the above list?
