http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com Comments & Reviews of http://apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com/ on StumbleUpon en-us Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:08:29 -0800 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:25:13 -0700 http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com http://cdn.stumble-upon.com/images/logo_su_36x36.png Sat, 16 Feb 2008 06:26:24 -0800 http://thesavage.stumbleupon.com/review/17499033/ thesavage - how funny -- a debate forum that allows no opposing views -- you have to laugh at the fear these folks must feel.]]> http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com Fri, 31 Aug 2007 03:41:55 -0700 http://lacychenault.stumbleupon.com/review/12240862/ lacychenault - this is not a debate forum whatsoever - it's all christian. And if you go against the christian beliefs - you will be banned...booooo]]> http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com Wed, 09 May 2007 15:59:22 -0700 http://trippy-hippie.stumbleupon.com/review/9681544/ Trippy-Hippie - How can this be an Apologetics forum when all you can post is subjects in support of Christianity? I thought groups like this were made for open discussion? How come people are banned and threads shut down and the actual forum rules been overhauled just to appease your own sensibilities. If you want debate it must be open. Otherwise all you get is a single sided view.]]> http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:39:55 -0700 http://rivalarrival.stumbleupon.com/review/5314626/ rivalarrival - The group owner has informed us that the Atheist viewpoint is not welcome here, To avoid being banned later, I'm going to leave now. As a parting note, I would like to mention the reason why I've been searching for an argument: On 7 August, Musagetes posted "A challenge to Atheists" in the Atheist/Agnostic forum. Musagetes was free to post anything he wanted in that forum, and he eventually left, leaving numerous questions unanswered. I, and a few of my peers left Atheist/Agnostic to find out if Christians would be open to a similar discussion. Our first attempt, in the Jesus Christ forum resulted in two threads and the beginning of a discussion. This was promptly killed by the owner. A Theist in that group posted his own objection to the killing of the thread. That thread was also killed, and the owner suggested we come here. Since we came to this forum, our threads were repeatedly killed, despite being primarily on topic, active, and intriguing on both sides of the argument. I believe over 500 posts in a half dozen different threads were killed. These threads were later restored, temporarily, by the group owner. Now, though, the rules of this forum have been drastically changed to discourage any challenge to Christianity. Atheists are no longer welcome here, the "Apologists" group is now to be composed ONLY of Christians. The Atheist/Agnostic forum is NOT in the practice of hiding posts or killing active threads. In fact, I do not know of even a single post being hidden. As an Atheist, I respect your right to believe whatever you want to believe. I would not censor your viewpoint for any reason: If you want to make a statement, it reflects on you. If that statement is profound, you are worthy of respect. If it is ignorant, bigoted, short-sighted, threatening, or just plan crap, you are not worth of respect. Nobody has the right to tell you who or what to respect, and by hiding our discussions, you are withholding the truth from your audience. Please, feel free to come into the Atheist/Agnostic forum. Yes, you will be judged based on your faith, but you will be listened to. Most Ahteists pride themselves on being "Free Thinkers", meaning they have an open mind and are willing to use it. We crave information. The catch is, your information must make sense. We value Logic, and we deny Superstition. We ask "Why" to every statement. In the words of Douglas Adams, "So long, and thanks for all the fish."]]> http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com Mon, 02 Jan 2006 07:01:42 -0800 http://g-mo.stumbleupon.com/review/2935709/ G-MO - I do like debating and defending my beliefs.]]> http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com Wed, 21 Dec 2005 12:08:09 -0800 http://usmjam.stumbleupon.com/review/2853000/ usmjam - Apologetics is the discipline that deals with a rational defense of Christian faith. It comes from the Greek word apologia which means to give a reason or defense. In spite of the objections to doing apologetics in this sense from fideists and some presuppositionalists, there are important reasons to participate in the work of apologetics. ----------God Commands It----------The most important reason to do apologetics is that God told us to do so. The classic statement is 1 Peter 3:15, which says, "But in your hearts set apart 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." This verse tells us to be ready. We may never run across someone who asks tough questions about our faith, but we should still be ready to respond if someone does. Being ready is not just a matter of having the right information available, it is also an attitude of readiness and eagerness to share the truth of what we believe. We are to give a reason to those who ask the questions. It is not expected that everyone needs pre-evangelism, but when they do need it, we must be able and willing to give them an answer.

This command also links the work of re-evangelism with Christ's place as Lord in our hearts. If he is really Lord, then we should be obedient to him as "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). This means we should confront issues in our own minds and in the expressed thoughts of others that prevent us and them from knowing God. That is what apologetics is all about.

In Philippians 1:7 Paul speaks of his mission as "defending and confirming the gospel." He adds in verse 16, "I am put here for the defense of the gospel." This implies that the defender of the gospel is out where he or she can encounter others and defend truth.

Jude 3 adds, "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints." The people Jude addressed had been assaulted by false teachers, and he needed to encourage them to protect (literally agonize for) the faith as it had been revealed through Christ. Jude makes a significant statement about our attitude in verse 22, that we "have mercy on some, who are doubting."

Titus 1:9 makes knowledge of Christian evidences a requirement for church leadership. An elder in the church should "hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." Paul also gives us an indication of our attitude in this work in 2 Timothy 2:24-25: "And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth." Anyone attempting to answer the questions of unbelievers will surely be wronged and be tempted to lose patience, but our ultimate goal is that they might come to a knowledge of the truth that Jesus has died for their sins. With so important a task at hand, we must not neglect obedience to this command.]]> http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com Sat, 02 Jul 2005 14:55:02 -0700 http://spitoutthesuffer.stumbleupon.com/review/1523204/ SpitOutTheSuffer - Many theists are so afraid (if only subconsciously) of being wrong about their beliefs that they purposefully try not to critically analyze them for fear of where self-interrogation may lead. (You remember that the next time someone says that were not supposed to question god's reasons for doing something or for allowing something to happen...like you've never heard that before.) It was out of this fear of looking foolish or intellectually challenged that "apologetics" was borne. While it flies in the face of true faith, sometimes believing isn't good enough. Some people need to prove what they want so desperately to be true.]]> http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/apologetics.group.stumbleupon.com