The Dawn Treader

When I blog about apologetics issues, for example, I am forced to research and then articulate a well-formed argument… and then receive critique on it.  As I am challenged on it, I refine my argument (or abandon it if it is really bad).  Who wins?  Primarily, me.  The next time I have an opportunity to present this argument, I will be sharper, more articulate, and more persuasive.  I learn.  I apply knowledge.  I gain practice.  I gain confidence.  Practice makes perfect (in theory).

Two, the next person who stands to benefit from the investment in apologetics blogging is the Christian reader who reads the post.  This assumes that the blogger has some idea of what they are talking about prior to throwing a post out there.  The blogger doesn't need to be the world's leading expert on a subject ... but he or she better have some justification for their view or face the consequences of ultimately being ignored.

Is there a demand for apologetics content?  I think so.  As many have pointed out, very few Christians invest time and energy into knowing why they believe what they believe.  It is hard.  Some of it is esoteric.  It requires a lot of reading (yuk, who wants to do that?).  There are always other priorities calling for your time.  This creates a large population of underdeveloped thinkers in the church.  Apologetic content … when written well, and in an accessible format, can serve a much-needed purpose.  It helps educate.  It even helps Christian readers who are aspiring apologists themselves.  In terms of the number of readers, this is probably the biggest audience.  Apologists like to read what other apologists are saying … and learn from them.

There is another benefit, I think, for the Christian reader of  apologetic blog posts.  If you mix it up with skeptics once in a while (in a friendly, non-shrill kind of way), the Christian reader gains confidence that a Biblical WV competes well in the marketplace of ideas (assuming you defend your argument well).  The reader sees a Christian who is out there presenting truth and holding his or her own … hopefully in a winsome and clear way … and gains confidence that he is on the right track in his own faith … even if he does not fully follow the argument.  Even if the apologist blogger is not doing the best job of defending the faith, one still gains encouragement from seeing someone willing to stick their neck out to defend what they believe to be true, imo.

Because you benefit, and Christian readers benefit, are reasons enough to justify the time investment into blogging about apologetics, imo. But what about reader number three … the non-Christian reader.

The question I have wondered all along is … does apologetics blogging have any benefit to a non-Christian reader?  This is a terribly difficult question to answer.  Very few of us who do this ever get emails or comments from non-Christians saying … man, I really changed my mind about that topic after reading your post.  Nope.  Never happens.  What we usually get is … you are a ***$%@#)*)!# … or a more polite version, your argument fails because of so and so or such and such.  Thankfully, I get more of the latter.  At this point, I trust in God's sovereignty.  All I can do is be faithful and obedient to drop little pebbles of God's truth into people's shoes so that they hobble around on them a while and think about things.  I know the Holy Spirit can put those pebbles to work.  Hopefully, those with the hurting feet don't pull those pebbles out and start slinging them at me ;-)

So, the answer is ... I don't know.

My goals are very simple when engaging with non-Christian reader/commenters.  One, treat them with respect.  I want them to have at least one good encounter with a Christian while talking about substantive issues. Two, be humble and admit when my argument stinks.  I have put out some stinky arguments … and been rightly smacked.  Three, be willing to admit when the other guy makes a good point.  Four, try to part as friends and agree to disagree if you have to.  The goal is to present truth with gentleness and respect … not to out debate and defeat the other guy.  (NOTE: This is much easier to do in person than with blogging.  In fact, it is terribly difficult to do in blogging.  So much communication is through body language and expressions.  Words on a post can be wrongly interpreted quite easily.  I don't know the answer other than … use a lot of emoticons :-)  They help ;-)   ) Five, have a learning posture.  Learn from the skeptics who comment on your blog.  I have learned a ton from the ones who are kind enough to comment on The Dawn Treader.  What amazing insight they have given me into how they think and how they perceive Christianity.  They raise good issues all the time.  Six, pray for your commenters by name.  It helps you gain perspective and keeps you from viewing them as the enemy.  They are NOT the enemy.

Whoops.  My keyboard has gotten a little long-winded again :-).  I will put out more thoughts on apologetics blogging later.