Email: Hope you can help me with a problem I'm having: In any argument, do you assume that what your opponent is saying is pretty much true in order to refute it? For instance, if I'm arguing against atheism, must I assume atheism in order to refute it? Just for...
People email CARM constantly. We regularly answer emails covering the same subject over and over again. Usually, we point them to various articles on the CARM website because very often what they are asking has already been addressed. But this section of CARM is...
Logic is typically very important in apologetics. To defend the faith, the Christian must use truth, facts, and reason appropriately and prayerfully. The Christian should listen to objections and make cogent and rational comments in direct response to the issues...
There are several reasons why we need apologetics. We need to learn to defend the faith to glorify God, help Christians be anchored in the truth, and give reasons for our faith to unbelievers. It's biblical. It's good. The first and most obvious is that we are...
There are different kinds of logical fallacies that people make in presenting their positions. Below is a list of some of the major fallacies. It is a good idea to be familiar with them so you can point them out in a discussion thereby focusing on the issues where...
The Teleological Argument is also known as the "argument from design." Quite simply, it states that a designer must exist since the universe and living things exhibit marks of design in their order, consistency, unity, and pattern. A common analogy of this is the...
This form of Christian apologetics deals with presuppositions. A presuppohttps://carm.org/2009/10/15/christian-2/sition is an assumption that is taken for granted. A presuppositionalist presupposes God's existence and argues from that perspective to show the validity...
One of the dangers of the apologist is falling into the trap of relying on his own intellectual abilities to try to wrestle someone into the kingdom of God. I am sad to say that I have been guilty of this. Pride hides itself in the heart, so it cannot be seen. When...
Evidential Apologetics is the style of Christian defense that stresses the miracles found in the Bible particularly Christ's resurrection as evidence for the existence of God and the validity of Christ and His words. It also uses historical evidence to support the...
Almost every discipline has a set of rules and guidelines that help a person perform better. In fact, guidelines could be produced for nearly any endeavor. Why should apologetics be any different? Following are some things I have found that are very helpful in...