Can faith be rationally defended? If one engages in rational defense, does it not mean that faith is insufficient?
Is faith compatible with apologetics?
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Question: "Does the Bible call Christians to defend the faith / argue for the faith?"
Answer: The classic verse promoting apologetics (the defense of the Christian faith) is 1 Peter 3:15, which says that believers are to make a defense "for the hope that you have." The only way to do this effectively is to study the reasons why we believe what we believe. This will prepare us to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” as Paul said we should (2 Corinthians 10:5). Paul practiced what he preached; in fact, defending the faith was his regular activity (Philippians 1:7). He refers to apologetics as an aspect of his mission in the same passage (v.16). He also made apologetics a requirement for church leadership in Titus 1:9. Jude, an apostle of Jesus, wrote that "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” (v.3).
Where did the apostles get these ideas? From the Master Himself. Jesus was His own apologetic, as He often stated that we should believe in Him because of the evidence He provided (John 2:23; 10:25; 10:38; 14:29). In fact, the whole Bible is full of divine miracles that confirm what God wants us to believe (Exodus 4:1-8; 1 Kings 18:36-39; Acts 2:22-43; Hebrews 2:3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:12). People rightly refuse to believe something without evidence. Since God created humans as rational beings, we should not be surprised when He expects us to live rationally. As Norman Geisler says, “This does not mean there is no room for faith. But God wants us to take a step of faith in the light of evidence, rather than to leap in the dark.”
Those who oppose these clear biblical teachings and examples may say, “The Word of God does not need to be defended!” But which of the world’s writings are the Word of God? As soon as someone answers that, he is doing apologetics. Some claim that human reason cannot tell us anything about God—but that statement itself is a "reasonable" statement about God. If it’s not, then there is no reason to believe it. A favorite saying is, “If someone can talk you into Christianity, then someone else can talk you out.” Why is this a problem? Did not Paul himself give a criterion (the resurrection) by which Christianity should be accepted or rejected in 1 Corinthians 15? It is only misplaced piety that answers in the negative.
None of this is to say that apologetics alone, apart from the influence of the Holy Spirit, can bring someone to saving faith. This creates a false dilemma in the minds of many. But it does not have to be “Sprit versus Logic.” Why not both? The Holy Spirit must move someone to a position of belief, but how He accomplishes this is up to Him. With some people God uses trials; in others it is an emotional experience; in others it is through reason. God can use whatever means He wants. We, however, are commanded to use apologetics in as many or more places as we are told to preach the gospel.
www.gotquestions.org/defend-faith.html
Answer: The classic verse promoting apologetics (the defense of the Christian faith) is 1 Peter 3:15, which says that believers are to make a defense "for the hope that you have." The only way to do this effectively is to study the reasons why we believe what we believe. This will prepare us to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ,” as Paul said we should (2 Corinthians 10:5). Paul practiced what he preached; in fact, defending the faith was his regular activity (Philippians 1:7). He refers to apologetics as an aspect of his mission in the same passage (v.16). He also made apologetics a requirement for church leadership in Titus 1:9. Jude, an apostle of Jesus, wrote that "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” (v.3).
Where did the apostles get these ideas? From the Master Himself. Jesus was His own apologetic, as He often stated that we should believe in Him because of the evidence He provided (John 2:23; 10:25; 10:38; 14:29). In fact, the whole Bible is full of divine miracles that confirm what God wants us to believe (Exodus 4:1-8; 1 Kings 18:36-39; Acts 2:22-43; Hebrews 2:3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:12). People rightly refuse to believe something without evidence. Since God created humans as rational beings, we should not be surprised when He expects us to live rationally. As Norman Geisler says, “This does not mean there is no room for faith. But God wants us to take a step of faith in the light of evidence, rather than to leap in the dark.”
Those who oppose these clear biblical teachings and examples may say, “The Word of God does not need to be defended!” But which of the world’s writings are the Word of God? As soon as someone answers that, he is doing apologetics. Some claim that human reason cannot tell us anything about God—but that statement itself is a "reasonable" statement about God. If it’s not, then there is no reason to believe it. A favorite saying is, “If someone can talk you into Christianity, then someone else can talk you out.” Why is this a problem? Did not Paul himself give a criterion (the resurrection) by which Christianity should be accepted or rejected in 1 Corinthians 15? It is only misplaced piety that answers in the negative.
None of this is to say that apologetics alone, apart from the influence of the Holy Spirit, can bring someone to saving faith. This creates a false dilemma in the minds of many. But it does not have to be “Sprit versus Logic.” Why not both? The Holy Spirit must move someone to a position of belief, but how He accomplishes this is up to Him. With some people God uses trials; in others it is an emotional experience; in others it is through reason. God can use whatever means He wants. We, however, are commanded to use apologetics in as many or more places as we are told to preach the gospel.
www.gotquestions.org/defend-faith.html
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Faith might involve believing something you can't prove, but it does NOT mean believing without reasons.
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royal priest
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As this says, it is a defense of The Faith, not a defense of mere faith.
The Christian faith is founded on tangible, provable evidence. Namely the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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Part of the Christian religion is based on faith, and another part on evidence & reason then?
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So, no, faith is not antagonistic to Christian Apologetics as modernly conceived. Rather, it just doesn't rely solely upon that alone.
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Many people would love a rational logical reason to believe, and we can try our best to give them that, and it can or may help them, but, God specializes in the "not rational" and the opposite of rational, and the unexplainable... so that, in the end, it will take some measure of "faith" still, even if it may start off rational... And that's because it's not enough for us, because rationality and rational reasons don't suffice for us in the end... Were designed for "it" to be very much "more" than just that... Besides the fact that "just is", also...
There are a lot of very reasonable and very logical arguments and reasons for the existence of God, of explaining who He is, and how He works or operates, ect, to what His message is, or messages is or are to us, ect, what God's Word means, ect...
It can and does help to have logic and reason attached to your belief, but it will and does take some measure of faith as well... And will, especially in the end, ect...
God Bless!
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Apologetic_Warrior
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Faith without reason is credulity. Reason without faith is not reasonable because reason is grounded in the objective and as individual human beings we cannot help but engage in interpretation which is subjective and therefore in itself cannot account for or justify the objective. So the options are to acknowledge both and either emphasize reason over faith or faith over reason. In short, the two are not mutually exclusive or contradictory of one another. Christianity is a reasonable faith worthy of defending.
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zippy2006
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A mystery of faith tends to be something that cannot be rationally demonstrated. Yet some may believe that an article of faith is irrational and demonstrably false. The defense therefore consists in showing forth the flaws in an argument which concludes with an article of faith's irrationality or falsity.
Christians certainly don't believe that things believed on faith can be demonstrated to be false. Indeed we believe them to be true but not demonstrable by natural reason.
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Faith is intuitive, so it doesn't exist on the level of the "conceptual rationality", since it serves as a stepping stone of progressing into unknown with certain assumptions about that unknown which constitute "provisional knowledge" that allows one to explore that unknown.
It doesn't mean that faith doesn't exist on that continuum of rational thought that "pre-filters" possible context that we ether believe or reject. That's not merely the case with religion, but virtually all of our "fringe understanding" of reality.
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It can also come through God given insight ... Consider it a form of "connect the dots!"
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Partially supported or backed up by maybe...? But some evidence is, or may be considered "subjective" though (unique to your "experience" or experiences) (no way to prove) (to others) while the other is clearly objective...
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Actually, a part of walking by faith and not by sight would be to ......... actually implement the verse you've mistakenly cited (i.e. 1 Cor. 5:7)
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2Cor 5:7, ratherActually, a part of walking by faith and not by sight would be to ......... actually implement the verse you've mistakenly cited (i.e. 1 Cor. 5:7)
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Ok. 2 Cor 5:7 plays into what I'm saying because in the context in which this verse is situated, we understand from what Paul says that while we are alive we do not have direct, physical access to Jesus without His special revelation, but we do have the ministry of the Holy Spirit who gives us 'insight' into the truth of the Gospel of Christ. So, there is both a verbal, textual component that informs us and by which we active our minds toward having faith ALONG WITH AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH the spiritual component (or enlightenment) that is provided by the Spirit.
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I have heard some Christians argue that if God made things too obvious then humans would be deprived of the opportunity to take a leap of faith and gamble on Christianity - as though that leap of faith is a way to please God or distinguish the elect from the non-elect or something.
Now consider childhood indoctrination. A child subjected to indoctrination by parents and culture is made to think that Christianity is much more plausible and sensible than it would seem to outsiders. This deprives the child of the opportunity to take that leap of faith and gamble on Christianity in the same way.
I was also thinking about the possibility that Christianity is true. What might have made a tiny bit of sense to a first century Jew doesn't resonate with modern people at all. If Christianity is actually true then I would have to say "is this the best you could do, God?"
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