Apologetics

Connections List
 * Against Christianity
 * For Christianity
 * Theological Inconsistencies
 * Atheism Explains
 * Atheist Inconsistencies
 * Christianity Explains
 * References - Apologetics
 * For Atheism
 * Against Atheism
 * Arguments and Qs
 * God metaphysics
 * Christian thought
 * Keep the faith
 * Theology
 * Constructivism

Scope
 * This category covers all argumentation for salvation-issue topics, as oriented towards unbelievers.
 * Does not include fine hair arguments inside the scope of salvation
 * Does not include reasoning around potential roadblock issues which are not salvation critical.

Topics Origin/Definition
 * Etymology
 * Mech
 * Verses, guidance and heart and methods
 * Methods/paradigms
 * View models
 * Apologia. Strongs 627. 8 occurences. Defense with an audience in mind.
 * Interestingly, Phil 1:7 also has "bebaiosei", confirming, which is probs vs. false
 * "Natural Theology" does apologetics and theo using science/natural world

Mech
 * Is it possible to prove God's existence? In excess of 50% yes. E.g. Acts 18:28 and Heb 11:1. Can't prove 100% due to matrix.
 * G plerophoria = confidence. Col 2:2, 1 Thess 1:5, Rom 4:21,14:5, Col 4:12
 * Used more for internal church than for evang (so says Kyle Whitaker)
 * Many see strong evidence and don't believe (e.g. Pharisees) Luke 16:31 - since person not listen to the Torah (history) they would not listen to someone raised from the dead.

Scripture about defending the faith:
 * Approx 50% of epistles are vs. heresy
 * Acts 18:28 Apollos "proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah"
 * Pauline arguments
 * Acts 17:2,17, 19:8,28:23-24 Pauls practice of reasoning from the scriptures
 * Acts 14:17 rational argument from created things, Rom 1:20
 * 1 Peter 3:15 always be prepared to give an answer, in context of suffering for doing good, with gentleness and respect
 * Acts 17:11 Bereans testing Pauls message by the scriptures
 * 1 Corinthians 1-2 wisdom of the world, 2:4-5 demonstration of power, not wisdom or rhetoric (though paul uses plent of wisdom in his letters).
 * Luke 1:1-4 careful investigate, 1 John 1:1-2 we see, touch, testify
 * 1 Cor 15:6-8 early mantra cites many witnesses
 * 2 Cor 10:3-5 we wage war with weapons that have divine power to demolish strongholds - which are arguments and pretension vs. knowledge of God.
 * 2 Tim 2:25 opponents gently instructed in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth
 * Psalm 14:1 the fool says in his heart there is no god (this verse applies more to evang and tactics than methodology)
 * James 3:17-18 wisdom from above is (among other things), open to reason, impartial, sincere
 * Acts 6:10 Stephen uses wisdom

Major argumentation methods (from Kyle Whitaker at BrewCityChurch, online video)
 * Classic - descartes ground up. Also C.S. Lewis
 * Evidential - miracles
 * Presuppositional - all humans believe the same fundamentals, they just have not constructed properly due to darkening
 * Reformed - epistemology, HS reliance, Avlin Plantinga
 * Fideism - arbitrary, unbased belief. "My way of life is more fun"

View model:
 * Driver vs. Probability vs. Preference vs. Explanatory
 * God/supernatural (spirtualists) > creation (deism) > involved (broad JC) > caring (genocidal) > bible > JC and specific
 * No God > bang > cosmo + constants > life > evolution > humans
 * For vs. Against
 * Atheist vs. Christian
 * Internal/logic,terms vs. External/data