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Has modern apologetics made Christianity a empty shell?

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:18 pm
by cubeus19
Hey guys, right now, I, I can't sleep, I'm feeling very bad. And right now, many of my old doubts that I used to think were being kept at bay are now starting to re surface again. And this is basically the crux of the whole issue. I'm noticing a trend in apologetics (the high quality or high end of apologetics) is making so many compromises and agreements with atheists and with naturalism that before too long it will whittle down Christianity to next to nothing.

Let me explain, before I got into apologetics, I've lived in a small country town all my life. Many if not most of the people who live with me are normal, average run of the mill believers who believe like run of the mill believers. They believe in young earth creation, that the Bible is fully inspired and all the events actually happened, they believe that Christ was real and literally rose from the dead, and that people have souls and when they die they immediately go to either heaven or hell.

But now what I'm seeing since being deeply involved in apologetics, most of the hard studying students now believe in, the big bang, theistic evolution,mind/brain physicalism (the belief that souls do not exist and to compromise the view of the afterlife they say once we die we are dead as in no longer existing until the end of time where God essentially "re creates" us), that most of the miraculous events in the Bible did NOT occur, the Bible is either partially inspired or not inspired at all but God somehow still uses it to get His message across, and that Jesus did not physically rise from the dead but did so in some metaphoric and symbolic way.

Basically how I see it, they pretty much believe atheistic naturalism but yet want to keep on believing Christianity all be it a cheap compromised Christianity because it either just makes them feel good or they somehow think this weakened form of Christianity might somehow be true.
I mean if this is really all best evidence that Christianity has going for it, why just give up and declare atheism/naturalism the clear winner?
I mean if there are no clear pieces of evidence or any real convincing arguments for anything of the supernatural or anything that truly helps support Christianity's credibility than why not just give up and become atheists?

I mean, how much more compromising and agreeing are you all going to do with naturalism until even you yourselves start seeing how foolish it is to keep on believing a lie? Do we really have ANY good evidence to support Christianity's credibility?

Are we really being that dishonest with ourselves and each other? If we can't put together a real honest case for why Christianity might be true, shouldn't we stop with all this compromising with naturalism crap and just give up and join the naturalists?

I don't know, I'm very depressed and feeling very drained and tired. I really hope I'm not witnessing the death of the faith that basically is my only hope. If so, I just don't know what to do anymore. Life is basically meaningless.

Re: Has modern apologetics made Christianity a empty shell?

Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:46 pm
by 1over137
I am sorry cubeus you go through this hard time. Maybe you should have real break from apologetics. I mean, to focus more on spiritual things. Well, during my almost 30 years long life I observed real Christians and non-Christians. To me it seems that Christians are simply more loving (or really loving) folks. Watch people, look at their fruits. Look at their spirits, look at "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience". These I believe are gifts from God.

You may do good if yoy pray about your current state. Ask God for help, goto warm Christian atmosphere, read some witnesses.

Let God heal your soul. I will pray for that.

Maybe some of the apologetists 'lost their track'.

Re: Has modern apologetics made Christianity a empty shell?

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 4:40 am
by Silvertusk
cubeus19 wrote:Hey guys, right now, I, I can't sleep, I'm feeling very bad. And right now, many of my old doubts that I used to think were being kept at bay are now starting to re surface again. And this is basically the crux of the whole issue. I'm noticing a trend in apologetics (the high quality or high end of apologetics) is making so many compromises and agreements with atheists and with naturalism that before too long it will whittle down Christianity to next to nothing.

Let me explain, before I got into apologetics, I've lived in a small country town all my life. Many if not most of the people who live with me are normal, average run of the mill believers who believe like run of the mill believers. They believe in young earth creation, that the Bible is fully inspired and all the events actually happened, they believe that Christ was real and literally rose from the dead, and that people have souls and when they die they immediately go to either heaven or hell.

But now what I'm seeing since being deeply involved in apologetics, most of the hard studying students now believe in, the big bang, theistic evolution,mind/brain physicalism (the belief that souls do not exist and to compromise the view of the afterlife they say once we die we are dead as in no longer existing until the end of time where God essentially "re creates" us), that most of the miraculous events in the Bible did NOT occur, the Bible is either partially inspired or not inspired at all but God somehow still uses it to get His message across, and that Jesus did not physically rise from the dead but did so in some metaphoric and symbolic way.

Basically how I see it, they pretty much believe atheistic naturalism but yet want to keep on believing Christianity all be it a cheap compromised Christianity because it either just makes them feel good or they somehow think this weakened form of Christianity might somehow be true.
I mean if this is really all best evidence that Christianity has going for it, why just give up and declare atheism/naturalism the clear winner?
I mean if there are no clear pieces of evidence or any real convincing arguments for anything of the supernatural or anything that truly helps support Christianity's credibility than why not just give up and become atheists?

I mean, how much more compromising and agreeing are you all going to do with naturalism until even you yourselves start seeing how foolish it is to keep on believing a lie? Do we really have ANY good evidence to support Christianity's credibility?

Are we really being that dishonest with ourselves and each other? If we can't put together a real honest case for why Christianity might be true, shouldn't we stop with all this compromising with naturalism crap and just give up and join the naturalists?

I don't know, I'm very depressed and feeling very drained and tired. I really hope I'm not witnessing the death of the faith that basically is my only hope. If so, I just don't know what to do anymore. Life is basically meaningless.
To be honest - I do not know where you are reading your apologetics - because all the ones I have read are pretty orthodox and do not really make comprises. OEC and TE is a perfectly valid interpretation of Genesis. I know of no apologetics that deny the miracles of the bible. I know of know apologetics that deny the actual physical resurrection of Jesus and if they are then they are not Christian Apologetics. Looks like you are reading the wrong things - there is a movement of liberal theism that is very dangerous and they are commiting intellectual suicide by these "compromises"

Read the works of William Lane Craig, John Lennox, Hugh Ross, Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel, Ravi Zacharius to name but a few - as these are the leading people in Christian Apologetics and they certainly do not compromise.

Couple of websites for you:

http://www.reasonablefaith.org
http://www.reasons.org

Re: Has modern apologetics made Christianity a empty shell?

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 3:29 pm
by cubeus19
Thank you all for your help. I don't know I guess it's mostly an emotional thing right now. A lot of strange and bad things are going on with me, inside me, and with people I greatly care about. I'll be fine I guess. I'm starting to really think it's a demonic conspiracy attack going on with me right now. Just keep me and the people I love in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you all again, I love you guys.

Re: Has modern apologetics made Christianity a empty shell?

Posted: Tue Aug 13, 2013 10:50 pm
by 1over137
cubeus19 wrote:Thank you all for your help. I don't know I guess it's mostly an emotional thing right now. A lot of strange and bad things are going on with me, inside me, and with people I greatly care about. I'll be fine I guess. I'm starting to really think it's a demonic conspiracy attack going on with me right now. Just keep me and the people I love in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you all again, I love you guys.
Take care, brother. y@};-