In terms of content I'm very familiar with, this post does not fit into that category. However, it's been a topic of marital conversation often enough that I wanted to pull together my ability to find and analyze sources to learn by writing. In my head, the best organization for the post works by starting with defining terms, then outlining three thoughtful steps or principles to help give a gentle answer to atheists one encounters in corners of the Internet.
If you're looking for a solid apologetics course to prepare yourself, I plan to take this free 20-hour video course from the C. S. Lewis Institute over semester break this year. I'll likely write on it and work in the content if it goes well (which I fully expect that it will)!
The publication date is significant: today is the Feast of St. Lucy. Traditionally, she wore candles on her head and brought sustenance to Christians in catecombs during the Diocletian persecution. Her feast day is also an ember day, i.e., an occasion for fasting and prayer in Anglicanism and other branches of liturgical Western Christianity.
Operational Definitions
What is the internet? The term itself abbreviates "interconnected computer networks." It has come to be synonymous with the World Wide Web, though originally it was not. I'll use it to refer to its current connotation.
A related term, in philosophical discussions, is embodiment. To embody is to give a body (physical substance) to something or someone that lacks it.
Christians are, at minimum, theists. That is, they believe that a supreme being exists, and they may try to convince others that this is the case.
A subset of non-Christians are atheists. That is, they believe that no supreme being exists, and they may try to convince others that this is the case.
Finally, the discipline or study of answering rational objections to one's position is called apologetics. An apologetic can be made for any position, so long as it is done systematically, and most often it is done for Christianity.
Do Your Prep Work
Before writing or speaking, one needs to read. Reading is a major way for people to acquire ideas--there are very few new ideas in the world. An unfortunate reason people may leave their childhood faith starting in late elementary years is that their natural questions have not been answered by those in the church and their family who "should" know how to answer them satisfactorily without quashing curiosity. So, they may gain the impression that the questions have no answers. But...at least 98% of the questions that aren't answered have been answered satisfactorily, centuries ago. One just needs to know where to look.
On the topic of worldview, I'll just drop this quote from M. A. Franklin here: "Any internet atheist, if plopped down in a pre-Christian pagan culture, would be begging for some form of Christendom within 5 minutes."
I've written in the past about audiobooks as an option to increase the quantity of one's reading. Oral cultures prioritized accurate transmission of unwritten stories and history, and audiobooks can be a part of that tradition brought in to our text-heavy culture. Starting with the earliest apologetics (by the Church Fathers), move through church history and soak in the ideas of orthodoxy.
Beyond just reading, one also needs to think about the ideas connecting what one reads. That way, one not only remembers the information for when it's needed, but one also can evaluate, over time, how it fits within a coherent Christian worldview. Then, decide which "camp" you best fit in. I'll leave it at that!
Be a Christian
This point could go first instead of second, but it emerged in my head right after the prep work piece. The Bibliovore is fond of saying, contra the practice of "elevator speeches" in large swaths of American Christianity (including Episcopalianism), that the best way to witness is to let it be known that you're a Christian, and then don't be someone who behaves in obviously non-Christian ways. Be a friend. Don't rely on cold-calling. In all of Christian life, keep your cup filled with Christ (which I won't write about, because of the variety of devotional practices that can help).
One piece of this is to model virtue. Virtue ethics can guide us as we practice the virtues to get better at them. "By practicing being honest, brave, just, generous, and so on, a person develops an honorable and moral character." This takes choice to hang around good role models (including books--one becomes what one reads), take a moment to choose the best action (or inaction) among options, and live with the consequences of whatever one chooses.
Another piece, pertinent to apologetics especially, is to season one's speech with salt. As someone adjacent to the autism spectrum, I'm not necessarily turned off by someone else's bluntness. However, I am probably an exception. The phrase "speak the truth in love" implies the use of tact and careful phrasing that doesn't seek to offend the other person. Salt in proper quantity not only makes people thirsty, but also it preserves things for later.
Exercise Wisdom
Finally, in choosing whom to answer, when, and how, one has a duty to act wisely. Choosing "battles" to engage in is key. You do not have the time or energy to engage in all possible online discussion opportunities that present themselves, and if you actually do, you will not be able to keep every discussion productive and reasonable. Use of the internet fools us into believing that written words are all that is required to truly engage with someone. But each person is embodied--each person has a body. Thus, words alone are only a part of effective apologetics.
Once you've determined that you will engage someone's ideas, take time to think and phrase charitably and accurately. Be willing to let the other person have the last word and multiple words in the middle. Because you'll have done your prep work by reading and thinking, you will have a complete understanding of the issue(s) at hand. You will also be aware of logical fallacies to avoid so that your words don't misrepresent your position, the other's position, or side information brought in.
What are your additional ideas for Christian apologetics? Feel free to share in the comments!
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