I thought the following was a decent article by Fred Butler of Hip & Thigh:
I wrote the following response a number of years ago on an Internet message board where I regularly frequented. Three atheists began posting disparaging comments against religion in general and Christianity specifically. The main atheistic poster who became my antagonist, was named Rob, but two other nameless friends joined him in befuddling and aggravating the Christians who also participated on this message board.
It is sad to say that none of the believers effectively answered their religious objections, nor offered any answer to their questions, even though the atheists were asking the same, re-treaded questions that all unbelieving, God rejecters have always asked. I was troubled by the inability of the Christians to offer any meaningful apologetic for their faith, as well as challenge the foolish unbelief of the atheists. In order to offer up a needed response to these anti-theists, as well as help the Christians learn to argue persuasively for Christianity, I wrote the following post...keep reading
This excerpt resonates with me:
First, is the typical “swarm your opponent” tactic. I have seen this done by Muslim apologists on other lists. The tactic is simple: The agitating unbeliever runs across a Christian posting board and posts a few smart aleck comments to stir the dander of the Christians. They respond with their comments to the unbeliever’s original post. The next time the Christians check back onto the board, however, they discover that the unbeliever must have gone down to his coffee shop/bookstore hangout and told 2 or 3 of his atheist buddies about this Christian message board and convinced them to post as well. It is assumed that swarming the Christians with several posts rehashing the same, lame questions unbelievers have asked over the centuries will somehow make Christianity appear foolish and establish the unbeliever’s position.
Another "swarming" tactic is to generate a large list of objections so that the subject of the attack needs to spend a considerable amount of time in refuting each point. If the objections aren't refuted then the "swarmer" claims victory.
Christians also use this tactic. A classic example is the 95 Theses Against Dispensationalism. Responding to these sorts of lists takes time and energy. Thankfully, Paul Henebury actually took the time to respond to that one HERE. Note his apologetics articles as well.
I've come across similar lists compiled by preterists and posttribulationists. These lists are invariably copied and pasted from some other source and pop up all over the place. People who generate these lists aren't really interested in a two-way dialogue unless it leads to scoring points at the expense of their victims.
P.S. Thought this was pretty good too:
A Sample List of Self-refuting Statements
Back to Basics of Presuppositional Apologetics
5 hours ago
4 comments:
Where is video on Vlach on the rapture? I heard him really miss the mark with the prewrath rapture.
I took the video off because he left out the trumpet judgments when he was talking about the prewrath view. But you know that. I didn't want it to stir controversy. Regardless, I think he's got a pretty fair grasp of the essentials. Mike doesn't need me to defend him. He knows the deal.
If you caught it before I decided to remove it, you should know where it is. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/embed/5n6BSd2wt9k
Mr Kurschner, you are so predictable.
Alan, I decided to comment here rather than in the main blog, for the time being. I figure you might read it here and I didn't want to make too big a deal about it.
I'm not a big fan of conferences of any type let alone the subject matter one finds in those organized by Prophecy in the News. But that's just me. Moreover it's unfair for you to suggest that PITN conferences are indicative of all pretribulational conferences. You may want to inform yourself of the subjects covered in the upcoming conference facilitated by the Pre-Trib Research Center.
http://www.pre-trib.org/data/pdf/23rd-Annual-Prophecy-Brochure.pdf
It was petty to make comparisons of the facilities provided by the PITN people as if they were vacuously ostentatious compared to yours.
In fact you wanted to participate in one of those PITN conferences and contacted Bob Ulrich about it. You may have removed evidence from your website, but evidence is still available.
*****
I wrote Bob Ulrich asking him if he is willing to have a prewrath voice at his conference. I am waiting word back.
I am not sure if Chris Putnam is prewrath. He has never come out and said he is nor has he written or spoke on it. I think he mentioned that he believes the church will go through difficult times in the near future.
Maybe someone can point me to his new prewrath beliefs because I would be happy to post them or interview him.
thanks, Alan
p.s. I think a national prewrath conference is badly needed. But there needs to be a competent organizer to step up to the plate and be committed to put one on. If there is going to be a national conference it really, really needs to be announced in the next month, so as to give plenty of time to promote.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/prewrathonly/conversations/messages/16414
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