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Yesterday I read a note about someone being “un-apologetically Christian”. Now, there’s a lot of things that tickle my funny bone and the way we use language is one of those. So when I hear of someone who’s “disgruntled” I wonder what being gruntled is like, and so on and so forth. Therefore it was inevitable that I’d start thinking about being “apologetically Christian”.

Now, at first blush, it’d seem almost like saying “I’m ashamed of being a Christian” – unless you look at it from angle of Christian Apologetics. Now from THAT angle you see something far different. Christian Apologetics is the opposite of being ashamed of one’s beliefs. Apologetics is the reasoned defense of the Christian faith. And even though some folks claim that Christianity is merely superstition based on antique fables from foreign cultures, there is a LOT of evidence upon which we can show that the Christian faith is solidly grounded on factual evidence. The apostle Peter wrote “but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. ” (I Peter 3:15 HCSB) so the idea of giving a defense for our hope is not a recent one.

There are many resources from which the Christian can draw useful material for this purpose. Josh McDowell’s books “Evidence That Demands A Verdict” and “More Evidence That Demands A Verdict” are excellent sources, as is “The Case For Christ” by Lee Strobel. Does God Exist is a website where you can examine evidence for the very existence of God. There are many other sources as well and it is not the purpose of this piece to provide an exhaustive source of material.  A good place to start is on the internet.  Open your favorite search engine and do a search on “Creation Science” or “Christian Apologetics”.  Those will give you hours of reading and study material. Our goal is merely to get you to thinking about the idea of becoming “apologetically Christian” and to urge you to be proactive about it.

Over the years I’ve seen folks get very violent and angry when their beliefs are questioned. My observance is that this is usually the result of having very shallow and unsubstantiated beliefs. When one love’s the truth and seeks it out, when others question one’s beliefs one is better prepared to give a reasoned argument for why one believes as one does. So, get busy! Start digging. There’s a world of evidence for the Christian faith out there. Don’t be lazy about it, take time and learn. Then you will be prepared to be apologetically Christian and will also be prepared to show others the way to The Way.