Point: Practitioners of Presuppositional apologetics will no doubt notice that an atheist’s argument often ends up destroying so many other necessary things in life and rationality in their attempt to dismiss the existence of God. This needs to be pointed out and yet in past experience, the significance of this is missed. The following analogy might help to get the point across of what is happening. It’s like someone trying to burn down their house–to kill something that is supposedly minor, like a spider.
Picture: On the news there is this story:
A Kansas woman was arrested after police said she went to extremes trying to kill a spider.
Ginny M. Griffith, 34, told officers in Hutchinson she set a pile of towels on fire at about 1:30 a.m. Friday in hopes of catching the spider and burning it to death, the Hutchinson News reported.
While it’s not clear if she ever caught the arachnid, the fire department did have to intervene.
Crews managed to put out the blaze without injury. The building suffered only light smoke damage.
Griffith, however, has been charged with aggravated arson. The other side of the duplex she lives in was occupied at the time, police said.
POSSIBLE SCENARIO FOR EMPLOYING THIS ILLUSTRATION DURING APOLOGETIC EVANGELISM
CHRISTIAN: Have you realized that in the last hour of our conversation, your atheism posed more problem than it solved?
OPPONENT: How?
CHRISTIAN: You ended up advocating self-refuting positions: laws of logic without law-like attributes, truth is all relative, ethical subjectivism while saying Christianity is morally wrong, etc. That’s a problem.
OPPONENT: But I don’t see why that’s problematic.
CHRISTIAN: I’ve explained throughout our conversation how it destroys your foundation for life and even for this very debate! I suppose an analogy might be appropriate. There’s this story I heard the other day…<Insert analogy>.
OPPONENT: That’s funny.
CHRISTIAN: Certainly she has problem with the spider. But do you think in the end she has created more problem than she solved in trying to get rid of the Spider?
OPPONENT: Of course!
CHRISTIAN: That’s the same thing you are doing!
[…] GO TO PART 24 […]
Although, atheists often turn it into arguing, I would like to hear a genuine debate with two worthy opponents using this tactic.
To my thinking it is intuitively evident, that without God, the principles one bases one’s argument are based on His immutable laws. Hence, one argues on the basis of what He’s established as reality and precepts are based on those rules of argument. Thanks for the illustration. Good. Bless you brother, always enjoy your blog.
The Lord heal you and give you strength of body as it is with your mind.
In the Love of Christ.
Another great one to use. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I hope that it is helpful to God’s people.
Thanks for reading and commenting! I agree with you that there is something about the fact that God is the basis or precondition for much of the laws and principles necessary for debate and discussion. By the way have you listened to Greg Bahnsen’s versus Gordon Stein debate? https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2006/12/05/greg-bahnsen-vs-gordon-stein-the-great-debate/
Very well down SJ. Thanks!
You’re welcome Rob!
Thanks SJ. Keep coming up these analogies.
You’re welcome, Lord willing by the grace of God we’ll have more up on here! Pray for the God of Wisdom to give us helpful analogies to articulate and defend the faith!
Wow here’s another news story that’s similar to the above: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Man-tries-to-kill-spider-with-spray-paint-and-lighter-burns-down-house-267285431.html
[…] GO TO PART 24 […]
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[…] Trying to Kill A Spider by burning down the House and how atheists argue […]
[…] Trying to Kill A Spider by burning down the House and how atheists argue […]
[…] Trying to Kill A Spider by burning down the House and how atheists argue […]
[…] Trying to Kill A Spider by burning down the House and how atheists argue […]