POLEMICS: Polemics is the art or practice of arguing passionately and strongly for or against something. We think it a better fit for the kind of discussions Christian apologetists seek to answer than the word "apologetics." Polemics is a loose synonym for the word apologetics, and seeks to answer questions about the Christian faith. A classic example is found in Acts 17:2-5.
"According to Paul's custom, he went to them (i.e. Jews), and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.' And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a great multitude of God-fearing Greeks and a number of leading women. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar."
This is Christian polemics in motion, and it definitely has its place. On the other hand, its easy to get hoodwinked into making too much of logical argument. Jesus put far, far more emphasis on the condition of the human heart and the supernatural power of God, than He did on educating the head. Said differently: It's common to find people with highly educated "heads" who have hearts that are dumb as rocks (or, as in the case mentioned above, hearts that are jealous and empty).
We are convinced from personal experience that Christian apologetics might help or hinder the Kingdom of God. It is not always the right approach, and there are some apologists who need to apologize. Said differently, apologists often behave like attorneys who are more interested in winning an argument than finding the truth. With a little practice anyone can learn to defend wrong points of view. On the other hand, there are some amazing people who should be heard. That said, we include this FAQ page to deal with "the big questions."
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