Effectively Dialogue With Skeptics: Part 1

“Prove Your God Exists!”

When we Christians hear that, most of us start sweating. As if the entire weight of proving the truth of Christianity rests on our puny shoulders! But we also start sweating because we feel our egos to be on the line. To be a Christian, we’re told by skeptics, is to be feeble-minded, if not stupid.

Friends, let us collectively exhale a long, calming breath. Relax our clenched fists and jaws. And open our hearts. Now is not the time to be filled with righteous anger; to act as if a challenge to our faith demands that we charge into battle for Christ with a “take no prisoners” mindset.

Rather, let’s view a skeptic’s challenge with this perspective: that we’re simply stepping into a God-ordained opportunity to demonstrate to this person the grace and love of Christ.

We’re not answering a question, but a questioner, suggests Ravi Zacharias, a world-famous apologist known for the disarming, respectful manner in which he dialogues with skeptics. What should come through loud and clear, he stresses, is our love for people and God (which, incidentally, Jesus designated as the greatest commandment). Adds Zacharias, “A word in season can bring to fruit that which only God can nurture and nourish.”

Skeptics, he reminds us, won’t be open to hearing the Good News, if they don’t also see it in action.

In this post, let’s talk about why our attitude is critical when we’re interacting with critics. In next week’s post, Part 2, we’ll identify some of the questions skeptics tend to ask — which you, dear Christian, should learn how to answer.