No Apologetics, Just Apologies

Posted December 26th @ 11:44 am by Chris Salzman Print This Post

Thoughts?

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8 Comments

Shawn
December 26, 2007 at 12:59

Good… encourages people to begin thinking towards forgiveness.

Bad… are they asking the people they hurt (most of all, God) for forgiveness as well? Or is it just a conscience clearing effort sent into cyberspace?

Interesting… reminds of the portions in Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller.
REB
December 26, 2007 at 20:46

I think the effort is misguided and dishonest. The Church is to be led by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8). The body of Christ is not supposed to appeal to the world for advise on how to improve. The regrettable part is that this seeker-sensitive drivel does more to confuse the meaning of ‘Christian’ than it does to clarify it.

Apologetics would is sorely needed in our churches, if this represents the mind of the average church member. (I’m curious to know who is behind that domain.)
mo
December 26, 2007 at 23:13

There were some really sincere confessions and we were told to confess our sins and repent.

This idea does sound like Blue Like Jazz. Miller suggests apologizing for the sins of all Christendom. I’m still processing this idea. On one hand it seems like an exercise in bondage to take on additional guilt when Christ came to free me from the guilt I’m actually responsible for.

I’ve had to apologize to friends because of thoughtless attitudes I’ve picked up from Christian culture. I’ve also had to apologize for being a %@& independent of outside influence.

Apologies are little more awkward face to face than cyberspace. A sincere apology to a real person for something I’ve actually have done and feel bad about has always been a beautiful experience in grace.

On the other hand if Christ came to pay for sins he didn’t commit the least I can do is apologize for a few of them if it clears the air and helps someone receive the gospel. Still, if I’m not feeling it I fear it will become a “method” of evangelism rather than the bridge it’s meant to be. Maybe somebody will come up with a four laws of apologizing pamphlet.
John
December 27, 2007 at 13:26

I’m not sure how we can genuinely seperate the two. If our apologetics are accurate, then we’ll know when to apologize. I know people think if you hold to standards you’re dogmatic, but if we don’t hold to standards we’re disobedient. And Jesus said obedience is how we show we love Him.
Michael
December 27, 2007 at 15:11

The first apology on the page when I clicked the link yesterday concluded was this one:

“I’m sorry for the times I have challenged, insulted, or condemned you for believing differently than I. Your spirituality is just as valid as mine, even if we disagree on the expression.”

Uh, no, it’s not. The whole point of Christianity is that it offers the only path the God from whom we are separated. It’s not about “expression,” what music you use, what church you attend—it’s about the truth of Immanuel—God with us; the truth of Christ (the Anointed)—God over us; the truth of the Spirit—God in us; the truth of the Lamb—God for us. You can apologize for disrespect, but to validate something that, if Christianity is true, can only be false is just wrong.

I don’t mind apologizing, and I agree with both REB that we need apologetics and John that good apologetics will lead to apologies when necessary. Someone just needs to moderate what this website is actually saying.
Valerie
December 27, 2007 at 23:40

Each appology pierced my heart. If I haven’t done each one, I will someday. Lord, keep me sensitive to others.
danr
December 28, 2007 at 08:40

Agreed with Michael about the need for moderation. We’ve all apologized for something that we later realize we didn’t need to apologize for. Some of the apologies are really statements of skepticism about historic Christian beliefs couched in “apology” form.
Some were healthy recognitions of arrogance/laziness in Christian witness. However, several were variations of “I am sorry I believed I had the truth” (Christians actually do!), one said “I’m sorry we don’t party more”, etc.
It could potentially be improved by one or more of following:—deleting clearly ridiculous and/or false apologies—having the option to make comments on others’ apologies—having a disclaimer that not all apologies represent basic orthodox Christianity—having submitters read and agree to a statement of faith before apologizing.
Otherwise, it becomes kind of a random “Christian” graffiti board without much consistency or organization.
pcg
December 29, 2007 at 01:50

Bah, what does “I’m sorry” even mean? One of my former pastors was fond of noting that he would reject that phrase whenever it came up in his counseling sessions… unless it was qualified. Are you sorry because you got caught doing something? Are you sorry because you offended the Maker of the universe? Are you sorry because it feels good to say you’re sorry?

I think most of the “confessions” on there are examples of the latter, that it’s kitsch to be an apologetic (and milquetoast, frankly) Christian. Consider this grumpy old man unimpressed.