Apologetics, Practice
Training Arena
Knowing the arguments is one thing, and giving them under pressure, clearly and calmly without getting flustered, is another. Dave is your sparring partner, and he will keep pressing the weak points in your answers so you can strengthen them before the real conversation.
Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. , 2 Timothy 2:15
The Method: Columbo First
Greg Koukl's "Tactics" introduced the Columbo method: ask questions rather than make speeches. Two questions that dismantle nearly any objection:
1. "What do you mean by that?", Forces precision. Most objections are slogans that collapse when defined. "Science has disproven religion", which religion? which science? disproven how?
2. "How did you come to that conclusion?", Exposes the reasoning. Most anti-Christian claims are secondhand. The person heard it somewhere. When they trace it back, there is often nothing there.
The goal is not to crush, it is to put a stone in their shoe. A question they keep thinking about after the conversation is more valuable than a debate win.
Starter Prompts for Dave
Copy any of these into Dave and start training immediately.
--- RESURRECTION ---
"I want to practice the minimal facts argument for the resurrection. Play a skeptical historian. Challenge each of my five facts and push back with the strongest alternative explanations you can give. Don't let me off with weak answers."
"Pretend you're Bart Ehrman. Tell me why you don't believe in the resurrection and let me respond."
--- KALAM ---
"Challenge me on Premise 1 of the Kalam, that everything that begins to exist has a cause. Use the quantum vacuum objection. Press me until I can answer it clearly."
"I want to practice the Kalam cosmological argument. Start with 'But what caused God?' and don't accept a generic answer."
--- FINE-TUNING ---
"Hit me with the multiverse objection to the fine-tuning argument. I'll respond. Keep pushing."
--- MORAL ARGUMENT ---
"Tell me that morality is evolutionary, survival behavior, not objective fact. I want to practice the moral argument response."
--- OBJECTIONS ---
"Play someone who says 'the problem of evil proves God doesn't exist.' Be persistent and don't accept surface answers."
"Tell me that all religions lead to the same God. Let me practice the pluralism response."
"Tell me the Bible is full of contradictions and can't be trusted. Pick one specific alleged contradiction and press me on it."
--- SCIENCE ---
"Argue that science has replaced the need for God. Use the strongest version of the argument, Hawking's no-boundary proposal, abiogenesis progress, etc. Let me respond."
--- FULL SCENARIO ---
"You are a thoughtful atheist who has read Dawkins. I'm a Christian. We're talking at a coffee shop. You've just told me you don't believe in God. Start the conversation."
"Play a college student who has just taken an intro philosophy course and thinks Christianity is intellectually bankrupt. Challenge me across multiple objections, don't let me dodge any of them."
What to Notice in Yourself
As you practice, watch for:
Dodging. If you changed the subject when the pressure increased, go back. That's the weak point.
Emotional activation. If you got defensive, that is information. Practice until you can hold the strongest objection with genuine curiosity rather than anxiety.
Vagueness. "God just loves us" is not an answer to the problem of evil. Specificity is the discipline.
Argument substitution. Answering a different, easier version of the objection than the one that was asked. Ask Dave: "Did I actually answer your objection, or did I sidestep it?"
The goal is not debate dominance. It is to be unshakeable, not because you've suppressed the question, but because you've genuinely worked through it.
What to Read Next
"Tactics", Greg Koukl. The Columbo method, step by step. The single most practical apologetics book available.
"The Case for Christ", Lee Strobel. Journalist investigates the historical Jesus. Gateway book for the resurrection evidence.
"Mere Christianity", C.S. Lewis. The moral argument, the case for the Trinity, the character of Christ. Foundational.
"I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist", Geisler and Turek. Systematic case from cosmology through resurrection.
"The Resurrection of the Son of God", N.T. Wright. The scholarly treatment. Seven hundred pages of historical argument. Not light reading, irreplaceable depth.
"God's Crime Scene", J. Warner Wallace. Cold-case detective applies forensic analysis to eight lines of evidence for God.
"Reason for God", Timothy Keller. Addresses the common objections in New York City, not a sheltered audience. The pluralism and suffering chapters are especially strong.
Ask Dave to summarize any of these or quiz you on the core argument of each.