10.11.06RESPONSE TO THE FILM:
Apologetics in a Mass-Media Culture by Dan Trout
After viewing Brian Flemming’s The God Who Wasn’t There, I fear that the greatest temptation for most Christians might be a similarly impassioned retort mirroring Flemming’s own splintered acerbities. For just as Flemming’s contrived criticism of orthodox Christianity sputters under its own weight of bitter and bloated self-importance, so also would a Christian response in a similar vein hardly rise above the vengeful level of its antagonist. I make this point with such certainty because two key factors emerge with clarity: (1) The fact that Flemming is merely harassing us with a slick presentation of platitudes from the underdeveloped secularist worldview that duped him and (2) The fact that contemporary evangelical Christianity is insistent upon lowering itself to adopt the tactics of its opponents, albeit with much less success (typically).
These two factors should prevent us from taking Flemming too seriously, and likewise taking ourselves too seriously, as if we were somehow obligated to “out-argue” him. TGWWT is indeed little more than a sound-byte-driven aggravation. Can a few slanted interviews with “experts” of dubious reputations or several contrived street interactions with unsuspecting people shake the foundations of Christian history and belief? I think not. Nor should his affective style cause the Christian any concern. The reality that it might probably indicates that the faith of too many Christians is undergirded with similar fragility, which is deeply disconcerting. Instead, Christians must firmly ground themselves with the consciousness of being the bearers of a unique community and story. Each one of us is a little light reflecting the radiance of a much larger holy sun. Responding to our detractors is not a game we play to test our tactics, but the channeling of the light of Christ into the unbelieving world of darkness. Thus, for us to use a similar “sound-byte” strategy would be tantamount to saying that the Christian apology is predicated on our own cleverness. How much could we pack into a rejoinder of similar length and depth? If that is our attitude, then a vicious cycle of trivialities and self-comfort begins. But that’s what people like Brian Flemming want, isn’t it? For the determined atheist, that’s all he has. The atheist in this so-called “post-Christian” society must spend the bulk of his energies convincing himself that his own manufactured story is somehow better than the one from which he is trying to free himself. The Christian should find himself in no such predicament. We don’t have to forge our own kingdom and justify it by our own efforts. We have the witness of the Scriptures, the saints and the Catholic Church of which we are all members. The sound-byte atheist apologetics of TGWWT is but the doomed effort of a fragmented people who try to unite themselves with what they reject. That is why I accused their system of being underdeveloped. By comparison, modern atheism is immature, and its American incarnation is pathetically trapped in the breathlessly-paced technology world of its own misguided creation. Christians should not feel imprisoned by the secularist desire to be quick, artificial and easy, for we are in no hurry to validate ourselves. Our process of becoming is controlled by the divine plan, not man’s attempt at autonomy.
But how do we be what we must within a society that would seek to reduce us, as they have reduced themselves, to a media-based worldview? Two suggestions: (1) We cannot avoid having our lives and words manipulated. As long as the world seeks to misrepresent Christ and his Church, they will find ways to do it and be darn good at it. We shouldn’t be surprised or offended if the world simply acts like the world. (2) Avoid making their methods our own. I am certainly not saying that we can’t redeem modern media for our own purposes, but, as I have stressed throughout, Christianity is more than we can live or prove with a few blurbs, graphics and grooves. Instead of going to them with an argument, make them come to us. The best “response” to secularists will always be the Church itself: our lives, our worship and our love for one another. Isn’t that the New Testament picture of the kingdom?
09.25.06Hello all, in preparation for the next CTS meeting on October 6, I previewed the film we'll be watching together (
The God Who Wasn't There (TGWWT), directed by Brian Flemming. One thing that immediately sticks with you along the way is that the film's soundtrack is very dramatic and catchy, too catchy!) In the next few weeks, I hope to post responses to some of the claims that are made in TGWWT, and would love to hear your thoughts on the subject. We here at the CTS hope to expose Christians to what those in opposition to the faith are saying, and Brian Flemming is no friend of what we believe.
To further the learning experience and get the most of it, we encourage you to invite friends, especially non-Christian friends, to the Oct. 6 meeting. We've also invited Dr. John Frame, resident RTS apologist, to join our discussion. (Please note, however, that although we look forward to any contribution by Dr. Frame, he will not be giving a formal "talk" on the subject). Stay tuned for updates!
Joe Torres
