Pakikinig sa Katwiran ng Kausap sa Apologetics, Part 1 of 3 (Hear) || John Pesebre (April 26, 2018)

Ang 4H Apologetics ay ganito lang: apat na H to represent four stages ng pag aaral o pagi-engage sa mga nag-oobject sa Christian faith

Sa Hear, kailangan pakinggan mo ang kausap mo and determine kung ano ang argument niya. Sa Help, maglalatag ka ng apologetics mo na tutunggali sa sinasabi ng kausap mo. Sa Heal, ipapahayag mo sa kanya ang idol na naki-create ng objection niya at kung paano ito tinutuwid ng salita ng Diyos. At panghuli sa Honor, magkakaroon kayo ng simpleng pag aaral nung verse na kakabasa pa lang ninyo in the hope that your conversation produced new beliefs sa kausap mo.

Sa unang pandinig tila baga napaka complicated pero dahil parang naka automate siya, all you have to do is ride along the process.

What is important now at this point is how to begin. So let’s go, let’s begin with the point of contact ng apologetics na malimit mangyari and that is the contact of doubt sa Christian faith. And please don’t take this lightly. Sa apologetics you will face doubts -- doubts of your own and of other people. Most especially, mga doubts ng believers who are oftentimes may attachment na emotional kasi mahirap talaga ang mga doubts.

Ang mahirap sa doubt is when it presents itself more than just a claim but presents itself as an argument. Mahirap siya kasi mas masidhi ang pagtatalo sa isipan ng tao. Malimit ang mga claims natin walang support. Mga assertions lang. When a claim has a support there is an argument. Then the assertion now has what we call a substantiation. Dalawa na ngayon ang concern mo: yung claim at yung support. An argument ay may dalawang bahagi: claim at support. Naniniwala ako Diyos (claim) dahil Christian ako (support). Nagkakaroon ng doubt kung ganito na “Hindi ako naniniwala sa Diyos (claim) dahil hindi ko makitaan ng evidence na siya ay nag-e-exist  (support). That’s when it gets burdensome to think. Kaya nagkakaroon ng mental agony ang mga tao dahil hati na ang isipan niya sa competition inside his mind.

So dito tayo ngayon magsisimula sa ating first H na Hear. Simple lang ang goal ng Hear. Sana po naaalala ninyo dito yung Montaigne rule na sinabi ko last episode: that you submit yourself to the force of reasoning nung kausap mo. Halos ganito din ang sinabi ni Socrates, “Follow the argument wherever it leads.” May biblical charter ka rin dito: “Be quick to listen and slow to speak” (James 1:19).

Naka situate ang apologetics ministry sa mga ganitong konteksto. May isang tao na nagda doubt, o ikaw mismo nagda doubt, and then you start to address the problem or the argument. Eto yung sinasabi ni William Lane Craig the previous episode na “pursue it into the ground until you come to intellectual satisfaction with it.”

The first question na sasagutin natin sa 4H under Hear is “What is the claim of the argument?” Mahalaga na ma identify mo ang nature ng argument. So you have to begin with identifying the claim.

"In order to criticize a position someone has offered, you may sometimes need to put statements [or in our case, an argument] into a pattern," sabi ni Cederblom & Paulsen. They add, "[Y]ou might then need to fit it and certain other thoughts into patterns." Yang pattern na yan duti ay  CLAIM + SUPPORT = ARGUMENT

When I was taking my Master of Theology sa seminary, my theology professor Dr. Ron Watters gave this example sa pag solve ng mga problema that has helped me through the years. Sabi niya you need to visualize your problems as a floor na gawa sa tiles. Ang tiles kasi bukud-bukod. Kapag na identify mo na yung pagbubukud-bukod ng problema as if mga tiles sila, you can then take one tile and address it.

Dahil dito kailangan nating pagsumikapang ilagay sa pattern ang mga statements ng kausap nating nag-oobject. And again that pattern na gagamitin natin sa ating discussion dito ay yung CLAIM + SUPPORT = ARGUMENT. Let’s give a brief activity.

For example, the statement "John bagay kayo ng asawa mo kasi maganda siya at ikaw ay mabait." Ang claim diyan ay yung “John, bagay kayo ng asawa mo” at ang support ay “maganda siya at ikaw ay mabait.” Maliwan po. Isa pang halimbawa, “Iboboto ko si Juan kasi marami na siyang karanasan sa public service.” Ang claim ay, “Iboboto ko si Juan” at ang support ay “kasi marami na siiyang karanasan sa public service.” Ngayon episode na ito atin munang pag uusapan ang “claim” at next episode naman ay ang support.

A claim is actually a claim sa reality, o yung sa tingin nung nagki claim ay true state of affairs. It is something that he or she thinks as corresponding sa realidad ng mundo. Ang mga sample ng claims would be, "God is a moral monster" or "Christianity is the major cause of wars in history." Mga claims yan sa reality nung nagsasabi. It is not necessarrily true, but it is a claim nonetheless.
How do you identify a claim? Of course makikinig ka muna. Let’s say maraming sinasabi ang kausap mo.

For example, let’s look at this statement by a college student na Christian,

Nahihirapan akong ireconcile yung idea na ang Diyos ay mapagmahal subalit majority ng giyera sa kasaysayan natin ay sinimulan ng mga Christians. Bakit ganon? Di ba dapat ang Christians pa ang promotor ng katahimikan, bakit ang Kristiyanismo pa ang nagpasimula ng majority ng mga giyera sa kasaysayan?

Nakaka overwhelm po ba na tanong eto ng isang Christian na college student? Kung oo ang sagot niyo sa tanong na “Napaka brutal naman di ba?”, welcome to my ministry context. Setting aside muna yung mga spiritual duties mo as a believer kapag naka encounter ka ng ganito, like prayer, humility before God and pag encourage sa kausap mo, let’s dive into identifying the claim of this statement.

Recall yung doubt as “two.” When you are talking with an objector, you need to have in mind two opposing things. If a person is trying to oppose something in your faith, what is that opposition? Ang claim is usually a simple sentence na may form na “X is Y.” For example, “God is a moral monster” or “Christ is a fictional character.” So dito ngayon pumapasok yung “two” sa “doubt.” Meron siyang “X is Y” di ba? Para matulungan ka sa language mo, you have to begin with identifying kung anong “X is Y” mo na kinokontra ng “X is Y” niya.

It is very obvious that he is talking about God or at least his understanding about God. Once you identify the “X” who is God, then you will try to find out the “Y” kasi nga “X is Y.” At this point, mukhang pwede na magkagulo sa utak mo. A simple trick dito to know the predicate of “X” is to ask yourself, what characterization of my belief in God is this person trying to do?
Ang characterization is “a description of the distinctive nature or features of someone or something.” Do not go into the details of the argument muna. You are trying to look for an umbrella sentence na patutunayan ng “support” maya maya. Ang umbrella statement mo ay yung claim o yung “X is Y.”

Ako sa tingin ko, he is characterizing Christianity as an immoral religion.

Wag kayo mag-alala kasi kung kausap mo talaga yung tao, you can pitch him how you are understanding his claim. So pitch the claim to him, if he agrees then you can now proceed what you think is his support for his claim.

Based dun sa sinasabi nung university student na Christian, mukhang ang claim niya ay “God is a genocidal monster.” X is Y statement po yan. Ngayon pag kausap mo siya, you need to tell her if eto nga ang nature ng sinasabi niya. Pag sumagot siya ng “Oo” then you have a claim na ia-address mo. Next naman is you try to state sa kaniya kung ano ang support niya na nauunawaan mo sa sinasabi niya. Yan po ang ating pag uusapan next episode.

So bilang pagre-review lang, sa iyong pakikipag usap gamit ang 4H, ang unang tanong na ise-settle mo is, “What is the claim of the argument?” Makikinig ka sa kaniya at gagawa ka ng simpleng “X is Y” statement to state sa kausap mo, at kung mag agree siya, sana naman mag agree, then may malinaw na kayong avenue to talk about.

Sa ganitong paraan ka nakakabuo ng congenial na environment. To show sa kausap mo na ikaw ay inquisitive at focused reflects both a virtuous mind that hopefully influences ‘yung conversation niyo at Christian witness sa vein ng James 1:9 na “Be quick to listen.” By accomplishing those, I hope you are able to create an initial motivation sa kaniya to pursue a Chrisitan answer sa kaniyang objection. Sa Question 2, lalo pa maha-highlight ang virtue at witness mo na ito kasi doon lalo mo pang ipapakita na nauunawaan mo ang sinasabi niya.

Ang Tugon ng Apologetics sa Mga Pagdududa || John Pesebre (April 12, 2018)

Doubt plays a key role in doing apologetics because it is the doorway of apologetics. It is a doorway not only to the intellectual confusion about the nature of Christianity but also on the spiritual condition of people. A doubt gives you the idea that the person has not taken hold of the benefits of truth, understanding and wisdom on that particular issue.

Lalupa kung believer ang nagda-doubt. A servant of God then has to have a heart for the doubting. Hindi mo lang iisipin na ito ay intellectual problem, bagkus you also have to consider this as a spiritual problem ng believer. Ang apologetics kasi hindi lang interesado sa intellectual impact ng doubts but also sa spiritual.

Sabi ni noted Christian philosopher William Lane Craig,

doubt is never simply an intellectual problem. There is always a spiritual dimension to doubt as well. There is an enemy of your souls, Satan, who hates you intensely, and who is bent on your destruction, and who will do everything in his power to see that your faith is destroyed. And therefore, when we have these intellectual doubts and problems, we should never look at them as something that is spiritually neutral, or divorce them from the spiritual conflict that we’re involved in. Rather, we need to take these doubts to God in prayer, to admit them honestly, to talk to our Christian friends about them, to not stuff them or hide them. We need to deal with them openly and honestly and talk to people about them and seek God’s help in dealing with them.*

Dalawa ang recommendation ni Craig sa mga taong overcome with doubts. Una --

by cultivating your spiritual life, engaging in spiritual disciplines like prayer, meaningful worship, Christian music, sharing your faith with other people, being involved in Christian service, so that you will foster the witness of the Holy Spirit in your life, be filled with the Holy Spirit so that when you come into the circumstances of doubt and the shifting sands of evidence and so forth you aren’t thrown into shipwreck because of that.

Pangalawa, “pursue it into the ground until you come to intellectual satisfaction with it.”

Yang dalawang ‘yan ang tila baga anchor ng 4H apologetics. And it is brought into the fore by a realization ng role ng doubt hindi lang sa apologetics but sa Christian life. So kaya po sa episode na ito, we dive in to the most important introductory material ng 4H apologetics, and that is facing the giants of doubt.

Some of my favorite authors have chimed in on the topic of doubt for example, Alvin Plantinga who said, “Believers are constantly beset by doubts, disquietude, spiritual difficulty, and turmoil . . . It never goes well with us, and it often goes a deal worse. There is an unbeliever within the breast of every Christian.”

Tim Keller said that

[f]aith without some doubts is like a human body without any antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic. 

My favorite Puritan of all time, Thomas Watson explains that ‘[h]e that can believe without doubting, suspect his faith; and he that can repent without sorrowing, suspect his repentance.”

Perhaps among the most insightful new writers I have been reading recently, Mitch Stokes said this about doubt,

All thoughtful believers – even those whose faith is mature – encounter doubt. Not a single person has had unadulterated faith. In any case, it certainly won’t do to ignore your doubts, and defusing them will only strengthen your faith. To be sure, doubts can be strong enough to become a trial in your life; but like all trials they’re meant to refine faith, not stifle it.

If you consult yung Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, here is part of its discussion “doubt,”

It is possible to have questions (or doubts) about persons, propositions, or objects. Philosophically and epistemologically doubt has been deemed a valuable element in honest, rational inquiry. It prevents us from reaching hasty conclusions or making commitments to unreliable and untrustworthy sources. A suspension of judgment until sufficient inquiry is made and adequate evidence is presented is judged to be admirable. In this light, doubt is not an enemy of faith. This seems to be the attitude of the Bereans in Acts 17:11. Questioning or doubting motivates us to search further and deeper in an understanding of faith.

If a person is in a sincere journey to understand life, then he most probably will have to wrestle with doubts by second guessing a lot of things along the way. What a person used to think about things, that person will begin to evaluate; especially, when that person thinks about his life or being self-conscious about what his life is, its purpose, its meaning and many more. Oftentimes doubt plays a key role there because when doubt happens, you are no longer thinking the same way you are thinking about life.

Sabi nga ni Os Guinness,

True seekers are different. On meeting them you feel their purpose, their energy, their integrity, their idealism, and their desire to close in on an answer. Something in life has awakened questions, has made them aware of a sense of need, has forced them to consider where they are in life. They have become seekers because something has spurred their quest for meaning, and they have to find an answer.

True seekers are looking for something. They are people for whom life, or a part of life, has suddenly become a point of wonder, a question, a problem, or a crisis. This happens so intensely that they are stirred to look for an answer beyond their present answers and to clarify their position in life. However the need arises, and whatever it calls for, the sense of need consumes the searchers and launches them on their quest.

That need sa tingin ko is spurred by questions that challenge their state of affairs. They start to doubt. The Greek word for doubt is distazo. “Distazo is used only twice in the New Testament. Jesus uses it to Peter in Matt.14:31, when the latter floundered in his attempt to walk on the water. 

When you think of doubt, begin with the number two.

The Greek word for doubt is "distazo". It comes from the word "dis" which means duo or two. Yung English word na "doubt" ay galing sa Latin na "dubitare" na Anglicized. Kaya may mga words tayo sa English na "indubitable" or "dubious." The Old English word was "tweogen" that comes from "tweon" which means two o yung idea ng two minds. The noun for "tweogen" is "twynung",  and it is from this where we get the English word "twine" o yung sulsi ng dalawang sinulid o tali and also "twin" which is kambal o magkapares. Ang word natin ng doubt is "duda" na actually is a Spanish word that comes back to our earlier Latin "dubitare".

A good picture of this is a confused man facing a fork in the road wondering which way to go. Or a woman trying to make a choice which of the two dresses to wear for a party.

So when you are doubting, there are at least two things to deal with: what you think is true, and another one claiming to be true.When you doubt may nagku compete sa isa na alam mo -- minsan dalawa or marami. It doesn’t matter. Ang importante may kakumpetensiya sa isang idea. Para kang nasa daan na derecho, tapos all of a sudden nagmamaneho ka biglang nag sanga yung daan. Nag duda ka na which road you are taking. A doubt is a competing idea sa mind mo.

Usually you have an understanding of the world. Oftentimes this is called a propositional statement – it is a claim sa reality. Isa itong idea na sa tingin mo ay totoo. Doubt comes when there is a competing claim sa reality. So dalawa na. Meron ka nang dubitare.

___________
*  William Lane Craig, "Dealing with Doubt," Interview with Interviewer, Reasonable Faith (website)
https://www.reasonablefaith.org/videos/interviews-panels/dealing-with-doubt/

Kapamaraanan sa Pagtatanggol ng Pananampalataya || John Pesebre (Apirl 10, 2018)

I was an elementary student nung mapanood ko ang action film ni Lito Lapid na San Basilio. Hindi pa common film term noon ang hyper-reality.  Ang hyperreality sa film ay yung simulation or representation of reality na distorted or exaggerated. Sa isang napaka memorable na eksena ng pelikulang San Basilio, tinakasan ng dalawang pusakal si Julio Valiente (played by Lito Lapid) sa isang maisan. Kailangan niyang i-neutralize and dalawang ito subalit iisa na lang ang bala niya. Ang ginawa niya ay itinapat nya ang talim ng kaniyang kutsilyo sa nguso ng kaniyang baril and then fired the gun, splitting the bullet and then hitting the two murderous villains. Sa proverbial na Western idiom, ang tawag dito ay hitting two birds with one stone.

It is always beneficial sa ministry kung may multiple functions ang isang task o hitting two birds with one stone or bullet. Namu-multiply ang effect ng efforts mo. Today I will introduce to you a method in doing apologetics which I develop called 4H Apologetics. Ito po ay method na hitting two birds with one stone dahil it has two functions for you as a Christian servant.  First it is a personal learning process (a curriculum -- a road map for personal development in the area of apologetics). The root word ng curriculum sa Latin ay currile or road, way or path. You can use 4H na parang gabay sa daan ng pagsasaliksik. Pag may natanggap kang objection, may personal learning process ka to deal with the objection na pasunud-sunod. Para siyang automated instruction kasi – Step 1 – Hear; Step 2 – Help; Step 3 – Heal; Step 4 – Honor.

Pangalawang function, 4H Apologetics is also an conversation outline kung paano ka makikipag usap or makiki-engage sa skeptic or talagang naghahanap ng kasagutan sa Christianity. Magsisilbi siyang conversational pipeline to create an environment that is conducive for the production of belief, whether it be a verbal engagement or a written engagement.

Bawat isa diyan has specific actions to do that will guide you in not only finding answers but also hope to lead ‘yung kausap mo for a better knowledge of God. “Nothing can be done except little by little,” sabi nung French poet na si Charles Baudelaire.
Marapat lamang na ang isang nag-eengage sa apologetics ay magkaroon ng conscious at concientious (a quality ng isang tao na “wishing to do what is right, especially to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly” ) dahil apologetics is a ministry din and as such it should involve a process na mahihiyangan ng Christian.

Oftentimes I find myself flustered o nagugulumihanan listening to objections of people sa Christianity dahil napaka complicated niya. Ganyan din ang nangyari kay Fritz, isang university student na involved sa isang campus ministry. Sa isang evangelistic project ng kaniyang campus ministry, gumamit siya ng isang survey sa isa niyang kaklase bilang simula ng kaniyang pre-evangelism efforts. Sa survey na ito may paraan siya para matanong ang kaklase niya about his views about God, sin and other things. It was at this point na, sa salita ni Fritz, “binakuran siya ng maraming tanong at complaint about God.” Ang kaklase pala niyang ito ay dati daw believer pero naging agnostic na. The reason I tell this story is because of Fritz reaction sa mga tanong ng classmate niya. He fell into an argument. He confessed that he was aiming to give him immediate answers at doon siya nalito.

In talking to people na may mga objections, mas maganda kung may engagement plan ka. That is just what 4H Apologetics does. At the back of your mind, you will follow a process to respond to this objection.

At kung regular na gagawin mo ito, ikaw ngayon ay magkakaroon ng mastery sa skill na ito.

Sa pakikipag-usap natin it is important if we have a mental outline how we will try to tackle an objection. Sa Hear, you will listen and determine the argument. You will submit yourself under the force of reasoning ng kausap mo. Sa Help, you will provide your counter-claim and support with which you will have to build a cumulative case using positive and negative apologetics. Sa Heal, you will attempt to identify a non-biblical idea and recuperate that non-biblical idea with a biblical one. Lastly, sa Honor  you will try to lead the person to a simple study of the Scripture you used to recuperate the wrong idea earlier. Although you might think this is a confusing task, actually mas mapapadali kasi for every H mayroon kang given tasks na gagawin na well-defined.

So 4H Apologetics is a process. This is where it gets challenging in the church (at nagiging source din ng frustration ko malimit) because when I introduce 4H, some Christians would feedback, “Kinakahon mo ang Holy Spirit pag ganyan" or “Just follow the leading of the Spirit.” While there are true principles that ground those statements, like “Don’t rely too much on your own ability” and “Be spiritually sensitive to the Holy Spirit” those statements above are accusations that will remain baseless if (1) you follow a process AND AT THE SAME TIME (2) have the humility not to trust on your process alone but be prayerful and (3) submit to the work of the Holy Spirit who is not against making process. I have frequently asked Christians who say those statements kung they do regular quiet time of prayer, praise, devotions and Bible reading; if they say yes, I would tell them, “That’s a process.”

Sa kanyang aklat na The High Performance Entrepreneur, ang author na si Subrioto Bagchi tells this story,

Fuji Xerox was a joint venture between Fuji and Xerox. Fuji Xerox won the legendary Deming Prize for Total Quality Management even before Xerox, the parent company, got the Malcolm Baldridge Award for quality in the US. The gentleman was explaining why process orientation is the key to building competitive success. Someone asked him vainly, “But Michelangelo followed no process?”

Unflustered, the expert replied, “First, be Michelangelo.”
Everybody else, he said, must follow process

Maganda nga ang may process kasi mayroon kang tinitingnan that you can evaluate. “Everything we do is a process that can always be improved,” sabi ni Tanmay Vora.

Yet we are aware that we do not want this process to devolve into a technique that we think ensures an end that is only given to the Holy Spirit to accomplish. May certain skepticism ka din kahit papano sa process. Hindi ganap yung pang-unawa natin sa proseso kasi ilalapat mo iyan sa iba-ibang environment at almost always, mag aadapt ka on may areas. Pero ganun pa man a process is important.

Sa 4H Apologetics gusto nating kunin ang mga pagdududa at gawin itong pagpupuri o yung tinatawag natin dito na from doubt to doxology. This is our big program. Sa ganitong paraan patuloy nawang masumpungan ng mga believers ang pag-asa at katotohanan ng salita ng Diyos though the believer walks through the valley of the shadow of doubt. Bawat isang H sa 4H may dalawang katanungan. Ang mga katanungan pong ito progressively outlines a Christian’s journey from doubt to doxology.

Ang mga katanungang ito kada isang H ay ang sumusunod. Sa Hear, ang first question is “What is the claim of the argument?” Second question: “What is the support of the argument? Sa help naman po, ang dalawang magkasunod na tanong ay “What is your counter-claim?” at “What is the support of your counter-claim?” Sa 3rd H, Heal, ang dalawang magkasunod na tanong sa outline is “What is the idol that this argument is trying to create?” at “What is the biblical teaching about God that recuperates this idea of the idol?” Sa last H, Honor, “What application can you draw out from the correct ideo of God?” and “What action point can you resolve to do at this point?”

Kung mapapansin ninyo ang process helps you not only to provide an answer sa objection, but also support a congenial environment well-suited for reaching God’s goods of truth, understanding and wisdom. Nakalapat ang 4H para ‘yung pinag usapan nating mga intellectual virtues sa previous episode ay magamit mo as a witness so that you create this environment na hiyang sa paghahanap ng katotohanan. It is also my hope na sa pakikipag usap mo sa kaniya, mapalapit din kayo sa isa’t isa at maipatotoo mo rin sa kaniya ang kabutihan ng Diyos sa iyong buhay.

Mga Disposisyon ng Makadiyos at Mapanuring Isipan sa Apologetics, Part 2 || John Pesebre (April 5, 2018)

Magpapatuloy po tayo this episode sa hindi nating natapos na list ng mga general categories ng intellectual virtues na inquiry-relevant sa ating desire na makilala lalo ang Panginoon and in so doing also develop our skills in the task of apologetics. Kapag tayo ay may godly inquring mind, ang ating mga apologetics encounter ay maaring makapag secure ng hiyang na environment para ang ating kausap ay mahikayat na magproduce ng mga bagong beliefs na tama patungkol sa Diyos.

Sa mga Ratio Christi meetups namin ito ang aming simulaing ginagawa. We strive to create and facilitate an environment sa aming mga meetups na congenial o hiyang sa pag pursue ng goods of truth, understanding and wisdom. Ang 4H na apologetics na sisimulan ko po next episode ang ginagamit namin at ito ay nakadisenyo to create ang hiyang na environment na ito. At dahil ang mga nag aattend ay mga Christian college students it is fair to assume na dinisenyo ng Diyos ang mga isipan ng mga estudyanteng ito para makatuklas ng katotohanan tungkol sa Diyos.
And so, we facilitate these meetups or even one-on-one mentoring with the reliance upon God that our godly inquiring mind will be humble enough to submit to God’s leading and at the same time, etong virtuous mind na ito ay makabuo ng hiyang na environment well-suited for the production of beliefs ng mga students. Kumbaga we are putting our mind on the meeting.

So last episode we discussed three of these virtue categories ng ating isipan -- mga bagay ito na pag ating na develop would greatly help us find God’s goods of truth, understanding and wisdom. These are all qualities that we see displayed in Scripture by people who have godly inquiring minds.

Una po ang pagdevelop at pagmaintain ng initial motivation to know God. Ang totoong mananampalataya ay may patuloy na pagnanais na makilala pa ng lubusan ang Panginoon. Pangalawa, kailangan ring maging properly focused sa ating pag-inquire. Nauunawaan ng isang believer ang kahalagahan ng pagtuklas ng kaalaman patungkol sa Panginoon kaya siya ay may kakayahang mag concentrate sa pag aaral. Pangatlo, nararapat lamang na gawin nating habit magbuo sistematikong stuktura sa ating natuklas. The believer aims to develop sound biblical knowledge through biblical, systematic and practical theology.*

So ituloy po natin sa pang-apat ngayon.

Pangapat, ay makadevelop ng habit na may integrity sa pag iisip. Kung nakatuklas ng katotohanan galing sa Dios marapat lamang magka self-scrutiny at maging open na magbago sa paanan ng Diyos. This is essentially the point of “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror” (Jam 1:23 NIV). Sa category na ito kailangan matuto ng intellectual humility, honesty, transparency at iba pang mga katangian na magpapatunay na tayo ay may integridad kapag nahaharap sa katotohanan.

Madadala mo rin ang virtue na ito sa apologetics kasi sisikapin mo ding makita ang magagandang ideas ng kausap mo na maaari mo ding yakapin at isulong. Marami na akong nakausap na mga atheists (‘yung mga matitino) na parang ako ‘yung maraming natutunan sa pinag-usapan namin. Madami na rin akong inapply sa aking buhay galing sa mga pakikipag usap kong ito sa mga atheists. Napapahiyang nito ang usapan kasi ang kausap mo hindi iisipin na napaka opinionated mo at closed-minded.

Panglima ay ang makadevelop ng habit na gumawa ng action galing sa natutunan. Sabi ni Santiago,

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror  24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do. (Jam 1:22-25 NIV)

 Ang ating relasyon sa Panginoon ay may sanctification na goal. Nais ng Panginoon na sa ating pagtuklas ng knowledge galing sa Kaniya, ay ang ating mga buhay ay ma transform. Sa Romans 12: 2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rom 12:2 NIV)

Malaki ang role ng virtue na ito sa apologetics dahil maipapaalam mo sa kausap mo ang implication ng magagandang ideas niya sa real world. One time I was talking to an atheist na bank manager whose argument was “Christianity is not a peaceful religion because she created majority of wars in history.” I enjoyed explaining to him the many faulty information from where this argument comes from. Nagmatigas siya, pero when I told him na may impact ito sa stature nya as an educated bank manager kasi this argument is based on ignorance. Nakita nya ngayon ang impact nito sa kaniyang practical na life. If I had only focused on truth inside the context ng argument, mukhang hindi siya magbabago ng isip. But because I am accustomed to making true belief into to true actions sa aking relationship with the Lord, madali kong nai-orient ang aming usapan sa implication ng truth sa actions na dali-dali siyang naka relate. That was the first time that an atheist said thank you sa akin.

Panganim, ay ang pagpupursigi sa napanghahawakang katotohanan. Sabi ng aking pinakapaboritong Puritan writer na si Thomas Watson, “Perseverance in grace is the last fruit of sanctification.” Ang taong may disposisyon ay isang tao na may paniniwalang pinaninindigan at sinasabuhay. Marunong siyang manindigan. Marunong siyang magtanggol sa kaniyang pinaniniwalaan gayong siya ay mayroon din namang pagtatangi sa sinasabi ng kaniyang kausap. “Remain in me,” ika ni Kristo. Sa mga naunang grupo ng mga virtues na natutunan natin, ang pang-anim na ito ang umaaani in terms the strengthening work of the first five. A godly inquiring mind knows how to confirm and defend what it believes is true.

Sa apologetics ministry, ito ang thrust mo – to defend the truth that you know. You marshall the goods of truth, understanding and wisdom that you have and set it up in front of the person na nagtatanong sa’yo. Madadala mo ito sa apologetics by showing sa kausap mo na you have diligence sa commitment mo, na hindi ka push over. Kumbaga you know your stuff.

We are to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Cor 10:5. We know that men’s doubts about God are “arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor 10:5) Kaya naman marapat lamang na pagsumikapan nating maging stable at rational ang ating pananampalataya for the purpose na maunawaan ito ng ating kausap and hopefully by the work of the Spirit change his/her belief towards the truth.

So nabuo po natin ang anim na major categories ng intellectual virtues na inquiry-relevant. Ang mga ito po ay makikita po ninyo ulit na ginagamit sa 4H apologetics series na akin pong sisimulang ipresent sa susunod na mga episodes.

It is important to understand na ang intellectual virtues ay hindi self-regarding lang o yung ginagamit for the purpose of knowing. Ang intellectual virtues ay other-regarding din o yung ginagamit siya for the benefit of other people din whether as a part of your community or somebody you want to be part of your community so that the production of knowledge would improve in collaboration. Ang role ng “other-regarding” na idea na ito sa apologetics is that tila baga ikaw ay recruiter ng mga tao to share your beliefs so that they too can be a part of the extension of the discovery. What I ultimately mean by “discovery” there is the gaining more of knowledge about God and His work. When you have this “other-regarding” idea, then doing apologetics becomes not just a “self-regarding” activity but it has an active inclination to extend the activity to other people. You can see this “other-regarding” feature in the ministry of Christians and inviduals, for example in the Great Commission --  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)†

(C) Photo Credit
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* Adapted from Jason Baehr, The Inquiring Mind.

† The terms "self-regarding" and "other-regarding" I borrowed from Gabriele Taylor and Sybil Wolfram, "The Self-Regarding and Other-Regarding Virtues," in The Philosophical Quarterly, Volume 18, Issue 72, 1 July 1968, Pages 238–248; available at https://doi.org/10.2307/2218561.

Mga Disposisyon ng Makadiyos at Mapanuring Isipan sa Apologetics || John Pesebre (April 3, 2018)

The virtuous Christian mind or the godly inquiring mind has two movements that are keys to good apologetics: one is vertical and the other is horizontal.

Vertical because the godly inquiring mind nais niyang patulong na makilala ang Diyos. When he pursues truth, understanding and wisdom, he sees them as goods from God, as knowledge of God. He desires to be in or creates a congenial environment that is well-suited for him to pursue these goods because he loves God. He is a Sir Philip Sidney, the Renaissance man who said, "Either I'll find a way or I'll make one." The goods he sees are worth pursuing. Constant practice of this pursuit then makes it a habit that is exemplary for the growth in knowledge of God.

Horizontal because that habit of knowing more about God weans a passion for people. That godly inquiring mind props up a character that is not only willing to listen to people but to know them. But not only to know them but for them to know God.

Intellectual virtues for the Christian then are habits of the mind that not only seeks to grow in the knowledge of God but also serves other people to know more about God, most especially to inquiring fellow believers who are beset not only of doubts but also deep in rebellion to God.

Our charter for this kind of thinking is 1 Peter 1:13 “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” One commentator explains --

Prepare to pursue them with vigour, constancy, and perseverance, and to perform the various duties which they lay you under an indispensable obligation steadily to practise. The apostle alludes to the manners of the eastern countries, in which the men’s garments being long and flowing, they prepared themselves for travelling, and other active employments, by girding them up with a girdle put round their loins, to prevent their being encumbered by them. The loins of the mind, therefore, is a figurative expression for the faculties of the soul, the understanding, memory, will, and affections, which the apostle signifies must be gathered in and girded, as it were, about the soul by the girdle of truth, so as to be in a state fit for continual and unwearied exertion in running the Christian race.*

Mahalagang may pagtatangi tayo sa ating kaalaman tungkol sa ating Panginoon. It is “though our knowledge of Him,” ang ating Panginoong Hesus, “who called us by his own glory and excellence,” na siyang naging instrumento kung bakit “his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness" (1 Peter 1:3-5). Mahalagang linangin natin ang ating isipan na maging attuned sa ating Panginoon.  May vertical na commitment kumbaga.

Subalit hindi lamang iyan, may horizontal din. Sa huling bilin ni Pablo sa kaniyang sulat sa mga taga-Filipos pinakita niya na may responsibility din ang godly inquiring mind sa ibang tao nang banggitin niya na "what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things” (Php 4:9). Ang alin? Heto ang pinatotoo niya, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things” (Php. 4:8). Pinapagawa ito ni Pablo upang maging congenial ang kanilang isipang masumpungan ang Diyos.  "Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (v.9)

So mahalaga na linangin natin patuloy ang kaalaman na ito hindi lamang sa pangsarili nating benefit ng mga goods ng truth, understanding at wisdom but also maipatotoo natin ito sa ating mga conversations most especially sa mga doubting and/or rebelling na kapatiran.

Kaya naman ang ating mga intellectual virtues ay dapat makitaan ng inquiry-relevant characteristic, na ang gustong sabihin ay kumikiling palagi sa pagtutuklas ng goods galing sa Diyos na truth, understanding at wisdom -- this way our knowledge of Him grows. So kaya ang ating isipan ay inclined towards inquiry of divine truth, understanding and wisdom.

Kaso nga lang kailangan nga nating isipin na dalawa ang movement na ito: vertical at horizontal. For every inquiry-relevant category we will put here, there will be these two movements. At ang dalawang movement na ito ay may causality sana -- yung natututunan natin sa vertical ang siya nating gagamiting skill sa ating horizontal. Magbibigay po ako ng anim categories§ ng mga virtues na ito na atin dapat na linangin.

Una po ang pagdevelop at pagmaintain ng initial motivation to know God. The believer has to be initially motivated to grow in knowledge of God. Since ang word of God ang primary focus ng study ng isang believer. Peter commands believers to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pt 3:18). Likewise the apostle in his first letter instructed believers “to gird up the loins of your mind” (1 Peter 1:13). “Gird up the loins of your mind” is an idiomatic expression which means to “prompt readiness for activity.”† Ang habit na ito serves as a stable intellectual foundation for the horizontal of being initially motivated to minister to people. Long times spent on the truth of God moves a believer to be involved with other people. This is the idea of metaphors “light of the world” and “salt of the earth.” So it’s really a good habit to develop and maintain motivation to know God and people.

Ang Barna Group recently released a study on churchgoers knowledge of the Great Commission. "There is a correlation between what Barna calls 'Bible-mindedness' -- essentially, full faith in and regular engagement with scripture—and recognizing the Great Commission."‡  Mataas ang rating ng mga born-again believers compared sa iba. This adds to my point that time spent in attentive study of God’s word creates a Great-Commission consciousness.

Pangalawa, kailangan ring maging properly focused. Ito yung marunong tayong maging attentive, focused, perceptive or even maging thorough sa ating pag iinquire ng mga bagay patungkol sa Diyos. Sabi sa Psalm 119:10-11, “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Napakahalaga sa apologetics ng mga virtues under this category kasi kung first category pa lang may motivation ka to know people, dito may attentiveness ka to hear them out and understand. Sabi sa James 1:19 “quick to listen, slow to speak.”

Sa 4H apologetics meron akong Montaigne rule. Ang Montaigne rule is galing sa sinabi ng French Renaissance philosopher na si Michel de Montaigne na sa mga discussion daw (in our case apologetics) we have to submit initially ourselves to the force of reason ng ating kausap. This is a true sign of focus. Imbes na bumuo ka ng sagot agad sikapin mo munang unawain ang sinasabi at kung pwede mas malinaw mo pang ma restate sa kaniya ang posisyon niya.

Pangatlo, nararapat lamang na gawin nating habit magbuo sistematikong stuktura sa ating natuklas. Sa pagtutuklas natin bigyan natin ng pagpapahalaga na may unity ang katuruan na yan ng Diyos sa iba pa niyang katuruan. Dito nabubuo ang stability ng ating paniniwala kasi dito tayo nakapaglagay ng systematic na structure sa ating isipan ng ating paniniwala. For example, when we talk about the love of God may pagkaunawa tayo ng manifestation nito sa buong Bible -- kaya tayo may systematic, biblical at practical theology. Sa apologetics napakahalaga nito kasi dito mo maipapakita sa kausap mo na ang pinananindigan mo ay may consistency at warrant for belief.

Isa sa mga ini-emphasize ko sa mga gustong magseryoso sa apologetics is to learn the interconnectedness of doctrines. Sa 4H apologetics kasi may section na positive apologetics kung saan ipapaliwanag mo ang isang structure of belief sa nagtatanong sa’yo para maunawaan niya kung saan ka nanggagaling. Ang structure na ito nararapat na rational at coherent. Defend ka ng ng defend wala ka naman palang pinanghahawakan.

Unang tatlo po ‘yan sa anim. Isusunod po natin ang pang-apat at pang-anim sa ating susunod na episode. Tandaan lamang po natin na ang godly inquiring mind ay may mga characteristics na ganito, hindi lamang sa purpose ng pagtuklas ng kaalaman patungkol sa Diyos subalit kung ipa-practice ang mga ito sa apologetics, nakaka-create siya ng congenial environment -- yung hiyang na environment para ang ating kausap ay makabuo ng mga bagong beliefs na totoo patungkol sa ating Panginoon.

PS for initial motivation:

MAKE UP YOUR MIND TO BEHOLD THE GLORY OF GOD BY BEHOLDING THE GLORY OF CHRIST IS THE GREATEST PRIVILEGE WHICH IS GIVEN TO BELIEVERS IN THIS LIFE. John 17:3 ‘And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.’ John Owen, Glory of Christ, Banner ed., p. 22

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*  Benson Commentary, http://biblehub.com/commentaries/benson/1_peter/1.htm

§ Adapted from Jason Baehr, The Inquiring Mind.

† Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, 

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/1_peter/1.htm

‡  "51% of Churchgoers Don’t Know of the Great Commission." in Barna (website); https://www.barna.com/research/half-churchgoers-not-heard-great-commission/