• When witnessing to those caught up in various cults it is essential to properly define your terminology.
• Many cults today masquerade as genuine Christianity. They will often look and sound very much like true, Bible-believing Christians.
• What must be remembered though is that in many cases these cults are redefining Christian terms and practices to fit their man-made religious teachings.
• For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses claim to believe in Jesus Christ. However, their Jesus is very different from the Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus of the JW’s is really Michael the archangel, the first creation of Jehovah God.
• What these cults have essentially done is they’ve adopted the outer packaging of Christianity, but they’ve emptied it of its historical, orthodox meaning as defined by Scripture.
• Many members of the various cults are not even aware of how their organizations have twisted the truth through this tactic of redefining Christian terminology.
• By asking simple questions like, “Who is Jesus Christ?” and then pointing out the truth from God’s word (Col. 1:15-20), you can make a powerful impact on someone caught up in these false belief systems.

For more information on witnessing to those caught up in the various cults, please check out Dr. Carlson’s book, Fast Facts On False Teachings, available in our online store.

• Wicca, also known as white magic or witchcraft, is one of the most popular areas of the Occult today.
• Wicca is essentially a monistic/pantheistic worldview. Wiccans believe in one universal, impersonal force called “the One” or “the All” which permeates all things; and they believe that everything in the world is spiritually interconnected.
• Wiccans believe that “the One” is represented by a host of pagan deities, but Wiccan worship is primarily directed towards the Mother Goddess (referred to as Diana, Isis, or Demeter) and her partner, the horned god, Pan. The worship of nature deities is also prominent in Wicca.
• The primary rule of Wicca is known as the Wiccan Rede, it states, “Do what thou will, and harm none.” Wiccans often point to this “moral code” to attempt to justify their religion.
• Wiccans practice casting spells in order to improve everyday life situations and to transform themselves personally. In contrast to Black Magic or Satanism, casting harmful spells or curses against others is forbidden in Wicca.
• Wicca is a false religion based on selfish pursuits (“Do what though will”), the worship of creation rather than the Creator, and the practice of casting spells, which God forbids (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). God opposes Wicca because it sets up nature and the individual as idols of worship (Romans 1:25).

For more information on the influence of Wicca and the Occult today, please check out the documentary DVD, Pop Culture Paganism available in our online store.

• The primary mission Jesus Christ gave the Church was to go into the whole world and make disciples of him (Matthew 28:19-20). Apologetics is an essential tool in fulfilling this mission.
• Apologetics is the science and art of defending the Christian faith. The word apologetics comes from the Greek legal term ‘apologia’, which means ‘to give a defense’.
• Having an ability to practice apologetics is necessary for believers as we are called to proactively ‘contend’ with non-believers and false worldviews (Jude 3).
• The skill of apologetics is also helpful as Christians are called to be ready always to give an answer to those who ask us about our faith (1 Peter 3:15).
• However, having answers alone is not enough. The manner in which we do apologetics is as important as the words we express (1 Peter 3:15).
• In sharing our faith we must always balance our proclamation of the truth with a demonstration of God’s love for people- through the tone of our words, our mannerisms, and our reactions to critique or questions.
• Remember, it’s possible to win the intellectual battle yet lose the war for a person’s heart. Having the best arguments and winning the debate will mean nothing if we don’t also convey the love of Christ.

For more information on why and how we should engage in Christian apologetics, please check out the book, Apologetics for a New Generation, available in our online store.

• In today’s culture a new brand of tolerance is being lifted up as society’s highest virtue. This new tolerance flows directly out of a postmodern culture that denies the reality of absolute truth.
• The new tolerance of today says that because truth is relative you must uncritically accept all people in the areas of beliefs, practices, and lifestyle. And should you fail to practice this uncritical tolerance you will earn labels like “intolerant”, “bigoted”, or “hateful”.
• This new tolerance is far different from the historical understanding of tolerance. Historically, tolerance always implied disagreement, but it called people to live respectfully and peacefully with one another amidst their disagreements.
• What many in today’s culture fail to recognize is that to disagree with someone in a respectful manner isn’t being hateful; it’s being tolerant. To disagree with someone and then call them names or beat them up, that’s true intolerance.
• As Christians today we must help our culture understand the true nature of tolerance. We must do this philosophically, but as importantly, we must demonstrate genuine tolerance in our speech and actions, even towards those who would label us “hateful” or “intolerant”.

For more on the Christian response to today’s new tolerance, please check out Jason Carlson’s CD album, Answering the Challenges of a Post-Christian Culture, available in our online store.

• The March 2015 issue of National Geographic has a cover story titled, “The War On Science”. In the story Creationists and advocates of Intelligent Design are cited as examples of groups that are supposedly at war with science.
• Describing Creationists and I.D. proponents as being at war with science, however, is a gross caricature. Both of these groups have a profound appreciation for science.
• The problem with this article is that National Geographic is defining “science” in such a way that they equate it with Naturalistic-Darwinian evolution. Thus, if you disagree with Naturalistic-Darwinian evolution, you are anti-science.
• The truth, however, is one doesn’t need to embrace Naturalistic-Darwinian evolution to have a genuine respect for science or to be an accomplished scientist. This is evidenced by the reality of numerous prominent scientists throughout history who believed in Divine creation (ex. Pasteur, Mendel, Linnaeus).
• True science examines evidence through observation and experimentation; and Creationists and I.D. advocates have the same scientific evidence as Naturalistic-Darwinian evolutionists.
• The real issue is not the evidence, but how you interpret the evidence. Evidence itself is neutral, but we must recognize that our interpretations of the evidence are not.
• Everyone interprets evidence through a particular worldview. National Geographic is philosophically committed to a Naturalistic-Darwinian worldview that cannot allow for the possibility of a Divine Designer.
• In claiming their philosophical worldview as “science”, National Geographic confuses the public into thinking that Creationists and I.D. proponents are at war with science. This is simply untrue and does a disservice to legitimate scientific inquiry and debate.
• The question that National Geographic should be asking if they are genuinely concerned with the pursuit of true knowledge is this, “Which philosophical worldview makes the most sense in light of the observable scientific evidence?”

For more information on the importance of worldviews in relation to the origins debate, please check out Dr. Carlson’s DVD lecture titled, Evolution vs. Creation available in our online store.

• Recently a young man asked me, “How do I share my faith with someone who disagrees with me without sounding confrontational?” The following tips will help you open doors to productive apologetic conversations.
• Begin the conversation with a question such as, “I’m interested in what you believe about (insert topic). Would you mind telling me more about your views on this?”
• If they’re willing to do so, listen respectfully to your discussion partner and acknowledge your appreciation for their openness in sharing with you.
• Next, politely note that you recognized some differences between their beliefs and yours. For example, “I found it interesting that you said you believe (insert topic). That’s a different perspective on this issue from what I hold.”
• At this point your conversation partner may ask you to share more about your beliefs with them. If so, go for it. However, it they don’t, you might say something like, “Isn’t it interesting how we can both believe something about (insert topic) to be true, yet at the same time have such different perspectives?”
• Having introduced this logical tension, you can follow up with, “You know, with our respective beliefs on this issue being so different, we can’t both be right.”
• Now you have a great opportunity to take your conversation to the next level apologetically, try saying something like, “Personally, I don’t want to believe something that isn’t true. Maybe we should explore this topic more together?  Would you be open to discussing our respective beliefs further with me and examining why we each believe what we believe?”
• Hopefully your conversation partner will be open to your proposal. However, even if they’re not, at the very least you’ve planted a seed that might compel them to think more about what they believe and why.
• Notice, throughout this whole process you’ve been able to direct the conversation respectfully and without sounding confrontational. By engaging in apologetic conversations in this manner you can earn people’s trust and hopefully more opportunities to share with them in the future.

For more helpful witnessing tips, please check out the book, Apologetics For A New Generation, available in our online store.

• The following three “Big Picture” questions can provide a helpful framework for your future apologetic conversations. By keeping your discussions centered on these three questions you can more readily direct your conversations to the ultimate goal of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Is there a God? This is the foundational question. Is there a Creator or are men and women simply accidents evolved out of slimy algae? This question can open doors to highlighting the significant differences between a Theistic and Atheistic worldview.
• Has God spoken? If there is a Creator, has this God revealed anything to us about His nature, human nature, His plans and purposes for creation, etc.? This second question can open up some good opportunities to discuss the many reasons for believing that God has revealed truth, both in the Bible and in the person of Jesus Christ.
• If there is a God, and if He’s spoken, will we trust Him and obey? This third question is really the heart of the matter. If we have good reasons for believing in a God who has revealed truth, then we can point out for people that our only appropriate response is to trust and obey.

For more helpful tips on engaging in apologetic conversations, please check out The Apologetics Study Bible For Students, available in our online store.

• Within religious and philosophical thinking there are a number of different concepts of God found in our world today. Some of the most common are these.
• Atheism says there is no God.
• Agnosticism says there may be a God, but we can’t know for sure.
• Deism says there is a God who started the universe, but this God is now distant and unknowable.
• Theism says there is a single God who is knowable, either personally or through revelation.
• Pantheism says that everything is God and God is an impersonal force.
• Panentheism says there is a God who is distinct from the universe, but the universe exists within God or as an extension of God.
• Polytheism says there are many finite gods.
• Animism says there are many finite gods who spiritually indwell the natural world.

For more information on these differing concepts of God, please check out The Apologetics Study Bible for Students, available in our online store.

• Have you ever wondered about the Magi who are written about in the Nativity story (Matthew 2:1-12)? Who were they? Why were they looking for the Christ-child? How’d they know when and where to look for him?
• The Magi, or wise men, were a priestly caste in the ancient world that often served as advisors to kings and emperors. They were sought out for their knowledge of astronomy and astrology, as well as their supposed ability to foretell the future and discern the meaning of dreams and visions.
• The Magi of the Nativity story were possibly from Babylon; and if so, they were likely influenced by the teachings of the biblical prophet Daniel, who a few hundred years earlier was the chief of the wise men of the Babylonian empire (Daniel 2:47-48).
• Through the influence of Daniel the Magi would have been familiar with the Old Testament and its 300+ prophecies pointing to the coming of the Messiah; and from the text of Matthew 2 it’s apparent that these Magi believed the promises of God’s word and intended to worship the coming King of the Jews.
• The Magi were likely watching the heavens looking for a sign of the Messiah’s arrival as a result of exposure to Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.”
• The Magi would have even known the general timeframe of the Messiah’s arrival as a result of Daniel’s prophecy in Daniel 9:25, that the Messiah would appear 483 years after the decree to allow the Jews to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.
• While we can’t say for sure who the Magi were, the above possibilities are likely based on the clues we’re given in Scripture. What we can say for sure is these Magi truly were “wise men” in recognizing and worshipping the God who took on flesh to become the Savior of the world.

For more information on the biblical prophecies of the Messiah, please check out Dr. Carlson’s lecture, The Bible: Is it the Word of God? available in CD or MP3 in our online store.

• You follow an individual or organization that claims to be the modern day prophet of God or voice of God on earth.
• You claim to believe the Bible, but you have additional, newer revelations that take precedence over the Bible.
• You believe the Bible has been corrupted, cannot be trusted, or can only be properly translated and interpreted by your prophet or organization.
• You deny that the one true God exists eternally as three independent persons.
• You believe in more than one God.
• You deny that Jesus Christ is the eternal God who came to earth both fully God and fully man.
• You deny that total and complete salvation is found in Jesus Christ’s atoning death on the cross and is offered freely to all as a gift of grace.
• You believe that salvation requires more than faith in Jesus, but must be earned by doing good works or by proving your worthiness to God.
• You deny the existence of conscious, eternal punishment in favor of annihilation, reincarnation, or universal salvation.
• You believe that you can personally experience divinity, by becoming one with the divine, or by ultimately becoming a god yourself.

For more information on recognizing and responding to the cults, please check out Dr. Carlson’s book, Fast Facts On False Teachings, available in our online store.