Transcript Tactics in Apologetic (part III)

TACTICS IN CHRISTIAN
APOLOGETICS:
Part III: 4 Tactics to Refute Relativism
This material is adapted from
Francis Beckwith & Gregory Koukl’s
Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid Air,
pages 143-155.
Defending the Christian Faith:
TACTIC # 1:
Show the contradictions of relativism!
.
Tactic 1:
Show the Contradictions of Relativism:
If a relativist uses certain objections against you, he or
she will get stuck on his or her own objections:
•
“You shouldn’t judge others…”
•
“You are intolerant…”
•
“You shouldn’t force your morality on me…”
•
“Who are you to say…”
Tactic 1:
Show the Contradictions of Relativism:
1. “Who are you to say?” answer with, “Who are you
to say, ‘Who are you to say’?”
2. “You shouldn’t force your morality on me,” simply
ask, “Why not?”
The person has a hard time explaining why you
shouldn’t impose your views without imposing his or
her morality on you.
Tactic 1:
Show the Contradictions of Relativism:
3. “You have a right to your opinion, but you have no
right to force it on anyone.” Respond by, “Is that
your opinion.”
4. “Who are you to correct my correction, if correcting in
itself is wrong.”
5. “If I don’t have the right to challenge your view, then
why do you have the right to challenge mine?”
Tactic 2:
Press their hot button:
One of the simplest and most effective ways to refute
relativists is to pick their hot button (racism, animal
rights, intolerance, gay-bashing, feminism, etc) and
then relativize it. This causes their moral intuition to
rise to the surface, undermining their position.
Tactic 2:
Press their hot button:
1.
If you encounter a relativist, you can usually prove him
or wrong in five minutes when moral words like
“should” or “ought” creep into the conversation.
2. When moral words creep in, expose the inconsistency.
3.
Always remember that morality is built in; humans
have an innate capacity to reason in moral categories
and to make accurate moral judgments.
Tactic 2:
Press their hot button:
Ex. “You are Judgmental!” Respond to the accusation by
saying something like, “If it’s wrong to judge people,
then why are you judging me?”
Tactic 3:
Force the Tolerance Issue:
Force the tolerance issue. This third tactic makes capital
of a relativist’s commitment to tolerance.
If we reject another’s idea or behavior, we can be
accused of rejecting the person and of being
disrespectful. To day we’re intolerant of the person
because we disagree with the idea is confused. On this
view of tolerance, no idea or behavior can be opposed,
regardless of how graciously, without inviting the
charge of incivility.
Tactic 4:
Have a Ready Defense:
Take the offensive is a key strategy when dealing with
relativism.
1. “Whose Values?” respond, “Whose values are right?”
2. “Oh, you believe in absolutes?” What are they?”
Press a hot-button by giving a statement that would
cause their moral intuitions to come to the surface.
Tactic 4:
Have a Ready Defense:
Take the offensive is a key strategy when dealing with
relativism.
1. “Whose Values?” respond, “Whose values are right?”
2. “Oh, you believe in absolutes?” What are they?”
Press a hot-button by giving a statement that would
cause them to be “violated.”