Duties, perils of defending the faith

During the FAIR Mormon Apologetics Conference on Thursday, Aug. 6, Robert White set the record straight on the obligations, perils and blessings of apologetics. Apologetics is an ancient legal term meaning "defense" and is concerned "with the intelligent presentation and defense of the historical Christian faith," according to the Apologetics Index."When you start talking apologetics, some want to know why we are apologizing," White said. "Others think we should be forever apologizing to them."After clarifying the true definition of apologetics, White discussed several of its obligations.He quoted a scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 71: 7-9, which says to "confound your enemies; call upon them to meet you both in public and in private ... let them bring forth their strong reasons against the Lord ... no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper."White said, "There is a strong need to meet those who oppose us in public and in private. You stand between the adversary and many of his objectives." White emphasized the defensive nature of apologetics over the offensive nature sometimes adopted."We do not attack, we are not missionary-field Bible bashers and we do not go looking for fights," he said. "Our defense will not convert, but it will protect those fragile souls whose faith may falter if we cannot say how our faith may be defended."One of the key predicaments in apologetics is the motive people have for participating, White said."Be so careful that what you are doing is for the right reason," he said. "Don't let it be an outlet for pent-up, church-related frustrations; or a search for appreciation; or a search for answers to our own doubts."Apologetics is extremely dangerous and perilous work, White said, because often people place their faith in their ability to defend it against any argument. Quoting C.S. Lewis from his work "God in the Dock," he said, " I have found that nothing is more dangerous to one's own faith than the work of an apologist. That is why we apologists take our lives in our hands and can be saved only by falling back continually from the web of our own arguments — from Christian apologetics into Christ Himself." White concluded his talk with the blessings of the work of the apologetics groups."FAIR (Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research) stands as an example that we know there are answers," he said. "And that his how FAIR is saving souls.