Here's an excerpt from a very good short article I read recently in ICR's "Acts & Facts" by Dr. James S. Johnson. He uses a skeptic's question at an ICR event in Massachusetts back in February 2019 to demonstrate that not all questions are legitimate. Moreover, many questions, particularly by skeptics, I believe are just veiled accussations and definitely not sincere questions. He quotes the "question" by the accusors:
“Some say that minor errors in the Bible are okay because they don’t hurt the Bible’s main message—but how do you deal with the Bible’s errors?” The scoffer added, “How do you fix your theology when new scientific discoveries prove that your literal belief in the Bible doesn’t work?”
Notice how the critic’s leading questions included built-in assumptions: “The Bible contains errors. Your theology is broken. Science disproves the Bible. A literal belief in the Bible is unreasonable.” They are similar to this unfair question: “Yes or no, have you stopped beating your wife?”
Beware! Before you let a critic’s question put your faith on trial, put the question itself on trial. Judge it for legitimacy—it might be deceptively illegitimate....
At a recent ICR event in Massachusetts, an attendee asked a trap-loaded question: “Some say that minor errors in the Bible are okay because they don’t hurt the Bible’s main message—but how do you deal with the Bible’s errors?” The scoffer added, “How do you fix your theology when new scientific discoveries prove that your literal belief in the Bible doesn’t work?”
Notice how the critic’s leading questions included built-in assumptions: “The Bible contains errors. Your theology is broken. Science disproves the Bible. A literal belief in the Bible is unreasonable.” They are similar to this unfair question: “Yes or no, have you stopped beating your wife?”
Beware! Before you let a critic’s question put your faith on trial, put the question itself on trial. Judge it for legitimacy—it might be deceptively illegitimate.
End quote.
~Dr. Johnson, ICR
He went on to demonstrate how Jesus Himself did not consider all questions as legitimiate when dealing with the Saduccees for example in Matt. 22:23-29 regarding "serial marriages". Footnote #4 is also worth quoting:
"Nevertheless, the skeptic argued that his question deserved an answer, because maybe “modern science” would/could/might somehow disprove some Scripture details. Obviously, Christ Himself disagreed with that attitude—and Christ’s knowledge outranks any skeptic’s speculations—so accommodating and endorsing skeptics’ speculations are both needless and unwise (Matthew 5:18; John 5:44-47; Luke 16:31). Also, notice in 1 Timothy 6:20-21 that careless attention to so-called science causes many to err from the biblical faith."
He went on to demonstrate how Jesus Himself did not consider all questions as legitimiate when dealing with the Saduccees for example in Matt. 22:23-29 regarding "serial marriages". Footnote #4 is also worth quoting:
"Nevertheless, the skeptic argued that his question deserved an answer, because maybe “modern science” would/could/might somehow disprove some Scripture details. Obviously, Christ Himself disagreed with that attitude—and Christ’s knowledge outranks any skeptic’s speculations—so accommodating and endorsing skeptics’ speculations are both needless and unwise (Matthew 5:18; John 5:44-47; Luke 16:31). Also, notice in 1 Timothy 6:20-21 that careless attention to so-called science causes many to err from the biblical faith."
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