There are even those Christians who are actually on the opponents’ side and are not happy when an Apologist wins an argument. It is good to keep in mind that human nature is still against that which is right, good and truthful, and even Christians are not immune to the sinful nature. The tools help the Apologist to destroy the opponents’ arguments from the root and show the audience that their criticisms are totally false.

There are so many questions that can come up in an argument that it would be tiresome trying to answer and defend every single one. The tools are used to categorize certain questions. For example, some questions fall into the Bible Difficulties category. The Apologist can then explain that a certain question falls under a particular subcategory of the Bible Difficulties category. As the questions keep coming he directs them to an already explained category so he would not have to go back and touch on that subject again. The audience understands this and can therefore figure out the solution for themselves. Therefore no more time is wasted. The opponent then too would realize it makes no sense bringing up objection after objection from the same category. This is how the tools can help the Christian Apologist win his argument against the critic.

How to Put the Tools into Practice
There are at least eight Apologetic tools divided into at least ten categories and many other subcategories. The Apologist therefore has to remember hundreds of subcategories in order to effectively practice Christian Apologetics.

Reading question-answer columns in Christian magazines, books on apologetics, browsing the internet for forums and studying the questions asked, as well as listening to question-answer sessions on Christian programs are a good way to start. Then think about how to answer the questions and compare your answers with those of others. Then the best possible answer can be written in your own words. A communication course can help with this and getting your answer published would be a great step toward the goal of becoming a Christian Apologist.

Mastering the tools is a never-ending exercise and continuous reading and reflection of the topics should become a life-long passion.

Christian dating should be seen as the first few steps on the road to Christian marriage. Indeed this is how most Christians do see dating. Of course, this doesn’t mean planning the wedding from the first date but it does mean dating with the idea of Christian marriage in mind. Which is simply a scary way of saying that when you date as a Christian you go on that date open to the idea that this person could be the one with whom you fall in love and marry. This is essentially what Christian dating is, it is dating with marriage in mind. If you go out on a date with someone without being open to the possibility of falling in love then you are certainly on a date but for sure not a Christian date! This leads us on to the biggest Christian dating mistake.

Christian dating mistake #1 Not dating with romance in mind

The biggest dating mistake made by many Christians is that they are not going on Christian dates at all. This doesn’t mean that you are not going to Christian places or doing Christian activities, or even that you’re not dating other Christians. It means that you are making the mistake of thinking that simply being a Christian and having a date equals Christian dating. This is not so. The date itself must be within the framework of Christian ethical standards – how Christians treat other people. Your date should not be with you simply because they are nice to look at, or nice to be seen with. Nor should your date be simply company on an otherwise lonely night.

Many Christians make the mistake of asking someone out on a romantic date when all they really want is someone to go out with as a friend. This leads to obvious complications when you have one person viewing the other as a potential friend, whilst being viewed by them as a potential husband or wife. Christians make this mistake all the time due to the lack of sexual pressure in Christian dating. Knowing that sex is out of the question and with strict personal rules on kissing and other acts of intimacy, it is easy to find yourself in ‘friend mode’ rather than viewing your date as a potential spouse. Now of course a husband and wife are friends, I am in no way suggesting otherwise, but theirs is a special kind of friendship built on a foundation of romantic love.

Dating with marriage in mind means thinking of your date, right from the first date, as someone with whom you could build a romantic, loving friendship with that results in marriage. It doesn’t mean working out the names of your future children five minutes into the first date! Christian dates should be romantic and marriage-minded from the outset.

What is the difference between Christian dating and non-Christian dating? To most people the answer lies in what you do on that date. It’s an easy one to answer. Christians are not going to have sex on the date and may even choose not to kiss. Now ask yourself the difference between

Christian dating and two people going out as friends, for a meal or to catch a show? The answer lies in how the couple view each other. The friends, see each other as friends and treat each other accordingly. The dating couple should be viewing each other as dates, not simply as friends. Imagine two friends, a man and a women, going out for a meal to catch up on old times but during the meal the man starts seeing his friend as a date. Unless she starts seeing him as a date the evening is going to end up in upset. Now imagine, a Christian couple on a date but while she sees her date as a date, he sees her as a friend – this evening too will end in upset.

To avoid the biggest dating mistake made by Christians, simply make sure you are going on a Christian date. Not a night out with a friend but a date. When you consider asking someone out on a date, ask yourself first if you could see yourself in a romantic relationship with this person. Don’t be one of those Christians who find someone they like as a friend and ask them out on a date (knowing there will be no sexual pressure) with the idea that at ‘some’ time in the future things ‘may’ get romantic. Christians know that romance doesn’t mean sex but dating should mean romance – right from the first date.