Please, answer my poll - HONESTLY!

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Mega,,,,,,

    It was required & mandatory  for my field of studies,,,,,,,"true beginnings" of philosophy as I recall,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,   Do you wish we expand on the subject?             Love,Kwik

[Omegaman 3.0]

9 hours ago, kwikphilly said:

Do you wish we expand on the subject?             Love,Kwik

Actually, no, not really kwikphilly, my purpose for starting this thread, has nothing to so with the topic of epistemology. It has more to do with whether people know what it means.

I was reading a thread yesterday, where a poster used the word 5 times in one post, not even having one time, used a synonym or giving any explanation of the word. One could not figure it out from the context of the topic of sentences either.

Here in the apologetics section, we are hopefully about providing answers to people who want them. The topic is Christ centered. If we are not ultimately trying to reach others for Christ, then we are just practicing debate for debate's sake, and missing the point.

The center of apologetics, is words, using words to communicate. It is ironic that this section is titled "Apologetics", when lot's of people do not know what the term even means. We start of handicapping the topic, by using uncommon words, effectively excluding some people from the topic.

So, my intention in this topic, is to discuss some ways that we might become more effective communicators of the Gospel and it's defense to a skeptical world, and how to help others also become more effective communicators.

As I write this, it is clear from my poll, that most people who responded, do not know what the word epistemology means. If that is true in the apologetics section of the forum, it is likely true for the other sections as well. That poster who kept using the word, probably does not realize, that it is likely, that many who may have started reading his post, did not finish it as their eyes glazed over.

Recently, I told a poster here at Worthy to explain something to me as if he were speaking to a 10 year old, because I was not understanding what he was trying to say.

Those who are serious about Apologetics, probably know the name Walter Martin, if not, they probably should. In his book, the Kingdom of the Occult, on pages 676 and 677, he writes:

In the words of perhaps the greatest illustrative Bible teacher in the history of the Church, Dr. Donald Barnhouse, "If you are ever going to be a success, get the hay down out of the loft, onto the barn floor, where the cows can get at it." Do not speak or write to impress people about yourself, your scholarship, and what you know. Lift up the Lord Jesus Christ, and let them see Him. You must communicate who you are and what you believe, and put it in terms, that a person can grasp, appreciate, apply, and use.

That is what I am talking about here in this thread. To communicate, we need to speak simply, with words that people know, or else take the time to explain what our words mean, or they will not understand what we are saying. As Christians, we have lots of in-house lingo, it is almost our own ghetto language. That is okay, when it suits the audience, but here on the Forums, when we speak to another person, hundreds of others, also often read it. If we want out words to have value and impact, we need to speak to the hundreds, not just the one.

If we use words and phrases like dispensation, doxology, exegesis, hermeneutics, hypostatic union, justification, regeneration, sanctification, substitutionary atonement, rapture, salvation, glorification, you get the point . . .

. . . do we stop to wonder if even our fellow Christians know what we are speaking to? How mysterious must we seem to non-believers. Our lingo is like listening to medical discussions or legalese! There is a place for such terminology certainly, but it is not always in these posts and threads, not if we want to have any impact.

Let's get the hay down out of the loft and onto the barn floor, where the cows can get at it!

I would welcome other suggestions and ideas, about how to effectively communicate here, to be clear and relevant to a larger number of readers, and not just to Christians, but to all! This is what I want this thread to be about.

Maybe later, we can compile some of your anticipated good suggestions, in a succinct post, pinned elsewhere in the forum, to help us all to make the forum a more useful place to all who visit.

[alien224]

Very well said Mega thank you. I to have often wondered if some of the newer members avoided apologetics because they didn't know what it was. We have very intelligent people here. We are all at different levels. Most of us do not have a Doctorate in Theology or the vocabulary to go with it. 

You have to crawl before you can walk. So keep the hay on the barn floor so us sheep can feed.

Thanks!

[Esther4:14]

7 minutes ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

 

Those who are serious about Apologetics, probably know the name Walter Martin, if not, they probably should. In his book, the Kingdom of the Occult, on pages 676 and 677, he writes:

In the words of perhaps the greatest illustrative Bible teacher in the history of the Church, Dr. Donald Barnhouse, "If you are ever going to be a success, get the hay down out of the loft, onto the barn floor, where the cows can get at it." Do not speak or write to impress people about yourself, your scholarship, and what you know. Lift up the Lord Jesus Christ, and let them see Him. You must communicate who you are and what you believe, and put it in terms, that a person can grasp, appreciate, apply, and use.

That is what I am talking about here in this thread. To communicate, we need to speak simply, with words that people know, or else take the time to explain what our words mean, or they will not understand what we are saying. As Christians, we have lots of in-house lingo, it is almost our own ghetto language. That is okay, when it suits the audience, but here on the Forums, when we speak to another person, hundreds of others, also often read it. If we want out words to have value and impact, we need to speak to the hundreds, not just the one.

If we use words and phrases like dispensation, doxology, exegesis, hermeneutics, hypostatic union, justification, regeneration, sanctification, substitutionary atonement, rapture, salvation, glorification, you get the point . . .

. . . do we stop to wonder if even our fellow Christians know what we are speaking to? How mysterious must we seem to non-believers. Our lingo is like listening to medical discussions or legalese! There is a place for such terminology certainly, but it is not always in these posts and threads, not if we want to have any impact.

Let's get the hay down out of the loft and onto the barn floor, where the cows can get at it!

I would welcome other suggestions and ideas, about how to effectively communicate here, to be clear and relevant to a larger number of readers, and not just to Christians, but to all! This is what I want this thread to be about.

Maybe later, we can compile some of your anticipated good suggestions, in a succinct post, pinned elsewhere in the forum, to help us all to make the forum a more useful place to all who visit.

I think this is a fantastic point.  We talk about this subject at church sometimes, and try to work towards limiting our church lingo when we are in community settings because it can be distracting and intimidating to people.  It was a real shift for me a few years ago, because I wanted to fit in with people at church by using words like this.  

However, to be a witness to any group of believer, you have to learn their language; and sometimes we can have different styles of relating with words in own communities.  It is important to be aware of this and considerate towards the way they communicate so that they will understand what we are trying to share with them.  

I have two verses that I think go along with this subject.  

"For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2).  

" So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church, (1 Corinthians 14:9-12).  

[Omegaman 3.0]

15 minutes ago, Esther4:14 said:

" So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be speaking into the air. There are doubtless many different languages in the world, and none is without meaning, but if I do not know the meaning of the language, I will be a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church, (1 Corinthians 14:9-12).  

Of course, the context is different, but the Paul's point is just as valid here, thanks Esther!

[Lavender]

 

12 hours ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

Let's get the hay down out of the loft and onto the barn floor, where the cows can get at it!

Moo.   I like cows.

Being a New Christian I have had to use Google quite a lot to look up words that I have read on here.  Although I still don't know what half of the ones are in your list.  The terminology here is very specific and not what I have encountered outside of being a Christian.

Things that I find helpful are when people not only post a term or scripture but they add a sentence to explain what it means or what their thoughts are.  If people can give examples with everyday things/ objects/ situations that helps me.  Personal stories to illustrate what people are trying to say are also very good.

Being one of the cows I would appreciate it if some posts were easier to understand but I also understand that sometimes people don't have the time to explain things more thoroughly.  If there is a serious debate going on between members, I would understand that using terminology would be more important. 

[OldSchool2]

I find it ironic that the branch of philosophy dealing with the limits of human knowledge was spelled wrong!

[kwikphilly]

Blessings Omegaman

      Dear Brother,thank you & God Bless you

Quote

If we are not ultimately trying to reach others for Christ, then we are just practicing debate for debate's sake, and missing the point.

So true & I think it is rather simple & basic,keeping one particular verse of Scripture in mind

Quote

King James Bible
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
                                                                                                                                                   JESUS(John 14:15)

For me,Jesus Words speak volumes     "IF"   you love   "ME" ?    Okay,that means I have to take "me,I " out of the equation and He said that IF I love Him I will love OTHERS,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

So,it is NOT about proving MY point,,,It is NOT about MY ego,,It is not about ME sounding intelligent,it is NOT about what he/she said to insult ME......It is about giving others what was given to me ,freely & lovingly,,,,,,,being forgiven & the Grace of GOD! The Good News!

How do I communicate to others? The same way Jesus talks to me,that's how!!! Jesus doesn't use the Words I heard fro college professors,theologians,physicists or the brightest intellectual speakers on the planet,,,,,,,He speaks with love,kindness,patience,understanding & compassion in the simplest & most truthful basic way .................To God be the Glory!                                With love-in Christ,Kwik

[Willa]

I thought I knew what it meant because I had always used it or seen it used within the scope of the Bible.  When I looked it up, It has a much broader meaning in the secular world, so I changed my my vote.

[LuftWaffle]

 

On ‎2016‎-‎04‎-‎21 at 1:41 AM, Omegaman 3.0 said:

Actually, no, not really kwikphilly, my purpose for starting this thread, has nothing to so with the topic of epistemology. It has more to do with whether people know what it means.

I was reading a thread yesterday, where a poster used the word 5 times in one post, not even having one time, used a synonym or giving any explanation of the word. One could not figure it out from the context of the topic of sentences either.

Here in the apologetics section, we are hopefully about providing answers to people who want them. The topic is Christ centered. If we are not ultimately trying to reach others for Christ, then we are just practicing debate for debate's sake, and missing the point.

The center of apologetics, is words, using words to communicate. It is ironic that this section is titled "Apologetics", when lot's of people do not know what the term even means. We start of handicapping the topic, by using uncommon words, effectively excluding some people from the topic.

So, my intention in this topic, is to discuss some ways that we might become more effective communicators of the Gospel and it's defense to a skeptical world, and how to help others also become more effective communicators.

I suspect that I might be the poster who's being referred to because I commonly misspell epistemology.
Whether I am the offending poster or not, though I fully accept the advice and will make a conscious effort to simplify my posts where possible. 

There is a catch though. When I'm speaking to someone who knows the meaning of the word and I explain it anyway, wouldn't it seem to them as though I'm not really addressing them, but instead presenting to an audience? Wouldn't it make the conversation less natural and more debatey?