Teen Apologetics | Offering a basic defence for the Christian Faith BODY { font-family: arial, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Times, serif; font-size: 12; } TD { font-size: 12;} GS_googleAddAdSenseService("ca-pub-4763110844767107"); GS_googleEnableAllServices();GA_googleAddAttr('cat', '13'); GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-4763110844767107", "user_728x90"); GA_googleAddSlot("ca-pub-4763110844767107", "user_300x250"); GA_googleFetchAds(); GA_googleFillSlot("user_728x90");  Teen Apologetics   Home My Blog Objections with the Bible Objections with Jesus Objections with God General Problems Guestbook References + A Daily Verse  Offering a basic defence for the Christian Faith An Introduction MOST RECENT UPDATES:
I've added two new articles to the "Objections with Jesus" page - one article defending the Resurrection, the other (which is a bit more advanced) defining Resurrection Theology. I have, however, decided to keep the other (now outdated) articles, such as "The Resurrection Game" - primarily because they're a bit more simple, a bit easier to digest. They have been pushed to the bottom of the page, but if anyone needs a lighter read, I suggest those. - 27th August 2006.
Told you I was back... - now we have the objection regarding Bible Contradictions significant added to and edited for style and quality. Check it out on the "Objections with the Bible" page. - 20th August 2006.
Woh I've not done anything to this site in a looong time! Well all that's about to change! I've got articles to post and I've started already. Check out the "Objections with the Bible" page to see an (advanced level) article on why I trust the NT. Keep checking back in the next fortnight for more. It's all going to change now! - 14th August 2006.
I'm going to keep plugging for this, but if anyone wants to contribute to Teen Apologetics in any way please feel free. The contact addresses are nathanpaylor@hotmail.com and nathan_paylor@yahoo.co.uk.
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About Apologetics, the Website, and more!
Unless you've been hiding in a cave for the last few decades, you may well have noticed that 'Religion' among young people is not (as a topic) something that excites. If you don't believe me, I dare you (nay, double dare you...) to go up to a gang of kids on any street corner tonight and shout 'Hey, who loves Jesus?!  '
I'll meet you in Accident and Emergency and ask how it went...
But in spite of this, I find one fact in particular to be very interesting (granted I still think that light in the fridge is pretty darn impressive); indeed it is a fact often overlooked or taken for granted- Some young people, from the earliest age up to their twenties, defy the majority and come to possess a Christian faith! So much for the overriding power of peer pressure, huh?
Here in the UK, Christianity as a topic is not just something that fails to excite but is arguably 'taboo' among young people (and, being only 19 on Aug 5th 05 [hint  ], I count myself in this category). I am also aware that in North America (hallo, Canada!) similar hostilities exist. So we have a lethal mixture in hand:
A Youth Culture hostile to Christianity + Young Christians + Evil Demon Children 
Ok,- I may have made that last one up. But even if the former two remain, the result can still be pretty bad, and several things may take place:
They (the Young Christians) come to be mocked, persecuted, and even bullied for possessing a faith. They get called 'Bible Bashers' and an assortment of names. This occasionally even happened to me in school , but thankfully not to the greatly upsetting extent others I know have had to face!
They are welcomed with an assortment of arguments against possessing a faith.
They make 'headway', and begin to convert their friends. Hallelujah sister, testify ( )
They have to change their name and move to France, where they get called 'Jacques' and earn a living making wine and giving their best cap to a donkey.
Again, that last scenario may not happen all too often, and I may have borrowed it from 'The Simpsons'. It could have happened though...
Obviously, if Number (3) occurs then we don't have a problem, and with Number (1) there is the obvious issue with getting the bullying stopped, best done with the help of an authority of some sort. As such I err on the side of caution when suggesting a 'cheap quick fix', but as with Number (2) I suggest a very useful field of study that will and does help at least on a personal level- 'Apologetics'. No, it's not saying sorry. And no, it's not a NASA space programme. Although that would be quite cool. Instead, it's a discipline- it's an attempt to prove or defend Christian belief, or 'doctrine'. Imagine it like this: if you're being bullied for your faith, then you can at least combine authoritative action with the knowledge that you are standing tall for a truth. You could even (if the situation warrants and enables it) refute those doing the bullying in an intellectual and calm manner! Alternatively, if you are being presented with objections to Christianity from your peers (as described in Number [2]) you can answer them, and even turn their questioning into a Number (3) situation...
When I first stumbled upon this Discipline I was curious to know more, but at the time I quickly noticed that every easily accessible 'Apologetics' resource on 'Amazon' or on the Net were pretty much academic in nature, the type with such 'unique' terminology it makes you wonder if Biblical Scholars have been grafted into the race of Klingons.
And there is nothing wrong with that, there is a place for such study. But if you are that Christian who is facing arguments against their faith, or bullying because they believe, then these resources don't provide many relevant answers! After all, if we wished to find out about 'Quantum Physics' we would expect whoever was teaching it to mould their arguments and language so that we could understand a blinking word he or she is on about .
That is why I set up this website- Teen Apologetics: Apologetics resources easily accessible for those younger than the norm!
Now although I haven't stated it explicitly you should have been able to guess it by now- I am indeed a Christian. Not too surprising, huh? In fact, I am that type of Christian who loves 'theology' (literally 'studying God', it looks at the Bible, other religions and so on) and Apologetics at many levels. In September 2003, I noticed the aforementioned gulf of resources aimed at those younger Christians who wish to defend their faith. I, at the time, was facing said arguments and as my own knowledge and faith matured I felt the call to create a resource for others like me who wish to defend their Master.
And this is that resource.
Now, about two years on, the website has improved and developed substantially. It is no longer 'just' for Young Christians, but instead provides a 'Basic Defence for the Christian Faith' and it is not age-specific by any means.
I hope, whether you're 10, 20, 30 or... 'no comment', you can gain from this website. I have, since the conception of Teen Apologetics, been contacted from parents who have asked me to provide specific apologetics arguments for their children. I have been contacted by people old and young and am supported by ministries worldwide. Thus, 'Teen Apologetics' is now by no means aiming towards any one person but instead thanks God for the fact that it can cater for this sort of variety.
It's fantastic to see God bringing TA from its earliest roots and its earliest aims and expanding both of these over and beyond any previous boundaries I had constructed. Whoever you are, whatever you do and whatever you happen to believe, this website is for you.
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What's on the site?
On the upper-left you will notice that there is a menu, and contained within this are several categories. The areas entitled "Objections with..." are nice and simple; you will find complaints about these particular areas answered to the best of my ability, but simultaneously not too long, or 'Klingon like', so as to not confuse the uninitiated. The Blog is a bizarre page in that it allows me to write rather random articles, some really short, some considerably long, and all the while post them freely without worry of inconsistency, irrelevance and the like. It also serves as a very loose form of personal diary, detailing points of interest in my day, be they actual events or articles and items I read. Keep checking this one, and feel free to make comments by clicking on the option underneath each blog entry. The Guestbook is simple to fill in; feel free to say what you want (don't be gratuitously offensive, please- tis not funny, and it's been done before, so originality won't be one your side  ). The 'References and a Daily Bible Verse' page is where you will find my sources for the articles, but also a randomly generated Bible Verse, provided by the International Bible Society, which you can listen to via RealPlayer if you so wish.
And finally, the Home Page (which you are on now......) has a multitude of sections- Contact Information; Downloads; Useful Links; Awards, Supporters etc; Newsletter Information etc. I sincerely suggest you take some time to look further down the page, especially in the Downloads Section, it's like a whole new site ready and waiting to be put directly onto your hard drive! One thing I would also like to point out, however, are the dates listed below various sections all over the site. They often say 'Last Updated- May 23rd 2004', or something to that effect. Where present, this is telling you the date on which I last updated or indeed revised a particular area/article. In some places, no date is present, meaning that I either have not been able to do anything with it, or I deem it suitable for the site and is not needed to be revised.
If you are wondering why the articles on the main chunk of the site don't get updated often (or indeed why new articles don't seem to appear at all!), it's simply because they're fairly set in stone. The majority of what they say generally remains the same for several months before I do an overhaul. If you want to get fresh material, I suggest you look in three main areas of the site. One is the list of URL's further down the page, which generally gets updated once a month. Next is the Guestbook, wherein new people will sign and make comments but also I may talk about upcoming updates or answer what people have said, and this will happen every few weeks if not more often. But the real and third place of significance is the aforementioned Downloads section, because it is in this that the Newsletters are put online. These will be fairly regular and each time are usually in excess of 3000 words. The issues are covered in greater detail than on the site- in fact you could go as far as to say that the Downloads section is as important as the site itself! As such, I really would say that it is well worth a regular look!
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I hope that God can bless you through this site- a substantial amount of prayer, thought and study has gone into it. It may not be fantastic, but it can and is being used. This is thoroughly God's doing, not my own, and this website is for Him, and it will remain active by His will alone.
God bless,
Nathan Paylor
Updated- 11th November, 2005
[Darth Vader takes a trip to Chester University, conveniantly stumbling upon Hollybank, its Theology Department. Call it a 'mini adventure (of Biblical significance)'.]
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The Gospel (or 'Good News') The word 'Gospel' itself means 'Good News', but why do so many Christians bang on about it? Why is it so 'good'? Believe it or not, there are many out there who could spend millennia talking about the goodness of Jesus Christ's message; it's something I personally could talk about for a long time! However, I won't give you a long boring 'sermon', instead allow me to briefly run through the basics of the Gospel and everything will become more clear...I hope....
We're all sinners. This includes all of us. Every single one, 'from the Pope to the Pauper' as I like to put it. If you think you're not one, however, then ask yourself this- have you ever lied, felt lust, stolen, been angry or jealous (and so on)? All of these are classed as sins, and you'll find that people like Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King put themselves in this category. If you've done any of these, even once, then you're a sinner. If not...then you're just weirdly nice.
What's so bad about these sins then? What, or Who, makes them a negative thing? Why do we have to avoid them? Basically, they separate us from God. If you're not buying into the whole 'God-thing' then perhaps you can acknowledge that if you do these things then they usually have a rather nasty side effect for you or others in the long run (or short). That alone should be like a flashing red light, alarm bells and all!
Sin separates us from God in a very literal sense. God cannot have any sin in His presence; to do so would be contradictory to His nature. He is completely, 100% Holy. If He accepts sin, then how on earth (or heaven... ) can we call Him Holy in any way? Therefore, on the one level He can't have a sinner in front of Him, but on another level why should He have a sinner in front of Him? Wouldn't you want a 'bad' person to be punished? Wouldn't you expect it of a good and just God? Because sin is a) a bad thing, and b) something that God can't have, it requires punishment just as a parent would punish their child if they are 'naughty'. The Bible teaches us that the punishment of sin is death, and a separation from God (this may not sound bad now, I know, but trust me- it isn't a nice feeling). The place for this punishment- hell, unfortunately for us anyway!
But that's not the end! Just when you think we're screwed for eternity, there's a ray of light, and it comes in the form of Jesus. He willingly sacrificed Himself, just like the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament, except back then they usually sacrificed a pure, white lamb (hence the Christian phrase 'Lamb of God'). It is through His death and resurrection that we can be forgiven of our sins, atoned to God (or rather reconciled to God) and therefore given eternal life through Him. Not only that, but Christ promises the Holy Spirit for all who believe in Him. This dynamic character of God can work miracles (rather literally...); it can heal wounds (both emotional and physical); it can change a person from the inside out; it can guide a person to the will of God, and it can give one an actual knowledge of God's existence! After all, why do you think these born again Christians have so much conviction and energy? It's not the 'Crucifixion Coffee', I can tell you.
So there you have it- this is the Gospel brought to us by Jesus Christ. Should you act upon it? Well, that's up to you. To become a Christian is a momentous decision, the most important and life changing one you'll ever make. Therefore you should be sincere in such a decision, and you should also be 'ready'. It's like being in love (so I'm told anyway...)- you can't explain to someone when you are ready, you just 'know'!
And for those who are not even considering investigating into this more, that's fine, but I think you deserve to ask yourself 'why'. I promise you- a little investigation can go a long way!
Last Updated- 18th September, 2004. Contact me! As always, I'm more than willing to answer (or rather, try to answer) any question you may have. Alternatively, perhaps you have a query, a question or even a rebuttal! If you're included in any of those categories, feel free to let me know. I will do my best to respond, either through my own knowledge and insight, or through referring you to those who possess what I don't have (no, not a brain...).
There are mutliple ways to do this, so you have no excuse! Let's run through the list...
You can contact me on e-mail, either at nathanpaylor@hotmail.com (this one preferred) or jelleoussnake@hotmail.com.
You can get a hold of me on MSN Messenger, at nathanpaylor@hotmail.com (I don't use the other one for MSN). Perfect times for contact usually include Weekend afternoons, and Weekday evenings. I accept and add anyone, so please just go straight ahead.
Alternatively, you can get a hold of me on Yahoo Messenger, under the name of nathan_paylor. Note that you may have to patient for this one, I don't go on it all too often. However, if I see someone new has added me I will make an effort to sign in at appropriate times.
You can sign my guestbook (don't worry if you already have, just do it again) and leave your e-mail on there. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.
You can try and find me in one of the forums listed below.
I hope to be hearing from you soon  !
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As some of you already know, I really enjoy religious debate. It's exciting, the parrying of claims from one to the other- it's like a very bizarre game of chess. If you wish to see me 'in action' (as it were), contact me or just point and laugh at how long my posts can get (), you can find me at any of the following forums:
http://forums.thehugkid.com - I go by the name 'nathanLpaylor', and I usually post in the 'Discussions' area.
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/f81.html - the 'Religion' zone. I go by the name 'NathanL'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mbreligion/F2213235 - the 'Christian' messageboard, where I go by the names 'NathanL' and 'NathanLukeP'. Beware of this one, you get some right fruitcakes... not surprisingly I don't post all that often...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/h2/h2.cgi?state=threads&board=blast.lounge - the 'Blast' Lounge. Not that much religious discussion here, and I don't post all that often. But if there was anything related to religion you'd find me posting by the name 'NathanL'.
www.spurgeon.us/forums - a great debating forum for Christians ran by a internet acquaintance of mine. Very popular! I go by the name 'nlukep'.
Hope you enjoy checking these out.
Last Updated - 30th July, 2005. Downloads The Word version of this site is now ready for download! Not only does it contain all of the articles contained on the net version of Teen Apologetics (which have been grammer and spell checked in a far better fashion), it is also structured in an easy way with articles and pictures that were not able to be put on the website for whatever reason. It is now even bigger, consisting of nearly 36,000 words and has various newsletters and debates on there. To simply view it, click on the link, but to download it to your hard drive right click it and press 'save target as'. Choose your directory and press save.
Download here->>> TA website.doc [NOTE- this is now out of date. I am currently working on a revised edition]
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About the Author
This came about as a result of a) people asking me for pictures of myself, and b) the need on my part to explain to you great readers who exactly I am, where I am coming from and where I have come from! So here it is, an 'About the Author': pictures and testimony included  ! - TAabouttheauthor.doc
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Correspondance (or, debates for the normal among you)
I've managed to put all the debates into one pretty, easy-to-access Word file, which is pretty darn 'handy'. By doing this I can just keep putting debates in there without clogging up this space. When I put a new one in I'll make sure to note it here and in the 'Updates List' (top of page), so keep checking back!
http://www.freewebs.com/teenapologetics/TA-Debate Records.doc
Last Updated- 10th Nov, '05.
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PowerPoint Presentations (at last)
Evil and God- TA.ppt
The Resurrection of Christ- Fact or Fiction (rather big!)- TA2.ppt
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Newsletters
These are from the Yahoo Teen Apologetics site, for which I write fairly regular articles covering varying subjects. These, in their more recent forms, often exceed 3000-4000 words in length and are perhaps more scholarly than the main bulk of this site. Every time I write and send out these Newsletters to members of the Yahoo TA Group, I try my best to publish them on here as fast as possible. It is worth noting, though, that the earlier issues (no.'s 1 to 5 particularly) are not fantastically well written nor do they differ much from what I offer in the main articles on here which cover the same topic. Maybe this is me being the biggest critic of my own work, but this is just an observation of mine- feel free to disagree ! However, I really do believe that issues 6 to 12 are the ones that genuinely give you something different from on here and I do suggest you read these if you are wanting to start anywhere specific.
Having said that though, it should be far from me to dictate your personal reading habits. I just hope that you enjoy what I have written and that it can benefit you in some way. Happy reading!
TAnwissue1.doc - Introductory Issue. TAnwissue2.doc - On the Problem Of Evil.
TAnwissue3.doc - The First on a Series about Jesus, this time on His existence.
Tapologetics-issue4.doc - The Second on a Series about Jesus, this time on His Resurrection.
TANWissue5.doc - The Last on a Series about Jesus, this time about His death.
TAnwissue6.doc - 'The Enigma that is God' TAnwissue7.doc - Review of 'The Passion'.
TAnwissue8.doc - 'Including Exclusivism'.
TAnwissue9.doc - Includes the Critique of 'Did Jesus Die?' (with better formation and presentation), plus two opinion-articles by Graham Priestly.
TAnwissue10.doc - 'Apologetics: An Asset to Christianity'. Includes the New Section that is Prayer Requests!
TAnwissue11.doc - 'Taize: The Experience'- a reflection on my personal experiences at a Youth Pilgrimage in the middle of France.
TAnwissue12.doc - The first in our 'Hot Topics', this time on 'Homosexuality and the Church'. A very carefully written article; unnecessary offence being something I've avoided like the plague.
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Guestbook Entires
As some of you may be aware, the guestbook was sabotaged not that long ago. As such, I lost all of the entries but I managed to save them into Word before that happened. This is that document for all who are interested-
guestbook entries.doc
After the third guestbook became 'nullified' by sabotage, I had to make a fourth one. But instead of inundating you with documents which log previous entries, I've decided to combine the entries of the 2nd and 3rd Guestbook into one, handily structured, 'Word' file. You can find it here-
http://www.freewebs.com/teenapologetics/TA Combined Guestbook 2 + 3.doc
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