For the Love of Using the Strawman Argument!

The picture above this paragraph shows you what a strawman argument is. It's a common cowardly tactic used to play dirty, to make yourself look like you've supposedly won when in fact nothing has been refuted. It's a very common tactic to actually misrepresent the opponent (this is also known as poisoning the well) and claim you've actually refuted somebody's arguments when you haven't, This is the use of false accusations in order to win an easy victory. Most people today just don't want to listen to the truth so they'll do anything to discredit the messenger even if it means making a strawman.

What examples of strawmen are there used against the Christian apologist? It may be accompanied by Ad Hominem arguments (attacking the person instead of the argument) and poisoning the well with false accusations to properly set up their man of straw. Some apologists of false religion actually love to use this argument that they've actually "refuted" the argument. Atheist scholars also claim that once you're a creationist then you're automatically against science. Some Roman Catholic apologists will immediately claim that if you're a Protestant you immediately hate Mary the earthly mother of Jesus. Pro-homosexual crowds will immediately claim when you don't approve of what' you're doing then you're in favor of murdering homosexuals. Some anti-Catholic Antinomians would go as far as to say that when a person's a Calvinist then that person must be a Jesuit even if the term "Calvinist Jesuit" is an oxymoron. That's just among a few arguments that really are meant to knock down a straw representation of the person rather than the actual person.

The irritating fact about straw man users is that even when the evidence is clear as day that they've lost or their claims are false. It's very easy to say that one has refuted the book "Truth Encounter" by the late Anthony Pezzotta when in reality all they've done is make more nonsense arguments. Atheists can go ahead and say they've won their position simply because they're atheists. They brag about their hollow "victory" which only makes it more irritating (or amusing) to watch. It's probably very irritating to watch when one thinks that the person is really on his or her way to Hell.

Should the Christian be concerned about the use of strawman arguments against them? The answer is no. The Bible even says they should rejoice. Matthew 5:11-12 says that being falsely accused and persecuted for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ should be a call for rejoicing. It's a clear sign that they're doing their work for the LORD.