Exposing Matt Walsh’s Lousy Apologetics

I just learned this morning that the talking head, Matt Walsh, has repeatedly said that when dealing with an Atheist it is stupid to “Biblethump them,” to “throw Scripture at them,” or to “quote Scripture” at them. Matt Walsh basis all that on the fact that since as Atheists the Atheist doesn’t believe the Word of God, therefore it is useless to quote Scripture at them. According to Matt Walsh, we must instead, use “logic,” and “reason.”

This is stupid but consistent with all those who are Natural Law Thomist types.

What might we say in response to this in order to see how stupid it is?

1.) Matt Walsh fails to understand what the underlying issue is as existing between the Atheist and the Christian when in debate/conversation. This issue isn’t so much what is immediately on the table. The issue is, “By whose authority are we going to determine the rightness or wrongness of whatever is being disputed.” The Atheist says to Matt Walsh … “I don’t accept your authority.” Matt Walsh says … “OK, then, I will agree to use your fallen authority as my authority.”What Matt Walsh has done by insisting that we shouldn’t Biblethump people is he has ceded the territory that counts the most. He has ceded to the Christ-hater the standard that will be used to determine truth. Now, if Matt Walsh does that … if Matt Walsh enters the dispute on the enemies chosen ground does Matt Walsh think he is going to be able to gainsay the Atheist? No … a thousand times “NO.” If the Christians abandons his Christian presuppositions in order to argue according to the humanist presuppositions, the Christian will lose every time.

2.) Logic and reason are what they are because of the authority of God’s Word. In other words Logic and reason, apart from presupposing God’s Word, quickly becomes illogical logic and irrational reason. Now, we can certainly make points against our Atheist friend without quoting chapter and verse but behind whatever point we are making better be a foundation that is anchored in Scripture or a necessary consequence thereof.

3.) Matt Walsh, being Roman Catholic, does not understand the noetic effects of the fall and as such does not embrace total depravity. For Matt Walsh (like all Thomists) man’s mind is not completely fallen and so quite without submission to God’s authority (whether implicit or explicit). Fallen man (like our Atheist friend) can be convinced about matters like Abortion, or Sodomite marriage, if we only make “reasonable” arguments per his self-centered standard. This appeal to “Natural Law” done by Matt Walsh and his Thomist friends fails to understand that as man is fallen, man uses his fallen thinking as a prism through which to see all issues that come before him. What Matt Walsh doesn’t realize is that the Atheist is not coming to the issue in a neutral fashion. The Atheist has skin in the came (his own autonomous authority that finds him being god in his life) and if we cede to the atheist the idea that we have to accept his putative neutral authority as the authority the Atheist will never convert because the very thing that needs to be challenged in the Atheist (his autonomous humanist reason) remains unchallenged, and so in authority over God’s authority.

4.) Matt Walsh, like all Thomists, has not only given up leveraging Scripture against the Atheist, he has also given up Scripture for himself. Matt Walsh is ignoring the passage in Romans 1 where the Holy Spirit clearly teaches that the Atheist is “suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.” The Atheist is not an honest player in this discussion. His carnal mind is at warfare with God. Part of the Atheist’s plan for victory is to get “Christians” like Matt Walsh to broom out of the conversation the authority of God’s Word from the very beginning. In such a way the Atheist’s victory is assured in whatever dispute is at hand.

5.) What the Atheist needs to be told, when demanding that Scripture isn’t going to convince him, is, “I know. Now let me tell you why Scripture isn’t going to convince you. God’s Word, apart from the Holy Spirit’s regenerating power, is not going to convince you Mr. Atheist, because you are dead in your trespasses and sins. You are in rebellion against your maker and being in rebellion you will not submit to His authority. This leaves you without God and without hope. This leaves you continuing to try to escape what you know you can never escape as long as you’re in this defiance mode and that is that you are under God’s wrath and being under God’s just wrath against your sin you’re violently doing all you can to escape your sin, guilt and misery. You will not have God and His Word rule over you. Thus, I quite agree you can’t be convinced apart from the power of the Holy Spirit working in your life. The Holy Spirit, Mr. Atheist, was sent to convict people like you of sin, righteousness, and the judgment to come. Still, I have some hope. My hope is that you will finally see and admit to yourself your sin, guilt and misery and go to the only one who can set you free from that which has you so burdened and heavy laden. Mr. Atheist that one is Jesus Christ who God set forth as the one who alone can turn away God’s just wrath upon you and for the first time in your life give you peace with God. You see, Mr. Atheist, Jesus Christ died for sinners, and carried the guilt of particular sinners and now God commands you Mr. Atheist to finally give up your rebellion and flee to the only place where you can be once and forever done with your hatred of God, hatred of others, and hatred of self. Only upon crying out to God for rescue, will you understand and accept the clear teaching of Scripture on the matter we are in dispute. Won’t you please repent?”

For those who want to see this teased out even more, I highly recommend this article by Cornelius Van Til;

https://www.apologeticscentral.org/post/mr-grey-mr-black-and-mr-white-by-cornelius-van-til-with-commentary

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him. View all posts by jetbrane