Do you have egg on your face?
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Don’t get me wrong; I like eggs. I like them in my omelets, I like them in my French Toast, and I like them in my homemade chocolate chip cookies. Did I mention the homemade chocolate chip cookies? Oh, yeah, I did. Just didn’t want to miss that one.
Where I don’t care for them is on my face. You are undoubtedly familiar with the phrase “egg on your face.” No one is quite sure regarding the origin of this idiom, but it most likely came from disgruntled audience members in the 1800s who would throw eggs and other rotten food at performers they were disappointed in. I guess that was their form of “cancel culture!” |
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When someone uses an argument easily shown to be false, they can end up with “egg on their face.” Skeptics often use fallacious arguments and lines of reasoning that are clearly false and sometimes even self-contradictory. I’ve covered some examples in previous articles and many more in my books and videos. One illustration is when the skeptic boldly proclaims, “There is no such thing as truth!” The obvious question to ask them would be, “Is that a true statement?” Another interesting thing to point out is that if their claim is true, then it is false. I’ve also emphasized that when we point out fallacies in their logic, we need to do it very graciously, even if they are not being gracious in their own demeanor. However, this article is not actually about the skeptic as much as it is about the Christian. Can Christians have egg on their faces? Certainly! I’ve been known to sport an egg or two in my day. 😊
We (Christians) need to be very careful how we go about defending our beliefs. Unfortunately, we can unknowingly use weak or faulty arguments for years, seemingly getting away with it. Eventually, we use them on someone who sees right through them and calls us out. It can really take you by surprise. Most often, our initial reaction is to become very defensive, and we usually make things even worse in the process. We may throw out other weak arguments, try to change the subject, or worse yet, attack them personally, being very unkind in our conversation. Let me share an argument I’ve heard many Christians very excitedly use regarding evidence for creation. On the one hand, I truly appreciate their passion and their willingness to share their faith. On the other hand, there are different fingers. Sorry, I just remembered hearing that joke from a comedian about 40 years ago! On the other hand, I don’t want them to get into a situation where they can easily have egg on their face. I always appreciate it when someone offers constructive criticism because it will ultimately help me in the long run, even if I have to experience a bit of embarrassment in the moment. My example is that of something called laminin. A few of you know exactly what I am talking about, and maybe even know where I am headed. Laminin is a family of proteins that, among other things, serve to bind tissues and organs together. The argument goes something like this. When scientists were looking at our biology on a microscopic level, they discovered that laminin, the proteins that “hold all things together,” looks just like a cross! Well, isn’t that exciting? The obvious connection is that Colossians 1:16-17, speaking of Jesus, states: For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. There you have it! Proof that God created everything because the Bible says all things are held together by Jesus, and now we’ve discovered that these binding proteins are shaped just like a cross! What more proof do you need?
I’ve heard presentations that did a marvelous job of building to this “grand finale,” often bringing tears to audience members because of how beautiful and powerful this is. So, what’s the problem? I really don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but this argument just isn’t credible. I will share three major reasons why you shouldn’t use this argument.
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OTHER SHAPES
Thirdly, what do we do with all the other things in nature that are not shaped like a cross? Do those occurrences serve as evidence they were NOT created by God? If a cross shape is valid evidence as something created by Jesus, then why wouldn’t it follow that a non-cross shape would be an indication that Jesus was NOT involved? I don’t think you can have it both ways. I think people who use laminin as amazingly beautiful evidence of Divine creation do so very sincerely. However, they are setting themselves up as an easy target for the skeptic. They could potentially experience a great deal of embarrassment and humiliation. Some Christians are so strongly affected by this reprisal they become very discouraged, and some even begin to lose their faith. What are a few other examples of arguments Christians should not use in defense of the Christian worldview?
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