March Madness Christian Apologist voting

[Apologiaphoenix]

This has been going on and it looks like I'm involved in it. If you like what you see here, I would appreciate your vote.

https://twitter.com/ApologistPolls/s...36911248134144

[Sparko]

Do you have to play basketball against other apologists?

[One Bad Pig]

I don't feel that it is fair to rank you against people whom I've never heard of before. This strikes me as largely a popularity contest, and I hope none of those being proffered are doing their work for the sake of popularity.

[KingsGambit]

I don't approve of this either. Even if it's meant to be just for fun, it seems to veer too close to "party spirit", which in a church context is one of the sins mentioned throughout Paul's letters.

[QuantaFille]

I agree with OBP and KG. Even if we're talking about ranking people according to who is the best at apologetics, should we really be doing that? To what end?

[Sparko]

I think you guys are getting way too serious about this.

From their web page:

2020 Christian Apologist March Madness

In a now annual tradition, I place the top 256 Christian Apologists head to head in a March Madness Competition. This completion is open to all Apologists. The goal of this competition is to glorify God by promoting Apologetics, and having a little bit of fun at the same time!

https://adherentapologetics.com/chri...march-madness/

[KingsGambit]

I think you guys are getting way too serious about this.

From their web page:

2020 Christian Apologist March Madness

In a now annual tradition, I place the top 256 Christian Apologists head to head in a March Madness Competition. This completion is open to all Apologists. The goal of this competition is to glorify God by promoting Apologetics, and having a little bit of fun at the same time!

https://adherentapologetics.com/chri...march-madness/

It might be intended in fun, but the amount of backbiting and rivalry within the apologetics community really is out of control (and last year some people were taking this pretty seriously).

[QuantaFille]

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

[Apologiaphoenix]

Evan Minton and I were once in competition in this and we still remain good friends. I'm mainly pleased to learn about others but also as one trying to establish myself so I can do more and provide for my own family, get my work out there more.

[simplicio]

It might be intended in fun, but the amount of backbiting and rivalry within the apologetics community really is out of control (and last year some people were taking this pretty seriously).

But the backbiting and rivalry exists independently, without this sort of "madness". On the one hand, there few are familiar with a range of apologists' writings such that the vote represents much. But it is a move to engage Christians and getting them to read a wider range.

If we have the Bible, why even bother reading what an apologist has to say? (Yes, that is a serious question, one which is brought up on Tweb quite. Usually it comes in the form of an answer of the form "the gospel" or some pericope)

[rogue06]

This has been going on and it looks like I'm involved in it. If you like what you see here, I would appreciate your vote.

https://twitter.com/ApologistPolls/s...36911248134144

Looks like it closed the day you posted this.

[Apologiaphoenix]

Looks like it closed the day you posted this.

It was open when I posted it.

[KingsGambit]

Unfortunately, it seems like my concerns have come to pass. One particularly controversial apologist (who is known for boorish behavior and poor arguments) has rocketed through the brackets, and people have been banding together to vote *against* him rather than for anybody in particular. Meanwhile, one of this apologist's supporters decided to start a smear campaign against his most recent opponent on Twitter by posting a comment he made out of context. All I can think about it how Paul said that it didn't matter whether the gospel was promoted from selfish motivations or not but rather that it was promoted.