# Can an Evangelical be Considered Anything but Ignorant? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 7, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577 "2011-02-07T21:12:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![revelator771](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@revelator771](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/revelator771)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/1 "2011-02-07T21:12:28Z")
I haven’t been on long and hoped to find a real place to discuss serious topics…not to prostylotize. However, whenever I posited cogent exercises of logic in the discourse I was met with venom and marginalization. So the questions stands… Can an evangelical be considered anything but ignorant when discussing matters of faith and apologetics? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/2 "2011-02-07T21:14:21Z")
Some can. Some can’t. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/3 "2011-02-07T21:15:48Z")
> [@revelator771](#): > > Can an evangelical be considered anything but ignorant when discussing matters of faith and apologetics? Some are delusional instead, or liars. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/4 "2011-02-07T21:16:27Z")
What are “apologetics”? They’re probably not ignorant when discussing the specifics of their own faith. They may well be uninformed when discussing, say, Hinduism, but that’s down to the individual. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/5 "2011-02-07T21:17:19Z")
Many of them invest pretty large amounts of time into studying faith and apologetics. I still think they’re wrong, but at least some of them are pretty far from ignorant on the topic. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/6 "2011-02-07T21:19:36Z")
Everybody is ignorant about almost everything. It’s been centuries since anyone could learn even a reasonable fraction of human knowledge, which is an infinitesimal part of total knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![revelator771](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@revelator771](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/revelator771)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/7 "2011-02-07T21:19:54Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Many of them invest pretty large amounts of time into studying faith and apologetics. I still think they’re wrong, but at least some of them are pretty far from ignorant on the topic. That is the most generous response I have received on these boards…thank you for your generosity of intellectual spirit. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/8 "2011-02-07T21:20:22Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > What are “apologetics”? Basically arguing in defense of Christian doctrine. Or I guess any doctorine, but I don’t think I’ve heard the term with respect to other faiths. ---
**Author:** ![revelator771](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@revelator771](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/revelator771)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/9 "2011-02-07T21:21:13Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Some are delusional instead, or liars. You make my point. You make a sweeping general statement and dismiss the one who holds the position. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/10 "2011-02-07T21:21:31Z")
> [@revelator771](#): > > I haven’t been on long and hoped to find a real place to discuss serious topics…not to prostylotize. However, whenever I posited cogent exercises of logic in the discourse I was met with venom and marginalization. So the questions stands… > > Can an evangelical be considered anything but ignorant when discussing matters of faith and apologetics? Huh? A rabid Star Wars fan may be anything bug ignorant when discussing the ins and out of the series and the extended universe and all the stuff that is way beyond me. If he starts to claim it is real, then we have a problem. Especially if he denies evidence it isn’t, and starts inventing excuses for inconsistencies seriously. ---
**Author:** ![brocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@brocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brocks)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/11 "2011-02-07T21:23:13Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > What are “apologetics”? > They’re probably not ignorant when discussing the specifics of their own faith. Of course there are exceptions, but in several decades of discussion and correspondence, my experience is that most atheists know the Bible much better than most Christians. In fact, my experience is that most Christians cannot even give a coherent explanation for why they are in the denomination they are in, i.e. they can’t tell you the difference between a Presbyterian and a Methodist. ---
**Author:** ![revelator771](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@revelator771](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/revelator771)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/12 "2011-02-07T21:24:13Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Basically arguing in defense of Christian doctrine. Or I guess any doctorine, but I don’t think I’ve heard the term with respect to other faiths. This is correct…however it is circular. Since no one can have revelation about God accept that He gives it to him, the idea of apologetics or evangelism can seem to be an exercise in futility. I have no such hopes here. Indeed, even the Great Commission says, “go and make\* disciples\* of all men”…not Believers of all men. ---
**Author:** ![revelator771](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@revelator771](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/revelator771)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/13 "2011-02-07T21:25:42Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Huh? A rabid Star Wars fan may be anything bug ignorant when discussing the ins and out of the series and the extended universe and all the stuff that is way beyond me. > If he starts to claim it is real, then we have a problem. Especially if he denies evidence it isn’t, and starts inventing excuses for inconsistencies seriously. That presupposes that the Star Wars fan is only knowledgeable about Star Wars. I spent 30 years as a well schooled secular humanist before I became an Evangelical. ---
**Author:** ![revelator771](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ea924/32.png) [@revelator771](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/revelator771)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/14 "2011-02-07T21:26:45Z")
Thank you for the brief amount of imput…have to write now and then look for a job. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/15 "2011-02-07T21:30:05Z")
> [@revelator771](#): > > You make a sweeping general statement and dismiss the one who holds the position. It’s not a position that deserves to be taken seriously, any more than someone who thinks that Sauron or Darth Vader or Shrek are real deserves to be taken seriously. It’s _silly_. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/16 "2011-02-07T21:32:08Z")
> [@revelator771](#): > > That presupposes that the Star Wars fan is only knowledgeable about Star Wars. > I spent 30 years as a well schooled secular humanist before I became an Evangelical. That doesn’t seem that plausible. Maybe you were a substandard secular humanist? In any case, what you were before you decided to ignore reason is of no import. The point would be that at some time you decided that evidence wasn’t important and you’d just believe in the factual assertions of whatever evangelical branch you favor because you want to. ---
**Author:** ![CPomeroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed8c4c/32.png) [@CPomeroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CPomeroy)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/17 "2011-02-07T21:42:42Z")
I think it would be helpful to define what is meant by “evangelical”. As I understand it, this is not necessarily the same as “fundamentalist” or “bible literalist” although they are sometimes used interchangeably. I remember listening to an interview with the guy who lead the human genome project, Francis Collins, and he considers himself an evangelical. You may not agree with him, but to call him “ignorant” seems, well, really ignorant. I found him to have a fascinating way of looking at the world and the relationship between religion and science. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/18 "2011-02-07T21:47:23Z")
> [@revelator771](#): > > That presupposes that the Star Wars fan is only knowledgeable about Star Wars. > I spent 30 years as a well schooled secular humanist before I became an Evangelical. And he’s got the three 10-year Official Secular Humanist pins to prove it! Look, the exact number of years you supposedly were a “secular humanist” has nothing to do with what you now believe-hell, it doesn’t really tell us what you believed back then, either. It is the type of thing said by fakes trying to “relate” with a strange audience- “Hey kids! I used to be “hip” and “in the groove” just like you happenin’ hippies, but then _I saw the light!_” ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/19 "2011-02-07T22:07:30Z")
I agree with **CPomeroy** about the need to define the term ‘evangelical’. I think the Greek root of the word is _euangelion_ meaning ‘good news’. Within a Christian context, that means anyone who preaches that the coming of Christ is a good thing could be an evangelist, even if they are a not a biblical literalist or a fundamentalist. In fact, if I remember correctly, all Christians are supposed to be Evangelists as they are all charged with ‘The Great Commission’. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577/20 "2011-02-07T22:11:29Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It’s not a position that deserves to be taken seriously, any more than someone who thinks that Sauron or Darth Vader or Shrek are real deserves to be taken seriously. It’s _silly_. [waste of electrons]Of course, Sauron, Darth Vader and Shrek can be reliably documented as fictitious and intended as such… [/woe] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-evangelical-be-considered-anything-but-ignorant/570577.md?page=2)