Answering the Fool About God and Evolution
Mockers sometimes say that Proverbs 26:4-5 are a blatant contradiction. If they'd bridle their enthusiasm, they might see that those verses are put together for a reason: It is a contrast, not a contradiction. Unbelievers do not like what God says about them (Psalm 53.1, Romans 1.18-22), but I reckon I'm not going to argue against the Creator of the universe to please others.
Believers are to defend the faith, but we must do it biblically. When someone says, "Leave God (or the Bible) out of this and let's debate on neutral ground", that's saddling up someone else's horse to ride. You're answering the fool according to his folly and being just like him. But you can reflect back to him and show him his folly so he isn't such a clever fellow in his own eyes. (Dr. Jason Lisle has some information on the "Don't Answer, Answer" strategy.) If you bring yourself down to the unbeliever's level, old son, you're not going to get anywhere and you're actually saying that God is wrong, the unbeliever is wise! I like to say that for every evidence, there is an equal and opposite rescuing device (excuse to continue disbelief). Yes, there's a place for evidence, but keep it within a scriptural framework.
This information is for dealing with people who honestly seek knowledge. If you are dealing with someone that simply wants to ridicule, your time is best spent elsewhere.
For many Christians today, it might seem that the Bible uses quite harsh language to describe certain of their friends and loved ones—those who don’t believe in God. It calls them ‘fools’:To continue reading, click on "Answering fools' folly". Don't miss the song by ApologetiX, below.
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”—Psalm 14:1 (also Psalm 53:1)
Similarly in Romans 1:18–32, people who deny God as Creator—despite ubiquitous evidence of His handiwork1—no matter how ‘wise’ they (or others) might think they are, actually thereby “become fools”, and their “foolish hearts” are darkened.
But this doesn’t mean we are to love them any less. On the contrary, we are to “have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 22–23a). We are to “be ready always to give an answer” to those who question us about our faith, and to do this with “gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).