Mama Bear Apologetics
Mama Bear Apologetics is a must read for any family who seeks the information and ability to help their children stand firm in a culture that shouts lies. The contributing authors to this book include Hillary Morgan Ferrer, Julie Loos, Hillary Short, Teasi Cannon, Rebekah Valerius, Cathryn S. Buse, and Alisa Childers. This book is a compilation of article style chapters on various lies that the culture communicates, which includes such ideologies as Self-Helpism, Naturalism, Skepticism, Postmodernism, Moral Relativism, Emotionalism, Pluralism, New Spirituality, Marxism, Feminism, and Progressive Christianity.
There is much to glean from these ladies and their devotion to helping other mamas is clearly communicated on every page. While this book could really be read by anyone, the purpose in targeting mothers is that we are typically the first line in teaching our children and hopefully, we are walking in such a way that teaches and communicates the love of God in their lives. In the Forward, Nancy Pearcey writes “The best motivator for apologetics is love: We need to love our children enough to listen to them and do the hard work of finding answers to their questions... You have to be willing to listen to the other side intently enough to understand where the questions are coming from. What ideas are my children picking up? What cultural messages are they tuning in to? What are the unspoken assumptions behind those views” (13-14). If your children are anything like mine, they have questions, and I fervently desire to be the one to lead them to the answers, not for the world to give them answers.
You may notice that I said “lead” them to the answer and not “give” them the answer. Yes, there are times when you must simply give answers to children’s questions, and they believe you based on trust. However, as my children have grown, I have begun to shift my focus on leading them to answers. Asking questions like “where should we look for the answer?”, “what does the Bible have to say?,” “how can we tell if something we read aligns with Biblical truth?,” etc. Long term, I want my children to be equipped to handle the questions presented to them. I can’t think of everything they could ever ask or be asked and while I pray that the LORD gives me a long life to guide and grow with them, I am not guaranteed that. I would be remiss to not acknowledge my mortality and not to prepare them to critically think, reason, and handle anything that could be presented. When I read the story of Daniel, I think of what amazing parents Daniel had. You don’t just happen to have the depth of faith Daniel had. It was taught, it was lived.
Mama Bear Apologetics is a great study and tool to help further equip yourself to know what cultural lies are currently present, the flaws, and how to discuss it with your children. One of the things I absolutely loved is the ROAR method/framework that each chapter utilizes. The authors go in depth in each chapter for the topic, but the overall framework is to help teach your children to RECOGNIZE the Message, OFFER Discernment, ARGUE for a Healthier Approach, and REINFORCE Through Discussion, Discipleship, and Prayer. This is a great framework for teaching your children how to handle cultural lies and beliefs that they will encounter. Additionally, I really liked that on the onset the authors explained the benefit of acknowledging the “good” in some of the ideologies that exist. It is important when talking and reasoning with people, especially as we want to model for our children, that there might be parts that are correct or do align with Biblical truth. Job’s friends sounded wise, but the degree to which they were off is what created the chasm. Furthermore, people will simply be turned off to anything you have to say when you start off or only attack for everything that is wrong. That doesn’t create dialogue. Unfortunately, this approach, in a desire to protect our children, could ultimately cause a distance and rift we never wanted or intended. Our teens will hear different views from teachers, adults, and friends whom they trust. Sadly, even in a Christian community, there could be lies that have infiltrated the beliefs and actions; however, our children may hold the value of opinion higher in these people than our own for a time or season. If we, guns blazing, attack that view, we can alienate our own children from us, not the other people they likewise trust. We need to carefully and conscientiously teach them how to process through those beliefs to see what is truth and what is a lie. “The best and most convincing lies are packaged in truth” (263). Discernment can be a difficult skill to learn and we need to teach it with love and empathy.
There is so much to glean from this book and there is no way I could touch on every chapter or give highlights that will not take longer than intended. I simply want to encourage you that if you have children, no matter what stage in life, to read this book, share copies with others, maybe even make a small reading community.
