FAQ: How do you select the topics for Apologetics Index?

Q:

My wife and I have been using the Apologetics Index website for a number of years. We first found the site when our daughter enthusiastically told us how a friend had introduced her to The Family International, a group formerly known as the Children of God.

After studying the information found at several of the links you provide our daughter decided against getting involved with that group.

Later we used site for research into many other groups and topics and it has proven to be very educational.

Sometimes however we can not find much, or any, information about certain issues or teachers we would expect to have found at Apologetics Index. An example is Peter Wagner and the strange ‘prophetic’ movements he is involved in.

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How do you select which topics to include in the Apologetics Index?
– J.A., Arlington, VA

A:

Apologetics Index started when a friend asked me, Anton, to post links to some 40+ websites of cults online so he could refer researchers of religious movements to that list.

At the time I thought it would be a good idea to arrange the info in alphabetical order, perhaps with a comment or two.

The site soon began to grow with additional information provided by myself and others.

Soon entries were added at the request of researchers, but also in response to emails received with requests for information.

Earlier — long before the world wide web came into existence — I had worked with a Christian BBS, a text-based Bulletin Board System where people could share files and hold online discussions. I soon learned that it was more productive to point people to existing resources than to spend many hours each day going through very similar discussions with different people.

Apologetics Index is built on this same principle: we provide or point to research resources on a wide variety of topics.

These topics have to do with apologetics — the branch of theology concerned with the logical presentation and defense of the Christian faith. This naturally includes cult issues.

We include topics we are interested in, along with those we think might be of interest to others. Many, if not most, entries are added in answer to specific requests for information.

However, the site is far from complete. One reason is that there are only so many hours in the day. Apologetics Index and some of its related sites generate a lot of feedback. Consequently we spend much time on private correspondence and, to a lesser extend, face-to-face meetings. Our first priority is helping people.

We also spend some of our time on commercial projects, the income of which helps support the operation of our websites.

As a result, many topics need updating while other subjects need to be added. We do so as time permits — and then usually simply select an item or two from our very long ‘To Do’ list.

Tip: Often we refer people who are looking for specific information to our friendly discussion list, which includes many knowledgeable people.

Anton Hein

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