Most people think that when Christians talk with atheists or skeptics, both sides should meet on “neutral ground.” Sounds fair, right?
But here’s the problem:
👉 Neutrality doesn’t exist.
Everyone already has beliefs they start with. Everyone already has a worldview. And the Bible says every person either begins with God or suppresses the truth about Him (Romans 1).
Presuppositional apologetics understands this. Classical apologetics are sincere in wanting to meet the unbeliever in the middle but they are sincerely mistaken and wrong.
Let’s break it down in simple terms.
The Myth of Neutrality
Classical apologetics often allow themselves to please the atheist and agree to say:
“Let’s pretend God does not exists. Let’s start neutral.”
But the Bible says:
God is the starting point of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7).
People already know God exists (Romans 1:18–20).
Unbelievers suppress that truth.
So trying to “be neutral” means stepping off God’s truth and stepping onto the unbeliever’s worldview.
It’s like:
You’re standing on a rock.
The atheist is standing in sand.
Classical apologetics says: “Let me jump onto the sand so we can be fair.”
Presuppositional apologetics says:
“No way. The rock is the truth. I’m staying here.”
The Two Different Starting Points
There are two main approaches to apologetics:
1. Classical Apologetics: Start With Yourself
The Classical method goes like this:
Use your own logic and reasoning to try to prove a “generic god.”
Once that god is proven, bring in evidence like miracles and prophecy to argue for the Christian God.
The problems?
A “generic god” isn’t the God of the Bible.
The unbeliever gets to judge whether God exists.
It treats human reason as the boss — at least for a while.
This is like putting God on trial and letting sinners be the judge.
2. Presuppositional Apologetics: Start With God
Presuppositionalists say:
We don’t reason to God.
We reason from God.
God isn’t the conclusion — He’s the foundation.
Without Him:
Logic doesn’t make sense.
Morality has no anchor.
Science has no reason to work.
Truth would just be opinions.
This approach never sets the Bible aside. Why?
Because the Bible is the source of knowledge, not something we prove by standing on something else.
Do Presuppositionalists Use Evidence? Yes!
Some people think presuppositionalists refuse to use evidence. Not true.
They absolutely use:
scientific evidence
historical evidence
logical reasoning
But the key difference is this:
👉 Evidence is used to expose the unbeliever’s worldview, not to pretend we’re neutral.
The unbeliever can use math, science, and logic — but they can’t justify why these things exist without God. Basically this means that they have no consistent logical explanation for why these things exist or why they are vital to use and trust in them.
It’s like they’re borrowing tools from Christianity to tear Christianity down.
Van Til called this “borrowing capital.”
It’s like using your parents’ money to argue that parents don’t exist.
What About Nature? Doesn’t It Show That God Is Real?
Romans 1 says creation clearly shows God’s power and nature.
But here’s the twist:
Believers see creation and glorify God.
Unbelievers see creation and twist it into idolatry.
Why?
Because sin affects how we think (called the “noetic effects of sin”).
So using nature alone to reason someone into the kingdom doesn’t work.
They already know God — they just suppress the truth.
TAG: The Transcendental Argument (Simple Version)
TAG claims:
👉 Without God, nothing makes sense — not even arguments against God.
Why?
Because things like logic, morality, and science only make sense if the God of the Bible exists.
Atheism can’t explain:
Why logic works
Why the universe is orderly
Why morality is objective
Why our minds can understand truth
Only the Trinity can account for unity + diversity, order + personhood, logic + morality.
Why Reformed Theology Matters Here
Presuppositional apologetics is built on core Reformed beliefs:
Total depravity: sin affects our thinking.
Sovereignty of God: only God opens hearts.
Sola Scriptura: the Bible is always our authority — even in apologetics.
We don’t argue people into the kingdom.
Only the Spirit changes hearts.
Our job is to tell the truth, expose false worldviews, and call people to repentance.
The Hill That Must Be Defended
Here is a great illustration:
If your sergeant tells you to defend a hill, you don’t leave the hill
just because the enemy doesn’t like fighting there and rather stay and fight in the forest.
The “hill” is Scripture.
Neutral ground is the forest.
Classical apologetics runs into the forest.
Presuppositional apologetics stays on the hill and holds the line.
Simple Summary for Students
Here’s the whole method in one sentence:
👉 Don’t step off the truth of Scripture to defend Scripture.
Start with God.
Stay with God.
Reason from God.
And watch every other worldview fall apart.