Don’t get me wrong; I like eggs. I like them in my omelets, I like them in my French Toast, and I like them in my homemade chocolate chip cookies. Did I mention the homemade chocolate chip cookies? Oh, yeah, I did. Just didn’t want to miss that one.

Where I don’t care for them is on my face. You are undoubtedly familiar with the phrase “egg on your face.” No one is quite sure regarding the origin of this idiom, but it most likely came from disgruntled audience members in the 1800s who would throw eggs and other rotten food at performers they were disappointed in. I guess that was their form of “cancel culture!”

When someone uses an argument easily shown to be false, they can end up with “egg on their face.” Skeptics often use fallacious arguments and lines of reasoning that are clearly false and sometimes even self-contradictory. I’ve covered some examples in previous articles and many more in my books and videos. One illustration is when the skeptic boldly proclaims, “There is no such thing as truth!” The obvious question to ask them would be, “Is that a true statement?” Another interesting thing to point out is that if their claim is true, then it is false. I’ve also emphasized that when we point out fallacies in their logic, we need to do it very graciously, even if they are not being gracious in their own demeanor. However, this article is not actually about the skeptic as much as it is about the Christian. Can Christians have egg on their faces? Certainly! I’ve been known to sport an egg or two in my day. 😊

We (Christians) need to be very careful how we go about defending our beliefs. Unfortunately, we can unknowingly use weak or faulty arguments for years, seemingly getting away with it. Eventually, we use them on someone who sees right through them and calls us out. It can really take you by surprise. Most often, our initial reaction is to become very defensive, and we usually make things even worse in the process. We may throw out other weak arguments, try to change the subject, or worse yet, attack them personally, being very unkind in our conversation.
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Let me share an argument I’ve heard many Christians very excitedly use regarding evidence for creation. On the one hand, I truly appreciate their passion and their willingness to share their faith. On the other hand, there are different fingers. Sorry, I just remembered hearing that joke from a comedian about 40 years ago! On the other hand, I don’t want them to get into a situation where they can easily have egg on their face. I always appreciate it when someone offers constructive criticism because it will ultimately help me in the long run, even if I have to experience a bit of embarrassment in the moment.

​My example is that of something called laminin. A few of you know exactly what I am talking about, and maybe even know where I am headed.

Laminin is a family of proteins that, among other things, serve to bind tissues and organs together. The argument goes something like this. When scientists were looking at our biology on a microscopic level, they discovered that laminin, the proteins that “hold all things together,” looks just like a cross! Well, isn’t that exciting? The obvious connection is that Colossians 1:16-17, speaking of Jesus, states:
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
There you have it! Proof that God created everything because the Bible says all things are held together by Jesus, and now we’ve discovered that these binding proteins are shaped just like a cross! What more proof do you need?

​I’ve heard presentations that did a marvelous job of building to this “grand finale,” often bringing tears to audience members because of how beautiful and powerful this is.
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So, what’s the problem? I really don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble, but this argument just isn’t credible. I will share three major reasons why you shouldn’t use this argument.
​SHAPE

First, laminin isn’t so cleanly and neatly laid out in the shape of a cross, even though it is often depicted that way in instructional diagrams (primarily for illustrative purposes). The graphic to the right shows a common instructional diagram (A) compared to an actual photograph (B).

NOT UNCOMMON

Secondly, one line or shape crossing another is not uncommon. This occurrence is one of the simplest configurations you can imagine, so it hardly qualifies as something extremely unique. Two branches can fall in the woods and land on each other in a similar fashion, which leads me to convey a recent occurrence.

I’ve shared this particular topic (laminin) with a number of people privately and also my engagement audiences, but what prompted this as content for this Question of the Month article was taking my daughter’s dogs on a walk to the “dog run” just down the street where my wife and I live. As we were walking through the woods, I noticed something very interesting. There were two curved sticks lying on the mulch, crossing each other, forming a very interesting shape (see picture on the left).

You have to admit; it closely resembles the Christian fish symbol. The only logical conclusion I could reach was that Jesus must have put them there, right? I mean, that couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. I looked around but didn’t see Jesus, but that doesn’t mean He’s not responsible. Perhaps He was there earlier in the day, and I missed Him. I’m guessing (and trusting) you sense some light-hearted sarcasm here.
Picture
Picture
OTHER SHAPES
Thirdly, what do we do with all the other things in nature that are not shaped like a cross? Do those occurrences serve as evidence they were NOT created by God? If a cross shape is valid evidence as something created by Jesus, then why wouldn’t it follow that a non-cross shape would be an indication that Jesus was NOT involved? I don’t think you can have it both ways.
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I think people who use laminin as amazingly beautiful evidence of Divine creation do so very sincerely. However, they are setting themselves up as an easy target for the skeptic. They could potentially experience a great deal of embarrassment and humiliation. Some Christians are so strongly affected by this reprisal they become very discouraged, and some even begin to lose their faith.

What are a few other examples of arguments Christians should not use in defense of the Christian worldview?
The Missing Day of Joshua
Joshua 10 recounts a battle between 5 Amorite kings and the Israelite army. Joshua requested of the Lord more time in order to successfully defeat these pagan armies. God granted Joshua’s wish for the sun (and moon) to “stand still” to extend the day. There have been modern-day claims that NASA, while checking planetary positions, discovered this “missing day” in history. This discovery has excited many Christians, and I have received many forwarded emails conveying this extraordinary assertion. Unfortunately, this is not only false, but also impossible for NASA to have discovered a “missing day,” for reasons I will skip in this brief article.

Other bad arguments include the myth that Darwin recanted his beliefs on his deathbed and the discovery of Noah’s ark.

With the amount of truly phenomenal evidence for the Christian faith, it is a wonder that people choose to use false or weak arguments at all. Actually, it’s not a wonder. People do that very innocently, wanting those things to be true. They are also very excited to be the one who passes the information along.

The lesson? We need to be very careful and discerning when evaluating evidence we wish to use in witnessing to others. It’s alright to have a “face on your egg,” but what you don’t want is “egg on your face.” 🤣