How We Should Debate

Arguing about the truth or debating to discover the truth must be done in a way so that the answer to the question is found not by deciding who in the debate is the most intelligent. In this way we would find ourselves going back and forth forever as each party is bound to know more than the other in certain categories. A back and forth dialogue like this would be the same as choosing the winner of a spelling bee to prove the existence of lions in Africa because they spell well. Therefore the answer must be derived from interpreting the facts together rather than ruling the one who knows more is naturally the one who wins. If truth were determined this way no one would ever be able to be sure of anything. Rather, we should gently come together with our evidence, even to the extent of educating each other on our findings, so as to properly debate the facts. This way we can learn to be sure of all things. I assume our legal system was constructed to work like this to determine the truth for the same reason.

As a Christian, the way I treat my opponent needs to be primary over the goal to solve the problem. If it doesn't, I am off course and in jeopardy of misunderstanding the truth myself. This is solely because the truth, as it were, focuses solely on the person of Jesus Christ. His perfect example of sacrificial love is all that is needed when looking for an example of how we ought to act in the face of unbelief or disagreement. He himself went so far as to bless those that killed him with his last dying prayer.

Whatever your stance on Jesus is, I hope you can learn to reason with others about who he is and the evidence around him with love and respect for those that don't see things as you think they ought. Both love and respect can be given all while aiming to convince someone toward your perspective.

All of us have an angle on life. All of us have views regarding death and life, origins and purposes. To claim otherwise is a blatant lie. We should all aim for accuracy and further knowledge about what is. Anything else would be selfish and lazy.

I hope we can all come together and learn to debate. As a Christian, I hope you Christians can model this in your practice of apologetics and in your witness. To non-Christians, I hope this sacrificial method of debate causes you great curiosity as you wonder why such love would be given to someone we disagree so much with.

"If a book be false in its facts, disprove them; if false in its reasoning, refute it. But for God's sake, let us freely hear both sides if we choose." -Thomas Jefferson

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei