Saturday, January 10, 2009

Is it okay to argue?

At the last creation meeting at the Chapel, I heard about a site called Stand to Reason.org. I found some great articles posted there. One was "Can Science Test Prayer?" which really helped me consider this question in a rigorous way. Another one was "Arguing is a Virtue."

In the blog about arguing, my favorite section is right at the end: "This is why, by the way, I think it's a mistake in discussions in Bible studies when someone raises an opposing view for someone else to shout him down, or suggest that in the context of that study that we ought not differ. We ought not argue. Yes, we should argue, but we ought to do it sanely and reasonably. We ought to dispute. That's good for us. It's healthy. It protects us from religious despotism. It keeps us from getting weird."

Amen, amen, amen! He makes the point that in a group where you can't dispute, the first person to state an opinion on the issue is the one who will hold the day. I had to pause when I read that, because I've been in a group where that was exactly the situation! God deliver us from ourselves, and teach us how to discuss the hard issues so we can find your Truth!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

In a very good Board/Staff training seminar that dad and I went to last week the teacher said he loves it when the board he works for does not all agree. He sees that as a healthy board. If there was always unanimous votes, he said, then it is very likely that something is not getting discussed completely.

Disagreement has come to be synonymous with argument.