The Temptation to Debate

I recently read a post at Mormon Matters titled, The Nature of God and Bible Bashing Sharing.  I think this is an excellent example of yet another individual who has realized that debate and argumentation, and trying to prove doctrinal positions with biblical proof-texts are ineffective means of communication.  The author, Adam F, writes:

Debate over which belief is Biblical will not achieve much in the way understanding or respect.

If one believes in the Trinity, derives motivation from that doctrine to live his religion more fully, and if I get the same from believing in a Mormon concept of God as I do, why does it matter that we do not agree? Does one of the many Christian conceptualizations of God inspire more visits “to the fatherless and widows in their affliction,” or keep one “unspotted from the world?”

I think one of the keys to this is giving up on the idea of debating for the purpose of trying to win. Understanding each other is much more important, especially on a site like this. There is a lot we can learn from each other, and through my association with a Catholic friend I have come to respect and understand better Christians who believe differently about God than I do.

As I attempted to type out a response, I was brought back to earlier musings about why it is that debate and argument are so prevalent and almost inevitable.  Like Michael Corleone, I sometimes want to say: “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.”  The black hole of ‘apologetics’ draws everything in its path, ultimately squeezing out all light and crushing its subjects into nothingness.

In the above post, the author offers these questions:

What do you believe about God?
Where does your belief come from?
What scripture(s) or teachings best describe you belief?
In what ways are your beliefs about God manifested in your life?
Which is more important: the personal characteristics of God, or what God looks like?

One of the things I’ve come to realize is the immense draw that debate has online (or off-line).  Even topics or posts which are not intended as debate end up being pulled into debate.  For example, there will be those who see these questions as simply another challenge and will try to argue that their beliefs in God are superior to another’s.  They will argue that their beliefs come from a more legitimate source and have greater reliability and validity than another.

I agree that proof-texting is usually unpersuasive, and a more helpful practice would be to identify key passages which shape one’s beliefs to assist in understanding.  Here too, some will be quick to discredit the interpretation as wrong using any of the available methods of interpretation.

I agree that all too often the nexus between belief and praxis is ignored.  Religious devotion and faith are manifested in the life of the practitioner and yet this is often an overlooked area of inquiry.  One can seek to disprove another’s characterization of God, or they can seek to understand the inspiration and motivation which arises from that belief.  All too often people are quick to point out that they personally do not accept the beliefs of another without even attempting to appreciate how those beliefs are cherished by others and seen as beautiful by others.  This doesn’t mean one has to accept another’s beliefs by any means, but to a believer they are probably beautiful, and the sincere attempt to understand this is the key.  Here too is an area which can be pulled into debate with some arguing that certain beliefs hamper a true understanding of God, which goes in the opposite direction.

The author asks the question of which “ideas” concerning God are more “important”.  I agree that we need to explore new questions similar to this one.  This one will depend on the person and what we mean by important: important in what way?  Often one can easily say that everything about God we could possibly know is important.  Here too, debate creeps back in and people will be tempted to argue that others are “less concerned” about knowing God, etc., but that we are “more concerned.”

I completely agree that all too often people are trying to win points or prove someone false.  Often this is done for personal educational purposes and in many cases people can learn new things from engaging in debate and can practice their argumentation skills.  However, in the context of inter-faith dialogue rarely does this have a positive effect on those of other faiths.  Rather, it pushes others away, increases misunderstanding, perpetuates stereotypes and victimology.

Still, I often wonder why there is such a strong pull towards debate and argumentation.  While I fully agree that good questions are critical in our conversations, as the author points out, the spirit of understanding is central.  Any question, even one intended to enhance understanding can by hijacked for debate and argumentation.  We need to ask ourselves, am I asking this question for ammunition I can use at a later time in separate debate with someone else, or do I really care about understanding how this person sees the world in order to better understand and love my neighbor?

While I wish to end on that note, I must sadly admit that this kind of attitude also gets drawn back into debate with those claiming we should never give up or concede calling those who believe in heretical views to repentance, and others claiming that this simply isn’t effective.  I’ve heard those who lament that inter-faith dialogue merely subverts evangelism/missionary work and that it is better to hurt someone to save them (just like surgery is painful but necessary to save), than to gain someone’s love and respect just to have them end up in hell (salvation is better than understanding), with each side marshaling bible verses and personal experiences to demonstrate that their way is the best way.  I can only add my personal experiences to those of Adam F.  He writes:

I think one of the keys to this is giving up on the idea of debating for the purpose of trying to win. Understanding each other is much more important, especially on a site like this. There is a lot we can learn from each other, and through my association with a Catholic friend I have come to respect and understand better Christians who believe differently about God than I do.

This too has been my experience.  Others have understood my beliefs much more accurately and richly through dialogue than through debate. In addition, I’ve learned more about my own faith and the faith of others though respectful dialogue than would have ever been possible in a debate.

Yet the temptation to debate and win the argument is ever so strong, it is always there, with an open invitation and the siren call: “Victory is yours for the taking.”

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