How to Debate

subtitled “Debate your Christian values using Secular Language to Win More People to the Argument.”

If you believe the Bible to be the inerrant inspired Word of God, then you and I agree.

However, NARAL, Planned Parenthood, the Democratic National Committee, many of the policy makers in the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration and many of the folks posting at various blog sites do not.  Telling them to adopt public policy based on the teachings and moral authority of the Bible is like quoting poetry to a pig: “It wastes your time and irritates the pig.” Worse, the “other side” doesn’t respond positively to the Bible, and so arguments based on this Truth are not (immediately) effective.  Human persistence will only do so much toward defeating that resistance and will often cause people to leave the debate unchanged.

We also need to remember that we have allies among people who have different religious viewpoints and do not have a comfort level with the language and arguments of the Bible-believing Christian.  These allies are our brethren and understand the moral and ethical content of the debate at least as well and often better than we do.  As allies in this fight they’re looking for tools and content to use in this fight against abortion.  We can cooperate with them toward the common goal of reducing abortions.

So I suggest that each of us politely and substantively state a moral, not a religious, case for our opposition to some aspect of President Obama’s healthcare plan and its related measures proposed by abortion supporters.  That will work, I promise.  It is some effort but not really.

For a believer, God’s Truth is reflected in all the smaller truths of biology, relationships, justice and freedom.  If you read a claim that women will be hurt financially, reply by telling them about the real science that proves that the most effective way out of poverty – especially for a minority single mom – is marriage.  If they argue against parental notification laws because of cases of incestuous abuse, reply and ask them if they’ve read the law. Quote back to them the case law that proves how rarely that occurs.  Then ask them if the thousands of proven incest and statutory rape cases presented to Planned Parenthood somehow don’t apply.  Polite and reality-based facts (not just science & figures but also experience & human reality) will win this fight.

Do not censor yourself.  If you have a faith experience that’s relevant, tell it.  If you know a person hurt by abortion or longing to adopt, say so.  Say that your faith tells you to be compassionate.  Write that God’s word speaks truth about your experience.

Of most importance before all of this is do not surrender prayer; it will certainly do much more for this fight than our small words.  We all know this, but I repeat it for my benefit and perhaps yours.  PRAYER is our first tool, and web logging and dialog are only a supporting role.  Already you and I are lifting up these issues and these decision makers in prayer.  If you’re reading this and writing on a blog but haven’t spent at least 15 uninterrupted minutes (or 30 or 60 or 90!) in prayer in the last 24 hours then you are wasting your time!  Worse, you’re wasting your best weapon in this fight.  You’re not preparing properly for this work.

Finally, do not threaten anyone with anything.   A person who sins so greatly that he will surely go to hell won’t change his ways because we tell him so.  He will change when he responds to God’s gift of Grace.  Each of us has lived that and has changed for the better sometimes profoundly.  However, a threat or other words written in anger serves to make us look foolish and confirm others’ hardness of heart.  Worse, the occasional unstable person will read it and think ‘those sinners deserve to die’ and will act on that thought.  I propose that an act of violence is a PRO-CHOICE act.  We cannot go there and must discourage others from going there.  God – who has a plan to change their hearts – will give them what they deserve; we cannot.