David Wayne, of Jollyblogger, offers some sage advice on how to engage in Godly disputations and Christ-like argument. His points are as follows.
- Remember who you are debating [i.e., a person made in the image and likeness of God].
- Remember your relationship when debating a fellow Christian [i.e., members of the household of faith].
- Remember who you are [i.e., a sinner].
- Remember how little you really know.
- Remember the Burger King Principle. [I'll let David explain that. ;)]
- Argue with what has been said, not what you think should have been said.
- Read and listen sympathetically.
- Be careful with the "reductio ad absurdum" [i.e., leave room for unstated qualifiers]
- Be careful about the use of invective.
He also offers the following quote from John Newton (author of the hymn Amazing Grace).
"As to your opponent, I wish that before you set pen to paper against him, and during the whole time you are preparing your answer, you may commend him by earnest prayer to the Lord’s teaching and blessing. This practice will have a direct tendency to conciliate your heart to love and pity him; and such a disposition will have a good influence upon every page you write. If you account him a believer, though greatly mistaken in the subject of debate between you, the words of David to Joab concerning Absalom, are very applicable: 'Deal gently with him for my sake.' The Lord loves him and bears with him; therefore you must not despise him, or treat him harshly. The Lord bears with you likewise, and expects that you should show tenderness to others, from a sense of the much forgiveness you need yourself. In a little while you will meet in heaven; he will then be dearer to you than the nearest friend you have upon earth is to you now. Anticipate that period in your thoughts; and though you may find it necessary to oppose his errors, view him personally as a kindred soul, with whom you are to be happy in Christ forever."
The article is a first-rate example what good blogging is all about and I heartily commend it to you. In fact, go read the whole thing and come back when you're done.
Experienced Godblogger Adrian Warnock recently outlined some principles for maintaining peace among Godbloggers. After some summary points that echo David Wayne's sentiments, he adds a thought that seems to pick up where Newton left off:
"Finally, and most importantly: When angry, by all means bang out a quick witted response, but before you hit SEND, save a draft, go have a cup or glass (one only!) of your favorite beverage (beer if necessary!) talk to your wife if you have one, and PRAY before sending it."
"You will probably feel the gentle tug of the Holy Spirit to prove yourself to be more loving, to self sacrificially allow them to walk all over you making you look bad, to rather be wronged than wrong and yes to pray for the ones who seem to be your enemies."
"So why not bin that post and then write another one that responds with grace where there is arrogance, humility where there is snarkiness, peace where their is rancour, and yet doesnt shy away from tackling the many difficult and important issues we can helpfully discuss online."
"I do feel that it is vital for blogger to be accountable offline for the personna they have online. I am so glad that my pastor knows about my blog and reads it from time to time and whats more that bloggers could easily find his email and drop him a line if they felt I was out of line. Thats accountability. Some of the blogs that get into the biggest hot water dont have that level of offline accountability available to their readers because they are totally annonymous."
Amen. By the way, should anyone happen to be wondering, my spiritual director does indeed read this blog. He's been known to gently reprove me in person for uncharitable things I've said, too. ๐
Warning: Declaration of Social_Walker_Comment::start_lvl(&$output, $depth, $args) should be compatible with Walker_Comment::start_lvl(&$output, $depth = 0, $args = Array) in /homepages/46/d106109878/htdocs/wp-content/plugins/social/lib/social/walker/comment.php on line 18
Warning: Declaration of Social_Walker_Comment::end_lvl(&$output, $depth, $args) should be compatible with Walker_Comment::end_lvl(&$output, $depth = 0, $args = Array) in /homepages/46/d106109878/htdocs/wp-content/plugins/social/lib/social/walker/comment.php on line 42
Actually, I though Archbishop Lefebvre was pretty funny.
At first I did, too. I think he crossed a line, though. I’m not the only one that feels that way (and, no, they’re not limited to those insulted by him).
This looks terrific! Lots of good ideas to help promote civility, something our society needs A LOT more of. I’ve only been able to skim the post so far, but look forward to giving it a close read. And I’m definitely linking to it from my own fledgling blog. This one’s a keeper!
I wonder if “cyber-disinhibition” has its counterpart in “cyber-intimacy.” Many people in chat rooms, for instance, experience a sense of knowing their conversation partner far more closely than is actually the case. I once knew a woman who met a man on a Christian internet dating site (in itself not a bad way to meet someone in a world where traditional social institutions have eroded). They exchanged emails and instant messages for months and fell deeply in love — only to encounter blatant differences in temperament, etc., when they met in person.
This doesn’t just happen in dating relationships, either. Married people have been known to engaged in emotional affairs — often just as wounding as sexual affairs — with someone online.
I’d love to see some substantiation to the claim that all sarcasm is “evil” or ungodly.
Found you through a link at Adrian’s blog.
Welcome, to the conversation, centuri0n. ๐
“I’d love to see some substantiation to the claim that all sarcasm is “evil” or ungodly.”
I don’t recall saying that. That’d be a pretty odd thing for a sarcastic guy like me to say. ๐ I also happen to believe Jesus, Paul, and likely several other biblical figures used it. I do think that sarcasm needs to be emploted judiciously. I think more often then not it’s used to break people down instead of building them up. I can’t recall the verse, but I’m pretty certain Paul warned against harsh speech that disparages.
BTW, I dig your gravatar. You Pyromaniacs have some cool graphic design mojo working for you.
Very nicely done.
I don’t know that we ever had the plot, I know we wish we did, or that we’d like to believe we do. This is a come back to post, lots of good reminders in it, thank you!
May I point something out?
I don’t know that Christian journalist has any more meaning that Christian lawyer, hydro worker, Wal-Mart clerk or Christian IT specialist. Journalist, lawyer, hydro worker, Wal-Mart clerk and IT specialist who are Christians is more realistic.:^)
sarcasm – (noun)- witty language used to convey insults or scorn -the lowest form of wit.
’nuff said.
Thanks for dropping by, Bene. I’m glad you like the post. ๐ I hope it has a lasting impact on folks who read it (including myself). There are so many important lessons that I merely pay lip service to. ๐
General Interest The General Interest folks get a free pass from needing to disclose denominational affiliation, since if it’s really general interest, everyone should be able to appreciate it. Ales Rarus asks Have Christian Bloggers Lost the Plot?
??? Great moments in parenting… they don’t usually look like Norman Rockwell paintings… they often look a lot like this. HT: Thoughts and Reflections ??? Here’s this week’s version of”what’s wrong with Godblogging and how can we fix it?”. It’s probably healthy to revisit this once in awhile and this is the most encyclopedic effort I’ve seen to date. Lots of constructive criticism and helpful ideas here, courtesy of Ales Rarus. ???
Funky Dung of Ales Rarus confesses “When it comes to the kind of acerbic and caustic blogging that I believe is poisoning the Body of Christ, and the rest of the world for that matter, I too am guilty.” He offersHave Christian Bloggers Lost the Plot? to help remedy the situation. In The Allure of Toys: You May Want to Play With Them, But They Don’t Want to Play With You, Shaun Nolan at Postscript Posthaste suggests that parents take a greater role is deciding which toys our children play with.
“The Ten Commandments for Homeschooling Moms” at SpunkyHomeschool brought back a few memories. The wisdom contained therein is applicable to non-homeschool families as well. A long, rambling post on the way Christian bloggers blog,”Have Christian Bloggers Lost the Plot?” by Ales Rarus, has some interesting points. You may need to bookmark it and come back to it, though. There’s more there than you can digest in a single reading, IMO. My contribution to this week’s Carnival is
ย asks Christian bloggerAles Rarus If I had to summarize in one sentence the main reason I blog and how I choose what to blog about, Iยd say that Iยd like to help people stop begging questions, talking past one another, and calling each other silly and rude names, and start
about her personal journey toward God. Bloggers (typically) love books and Nature and Mission of Theology feeds us with great quotes from the book of the same title by Pope Benedict XVI. From Crusader of Justice.Have Christian Bloggers Lost the Plot? Ales Rarus is trying to help people stop begging questions, talking past one another, and calling each other silly and rude names, and start thinking critically, listening to one another, and treating each other with, at minimum, the same love theyยd
[…] Ales Rarus – A Rare Bird, A Strange Duck, One Funky Blog » Have Christian Bloggers Lost the Plot? […]
[…] Full post, with lots to ponder whether you’re a blogger or merely a human being. […]
[…] Far too much air is expended, too much ink spilled, and too many pixels lit in battles over orthodoxy. Why don’t we spend a little more time talking about orthopraxy? I addressed a specific aspect of this topic, civility in discourse, in an earlier post. There’s more to being Christians than just being civil, though. That’s not meritorious behavior, just what is expected of us. There are poor, lonely, hurt, angry, sick, and otherwise needy people in this world. Let’s try spending a little more time caring about them, and leave theology to the theologians once in a while. It’s fine to have a rousing debate once in a while, but it doesn’t fulfill our duties as Christians, as people commanded to love to the point of laying down our lives. Instead of being quick to label each other heretic and refuse to have dealings with each other, let’s work together to spread the love of God. Even nonbelievers can do that; Jesus said so. […]
Well said. Much needed. Thanks!
I second Bene’s definition of sarcasm. While it is certainly not always wrong to use, and sometimes even needed, it is often just the first blunt instrument that comes to hand.
Great post!
[…] Is NFP Just Another Form of Contraception?Investigating NFP: PrefaceWhy Is Prostitution Illegal?Apology Due to Michael Schiavo?The Church in the Modern WorldSenator Specter’s Snake OilYet More Adult Stem Cell AdvancesLiturgical Soapbox: Humility, Contrition, and Petitions in the Tridentine and Novus Ordo MissalsShut Up and Fill the PrescriptionInvestigating NFP: Pius XI Featured Posts An Analogical Argument for the Legitimacy of Religious ExperiencesEngaged Encounter Part I: House of God?Is NFP Just Another Form of Contraception?Engaged Encounter Part II: Three to Get Married?Have Christian Bloggers Lost the Plot? Recent Posts […]
Moby Blog, or A Short Anthology for the Blog-Obsessed…
Since I re-entered the blogosphere last fall, I’ve been collecting links to blog posts about blogging as a sort of anthology for personal use. I didn’t start out to make it comprehensive or even a “best of” collection; it’s just examples of writi …
[…] Is NFP Just Another Form of Contraception?Why Is Prostitution Illegal?Investigating NFP: PrefaceApology Due to Michael Schiavo?The Church in the Modern WorldSenator Specter’s Snake OilHave Christian Bloggers Lost the Plot?Yet More Adult Stem Cell AdvancesLiturgical Soapbox: Humility, Contrition, and Petitions in the Tridentine and Novus Ordo MissalsShut Up and Fill the Prescription Featured Posts Engaged Encounter Part I: House of God?Investigating NFP: Pius XIIs NFP Just Another Form of Contraception?Salvation, Discipleship, and PrioritiesReligion as Sacred and Science as Profane Recent Posts […]
[…] Have Christian Bloggers Lost the Plot? […]