Tuesday, 5 June 2012
Turning thirty
The problem with naming my blog 'a 20-something Christian' is what happens when you turn thirty!
It's happening in January, will think of alternative names in the meantime....
Sunday, 3 June 2012
The Art of Discourse
I have mentioned before, in earlier posts, my love of debate and have been thinking about what it actually says about my character and why I enjoy it so much.
My closest friends are the ones I can chat to about any topic and we're close enough to be able to argue about any given issue and share our personal views without fear of ridicule - that's the best definition of friendship. A friend loves to hear your views, is free to express their own and you both respect the others' right to their opinion.
The boundaries are obvious: never criticise a person's view, rather suggest alternative ways of thinking, whether they are your own or not; never insist on there being a 'winner' (something I struggle with!) and always be honest.
My love of debate comes from the need to question everything until I have an acceptable answer in my mind - a conclusion that I find understandable. I have not always been that curious about life. My Mum enjoys telling the story about when I was standing outside the House of Commons when I was a child and not being interested about my whereabouts, not questioning at all. On the other hand, she always says I craned my neck out of my cot when I was a baby, to see what was around me. I was a particularly nosy baby then! Either way I love to question and debate and am not willing to settle for easy answers.
A debate will always challenge me - the best require research and a full understanding of both sides of the argument. The worst debates are when the 'other side' are not willing to debate but are only interested in getting their view across, have no intention of conceding their point. They don't learn anything in the process. I find this when debating with Jehovah's Witnesses - they never believed I had made valid points, never really questioned their beliefs. I find this very difficult to understand. My own faith journey started when I was eight and I started praying to God who was my best friend when I was bullied, he listened and helped me. It was only when I was older that I challenged myself to see the reason behind my faith. I was determined it wouldn't be blind, but based on reason and fact, as much as possible. The very nature of faith means I cannot prove it but historical evidence supports my faith. It is not blind.
I love being challenged by atheists because it causes me to really think about my answers, what I do believe and how I know these things. It challenges me not just to accept what I have grown used to but to challenge it until I have an acceptable understanding. There are times when it is good to say that I struggle with a certain question or issue too - this is realistic and shows that not all Christians are prepared to argue silly and implausible opinions with zeal but are prepared to say that we don't know all the answers either. A proud Christian is a foolish Christian; a humble Christian accepts that there is a higher Being that knows far more than we do and still loves us.
My closest friends are the ones I can chat to about any topic and we're close enough to be able to argue about any given issue and share our personal views without fear of ridicule - that's the best definition of friendship. A friend loves to hear your views, is free to express their own and you both respect the others' right to their opinion.
The boundaries are obvious: never criticise a person's view, rather suggest alternative ways of thinking, whether they are your own or not; never insist on there being a 'winner' (something I struggle with!) and always be honest.
My love of debate comes from the need to question everything until I have an acceptable answer in my mind - a conclusion that I find understandable. I have not always been that curious about life. My Mum enjoys telling the story about when I was standing outside the House of Commons when I was a child and not being interested about my whereabouts, not questioning at all. On the other hand, she always says I craned my neck out of my cot when I was a baby, to see what was around me. I was a particularly nosy baby then! Either way I love to question and debate and am not willing to settle for easy answers.
A debate will always challenge me - the best require research and a full understanding of both sides of the argument. The worst debates are when the 'other side' are not willing to debate but are only interested in getting their view across, have no intention of conceding their point. They don't learn anything in the process. I find this when debating with Jehovah's Witnesses - they never believed I had made valid points, never really questioned their beliefs. I find this very difficult to understand. My own faith journey started when I was eight and I started praying to God who was my best friend when I was bullied, he listened and helped me. It was only when I was older that I challenged myself to see the reason behind my faith. I was determined it wouldn't be blind, but based on reason and fact, as much as possible. The very nature of faith means I cannot prove it but historical evidence supports my faith. It is not blind.
I love being challenged by atheists because it causes me to really think about my answers, what I do believe and how I know these things. It challenges me not just to accept what I have grown used to but to challenge it until I have an acceptable understanding. There are times when it is good to say that I struggle with a certain question or issue too - this is realistic and shows that not all Christians are prepared to argue silly and implausible opinions with zeal but are prepared to say that we don't know all the answers either. A proud Christian is a foolish Christian; a humble Christian accepts that there is a higher Being that knows far more than we do and still loves us.
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