A friend sent me a
message recently about a matter over which there has been a long history of
debate within Christianity. At the end
of his message—after writing some thoughts in which he considered both sides of
the debate—he offered the opinion that Christians should learn to put aside
differences and focus on the basics of the faith. It was a good thought.
I happen to believe
there can be value in debating different points of view. I even enjoy this give
and take of ideas from time to time. I find it to be fun. (Come to think of it,
this may be why I am not known as the
“life of the party” in most social circles.) But I have discovered sometimes people
are so invested in their position on a matter that they have difficulty hearing
the expression of other points of view.
Occasionally, what
happens is these folks cannot engage in the debate without becoming
unreasonably angry. It can even get to the point that the angry party launches
a verbal attack on the person with whom they disagree.
FYI: A theological discussion should almost never
involve someone jumping up and down, rolling around on the ground, and throwing
chairs or other pieces of furniture.
It is a mark of
maturity when people learn to talk about matters over which they disagree in
civil, reasonable and respectful ways.
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