By Howard Kim
One of the things that Christians will do in the course of their walk is defend their faith. This will test their knowledge of Christianity and how it applies to the current world. This can be both a positive and negative experience.
Peter gives good guidance in this area of
defending our faith:
"Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter
3:15b)
And indeed, a lot of Christians know this particular verse. It is a wise thing to be fully equipped in the knowledge of doctrine, God, etc. so that the gospel may be proclaimed freely, instead of having no answer in important areas.
I would venture a guess that most Christians do not know the verse following
the one quoted above. I, for one, did not know it either. But I feel it is
just as important, perhaps more:
"But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that
those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed
of their slander."
One of the major pitfalls of debating is letting pride and emotions fall into play. In the course of debating, one can easily be tempted to think more highly of themselves because they "got the right answer." What happens? They have a hard heart towards whomever they are debating with (hard to love a person that way), and an angry debate will eventually take over (e.g. judging, insulting) where neither side is listening anymore, and the debate becomes fruitless; but even worse, the non-Christian is repulsed by Christianity, and Satan has a firmer grasp on his/her soul.
So how do we debate "with gentleness and respect"? Very carefully.
In fact, I wouldn't call it debating. I would call it presenting.
Presenting the gospel means just that. Rather than trash people's personal beliefs, a more effective way of evangelizing would be simply to present the gospel as it is, without going into the philosophy of today. What is avoided in doing this is attacking the person and entering a never-ending philosophy discussion. As Paul says, "Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen." And very shortly afterwards he says, "Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." And yet again he says, "Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." (2 Timothy 2:14b, 16, 23, 24)
Believe it or not, sometimes they (the non-Christian) want to have a say in the discussion also. So let them have their say, without interrupting them. If they want to hear a response, respond with a loving attitude, not an "I'm-going-to-prove-to-you-why-what-you-believe-is-junk" attitude.
What they believe will not coincide completely with Christianity (that's why they're called non-Christians). Expecting their beliefs to be in harmony with yours shouldn't surprise you. Forcing Christian beliefs onto them won't make them believe them either, however.
I've given a very general guideline. Now here's the most specific
application for us as Christians:
Pray for the Holy Spirit to speak to the person. For "he will convict the world
of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." (John 16:8)
Who will do the convicting? The Holy Spirit. Who will not do the convicting? Christians. Who would you rather have convincing people of their sin, God's Spirit or a human? Therefore, avoid saying stuff like "God will judge you!" or "Come Judgment Day, weíll see who's right!" Let the Spirit do this. As for us, we are to love them to show by the example of our lives the love of God.
Are there any benefits of debating? One. For the Christian who does not have an answer to a valid question regarding Christianity, he/she ought to research the answer. Upon finding the answer, their faith will be strengthened, and an answer can now be given to that question.
Finally, debating is not the best evangelical technique; love is. Why was Mother Teresa such a powerful figure? Because she debated? No, because she loved people, especially the poorest. Even though she didn't serve the world, the world was affected by what she did do; as a result, many people believe God's love does exist. No fighting, no arguing, no judging; but love in action.
So then, let us learn to love with the love God has for each of us. And in
so doing, the non-Christians may see God in you and come to believe.
©1998 Howard Kim
All Scripture taken from the NIV.
Taken From: http://home.earthlink.net/~hdkim/debate.html