Arguing

Something needed to be done. The current way of thinking needed to be changed. And Martin Luther was the only one who would stand up and argue against the popular stance. He wrote his 95 thesis and nailed them to the doors of a church in Germany, defying one of the greatest powers in Europe, the Catholic church. Soon after, he was excommunicated and called to stand trial for his beliefs. In a hall filled with people, Luther was presented with a pile of books and asked if they were his and if he would recant. Having made his arguments clear in his writings Luther said that if anyone could point out an error in his arguments then he would recant. Because of Luther’s arguments and willingness to defend what he believed, our world has been significantly impacted. Today, people seem to be afraid to argue. In order to stand for your beliefs and not be swayed by opposing views, people must learn to argue respectfully and logically. The true concept of arguing is an art that I fear is becoming lost, we need to be able to defend our beliefs and challenge illogical positions.

However, many people believe that arguments damage relationships so they avoid them. While it is true that taking a disagreement too far can end a relationship, there is very little chance that an actual argument could do so. Hans Bluedorn helps clarify this by outlining four different types of conversations: A discussion, a disagreement, an argument, and a fight. A discussion has no conflict, a disagreement points out a difference and moves on, but in an argument both sides bring up reasoning and evidence to support their stance. As long as they remain civil and respectful of each other than no harm is done. What gives the word “argument” a bad name is when it turns into the fourth type of conversation: a fight. A fight will most likely ruin relationships, and unfortunately this is what most people think of when they discuss arguing. By persuading you to argue, I’m asking that we go past a simple disagreement, but that we don’t reach a fight.

When we argue we can find the best solution to our problems. This is exactly what happened during the constitutional convention, where the founding fathers argued for three full months and reached the best conclusion possible. Perhaps it would have done faster if they hadn’t argued, but the outcome probably wouldn’t have been the best.
Often we keep our conversations at either a discussion or a disagreement, but we’re afraid to go to an argument because it may look disrespectful and mean. The reality is that arguing shouldn’t be either of those things. The foundation of a good argument is respect, for the person and for their position. By keeping an argument respectful you will be able to argue persuasively, but never turn it into a fight. Think back to Martin Luther. He had presented his arguments clearly and logically in his writings. He then stood before those asking him to recant and defended himself respectfully. Another example of respectful argumentation can be found by looking at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Again and again, Jesus was challenged on positions and beliefs, and every time he responded respectfully and persuasively. He didn’t back down from arguing, He never gave in on a position, He held His beliefs and yet built His arguments on the foundation of respect. 

Unfortunately, we are in the midst of a generation who cannot argue. Sure, they battle it out on Twitter. They can post opinions on Facebook. They rally, dispute, protest, complain, and fight. But the foundation of respect is sorely lacking, so we get nowhere. A real argument with support, logic, and reasoning is a rare thing to find in our society. By going back to the foundation of respect we can cultivate a true ability to argue in ourselves and others. Once we do that, the formula for arguing well is simple, let’s examine it.

The first step to arguing well is to state your point. Make your position on an issue clear. If you’re challenging someone else’s point of view, then clarify the difference between their stance and yours. Making it very clear what you’re arguing for eliminates confusion.

Secondly, state your reasons. Logically support your stance on a position and prove it using whatever evidence you can. If you’re going to make a claim, you’re going to have to support it, and we should always be prepared to do that. 1^st Peter 3:15 even commands us to be ready to support our position by saying, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” We should already have our reasons for what we believe so that when an argument comes we can list them persuasively and respectfully.

Lastly, stay logical. This should be easy if you have your reasons already prepared, but in order to have a good argument you must argue logically. That means attack the problem not the person, argue against the best version of the other argument, not the worst, and keep an open mind about the other side of the issue.

Don’t ever underestimate the power of argumentation, and please don’t be afraid to use it. We must stand up for what we believe, we must respectfully challenge unity centered on destruction, and we must not hesitate to go beyond a simple disagreement. Surrounded by a world of misunderstandings and petty fights, we must be the ones who can argue as Jesus did and as Luther did; respectfully but never backing down.