Let's Argue

Come.  Sit down.  Let's argue this out.  (Isaiah 1:18)

Love the Lord your God . . . with all your mind. (Luke 10:27)

 Argument has always been a bad word for me.  I do not like argument.  I have felt that the only people who like arguments are difficult and unpleasant sorts of people who like to be bothersome.  My policy has been, "Only jerks like to argue."

Not only personally offensive, I have also seen argument used as a political tool which only seeks to gain votes and popularity by "scoring hits" against an opposing candidate/side.  Really, it seems mostly equivalent to mudslinging. Slogans and misrepresentation dominate the whole face of this sort of argument in my mind.

So why would God want to encourage us to argue?  Is he welcoming attacks and mudslinging or encouraging the worst in me to come out in a verbal fight?  In one sense, I do believe that he is risking attacks and misunderstanding through inviting me to argue it out with him.  Of course, I will be tempted to pull whatever stunts I can to win, since that is at the heart of what it means to be a person trying to make it without God.  Inviting argument seems to put us on opposite sides in a fight.

Although God is willing to take the risk, it does not seem that is his goal.  Perhaps argument can be something else.  Perhaps it can be God exercising my reasoning and respecting my will.  Perhaps it can be a place where I can learn to love God's thoughts and will rather than be bullied and pushed by a superior being.  God comes down to me and says "Let's argue this out" rather than merely overpowering me.

If God invites argument for the sake of growing in my thought and exercising my will, could it be that such arguing might be helpful between people as well?  Maybe rewording it "discussing" would help, but only if the whole process were saturated with humility and a desire to find truth.  It has not helped to claim that there is no Truth only "truths" we individually espouse.  Such a view has a questionable view of reality as well as only entrenching us in our viewpoints and encouraging us to gather ammunition so that the most powerful ideology wins, rather than seeking out what is true and right and good together.

As far as convincing another person of my argument, I had a talk with my daughter that helped us both to understand a place that discussion and argument might have in that process.  We were talking about evangelism.  We both felt that a person cannot be argued into the kingdom of God.  Winning an argument does not equate to "winning a soul."  But while that seems true, it also seems true that an argument can keep a person out of God's kingdom.  Arguments (philosophically speaking, as premises which step to a conclusion) provide barriers or stepping stones to trusting God.  Discussing such things may enable some people to see a way through to trusting God.

There are two barriers in an argument that might keep a person from trusting God.  Either the person thinks the argument is not sound or he does not like the conclusion.  An unsound argument is either logically invalid or it has a false premise.  For example, contradiction is one thing that renders an argument invalid, like "All religions are true and all religions are false."  Or a premise itself might be false, like "God causes all suffering."  The other possibility is that the conclusion is not preferable to a person like, "Therefore, God exists and God is good."

If an argument were explored carefully and kindly, such barriers might become clearer.  Either person might find themselves questioning the soundness of their arguments or beliefs.  Either person might come to a place where they realized their main objection was the conclusion even if the argument was sound.  If God wants me to think about things, I might be able to think them through with other people without needing to push, presume, or pretend so that I can win.  If winning were not my goal, I might have more influence with other people and who knows, I might even learn something myself.

Lord, show me how I can get past my fears of argument and discussion and grow in my thinking and deciding.  Help me to kindly invite other people to join me in thinking and growing.  I want your invitation to "argue it out" to not scare me, but remind me of how much you love and respect me and desire me to walk with you as a friend.  Amen.