You offer an incomplete array of options. There are not just three choices of response. There are a few others. One, cognitive dissidence may also be appropriately called righteous indignation, if one is basing their position solely upon God's given in His Word. There is absolutely no need or actually allowance to change one's position based upon other human perspectives, opinions, conjectures, or high-in-the-sky intellectualism in such a case. This is where apologetics comes into usefulness; not change. God's Truths are absolute and we would be amiss to abandon them which we are doing when we change them; as if we knew better than the Creator and Sustainer of us and the whole universe.
That having been said, we should always be ready to entertain the thoughts of another who differs from us, at least with all that is in us to do so. God loves them whoever they are and through our connection God may speak through us to affect needed change in their life a change which may not occur for years. Additionally, sometimes we Christians NEED to have our position(s) challenged due to our own misunderstanding or forgetfulness of God's Word. We NEED to always endeavor to be HUMBLE. Such a challenge should never be settled out of God's Word and by mere human word. "5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and
do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (
Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 3:5-6 - English Standard Version) And, "16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[
a] may be complete, equipped for every good work." (
Bible Gateway passage: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - English Standard Version ) And in our battles with evil every day of our life we are told in Ephes 6 that although most of our armor is defensive
the ONE thing we are given to arm our body with to defeat evil or darkness, the "sword", is GOD'S Word. GOD'S WORD, not our intelligence, common sense, logic, rationale, a general consensus, or anything else. Whenever you are debating something relative to God if someone does not want the Word of God brought into purvey it is because they are trying to disarm you of the only REAL effective weapon you have in direct battle with one who is enemy of God. They would have you rely upon yourself and if they can get you there, away from God, they will have you right on their turf and out of yours. Jesus was/is God the Son.
Jesus had infinite wisdom and knowledge. How did Jesus respond to satan when tempted those three times? Did Jesus debate or try to enlighten? No, Jesus quoted God's Word EVERY time and defeated satan EVERY time. Are we better than Jesus to try to use our own understandings and reasoning as opposed to God's Word???
As I have said elsewhere, if Noah took notice and changed to what everybody else was doing or thinking because his huge monstrosity of a boat was in people's way or causing an eyesore or making them look "bad" or labeled fanatical, the human race would have gone extinct with the flood. I sure am glad that ONE person had the guts and personal integrity to follow God and ignore everyone's ungodly perspective around him.
