How to debate someone

[Introverted1293]

On here, be mindful of the rules, and report personal attacks. Use them to your advantage.

On Facebook, it's not as anonymous. If you're debating something on a friend's post, the person you are debating with is someone to your friend. HR departments also use various crawlers on Facebook to find candidates and look for reasons to weed them out. For these two reasons, it's important to not go unhinged on Facebook and tear into the person.

In both cases, make sure you are using the facts honestly. Learn logical fallacies so you can avoid them and point them out. Attack the argument without attacking the person, but you can do it in a way that more clearly diminishes their position if they are particularly nasty. Just don't appear to be aggressive when you're doing it.

Thank you for the advice. That was very helpful.

 

[Dave L]

How does a person debate other people that go on the attack mode? Why attack somebody else's character? Isn't that a terrible way to debate?

I am not against people attack my ideas. But they don't stop there. They will attack me as a human being. So, how does one continue in a debate like that?

“Why do the heathen rage, And the people imagine a vain thing?” Psalm 2:1 (KJV 1900)

 

[Hidden In Him]

How does a person debate other people that go on the attack mode? Why attack somebody else's character? Isn't that a terrible way to debate?

I am not against people attack my ideas. But they don't stop there. They will attack me as a human being. So, how does one continue in a debate like that?

Greetings, Introverted. Also to @Oscarr, @ewq1938, @Sketcher. Nice to see old names I remember still around.

This is actually THE question when it comes to Forum involvement, and I was thinking about this very issue just yesterday by happenstance, so I thought I'd log on and comment.

Sort of thinking out loud here, but these were my thoughts.

What we are ultimately attempting to do is overcome evil with good, in the simplest terms. Scripture commands that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us, and while I view Oscarr's assertive techniques as at least better than getting ugly with people, perceptive types will see through it as being disingenuous, condescending and/or manipulative. I've always taken a dead-serious honest approach with people, even with my feelings, because I would not want it any other way. The only way you can build a truly real relationship with anyone else is by openness and honesty, and that has to be there for me.

The problem however is anger, and voicing it will open the door for the enemy to have a field. So when logging to the various Christian forums, you have to be prepared going in to be insulted in the worst ways, and still be ready to bless those that curse you (and mean it), as the Lord has commanded us. You also have to be ready to "speak only that which ministers grace to the hearer," as Paul commanded. If you can no longer do this, stop speaking (James 1:19), so at least the memory they will have of you will be of someone who blessed them while they were cursing you.

One word of caution: I usually only subject myself to this kind of abuse when I know that what I have to share is worth it. If I am just on with the intention of "chatting" with people, I lay myself wide open (and have many times in the past to my regret) for a bad confrontation. But I'm almost never on for entertainment purposes these days. I've learned better. So only in defense of what you believe are very important doctrinal stances should you be willing to endure the pain and suffering, IMO.

Food for thought. Take it or leave it. Wish you the best in standing for what you believe on issues, without aiding the enemy in turning a little kindling into a wildfire (James 3:5-6).

God bless,
Hidden In Him