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Debate | Dialog | Social Media
The Demand for Opinions
There has always been a tendency for crowds to call for others to support them. If you do not, you are contributing to the other side, however they define that. Social media has multiplied that demand and given the demanders a megaphone. If you do not express an opinion–the right opinion according to them–on this…
Psalm 119:63 – Companion
I’m a companion to all who fear you,and to those who keep your precepts. My thoughts today took me onto the subject of companionship and friendship. Who are your friends? Why are you friends with various people? In scripture we have a tension between two views of the relationship between God’s people and those around…
Psalm 119:51 – Confidence
I discuss the importance of respectful dialogue about faith, emphasizing that true confidence doesn’t rely on demeaning others. Understanding diverse beliefs fosters communication and counters arrogance.
On Listening to One Another
We need to listen to people with different perspectives in a variety of different ways to improve our own understanding.
As Everyone Trades Scripts – Again
Immediately after the last election I wrote this. Please read it before you read this. I want to reiterate it today. I have meant it sincerely following every election in which I have been a voter, and I registered to vote at the first opportunity. Speaking with respect is not agreement. It is a way…
Identifying Hatefulness
There are many people concerned about hatefulness right now, and one might think that this concern came largely from opponents of the president-elect. I’ve found, however, that the concern comes from all sides. (“Both sides” is a very dangerous concept in a complex world.) Let me suggest a simple test. When you find a blog…
Why I Believe in Dialogue, Respect, and the Gospel Commission
I’ve recently said and written a few things about the gospel commission, including my claim in my concluding presentation for my video series on eschatology that eschatology is all about the gospel commission. You’ll hear more about this in my foreword to Dave Black’s new book Running My Race. It’s in the final stages of…
Why I Believe in Courtesy
(Image Credit: OpenClipart, qubodup) It seems that many people believe that in order to be firm in one’s convictions, one must be arrogant, loud, and generally rude. Rude and angry speech is praised as telling it like it is. Courtesy is often ridiculed with the incredibly overused term “political correctness.” I object to political correctness…
When to Cut Off Dialogue
I’ve read recently about people cutting off dialogue because of certain behaviors of those on the other side. And indeed, there are times when dialogue becomes futile because someone else refuses to be honest or refuses to engage. I’m writing this simply to appeal to those who want to see more dialogue, more working together,…