There has been some good chatter on the blogosphere about what constitutes “Christian dialogue.” Joe Carter has written an excellent post on The Wife Beaters: Evangelicalism and the Culture of Critique and Phil Johnson's shenanigans occasionally touch on the subject. It seems like there is a tension in Scripture concerning instruction and rebuke. On the one hand Paul says,
“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:24-26).
On the other hand John the Baptist spoke to the Jewish leaders as “vipers” (Luke 3:7), the Lord himself called Herod “that fox” (Luke 13:32), and Jesus’ woes to the Jewish leaders in Matthew 23 do not come off as a “gentle” rebuke.
My point is not to say what is righteous and what is not. However, if you are debating with someone and you do not add the witty sarcasm (however funny it may be) or the acrid rebuke, what does your critic have to work with? "Ridicule," as Jonathan Edwards notes, is "cheaper than solid argument, though much less worthy of a gospel minister."
POINT: If you cannot be criticized on the way you debate, your detractor must engage what you are debating. Isn’t this the goal? When you use questionable rhetoric you are only giving your opponent an easy way out.
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6 comments:
I would have said that's a really, really good post, but the picture of the girl sticking her tongue out was totally unnecessary and deeply offensive to me.
My mom taught me that this was not acceptable or charitable behavior. I think you should be ashamed for such an uncalled-for, graphic display of childishness.
I suggest you consider removing that picture and replacing it with a still-life picture of flowers or a bowl of fruit, so that you don't risk leaving visitors to your site with permanent emotional scars.
Jonathan,
I think that you make a really good point. It's disappointing that often very good arguments lose their effectiveness because of the tone in which they are presented.
On the other hand, I also think that some people interpret the mere fact that someone is critical as being mean-spirited, unchristian, and intolerent.
I think that there's a place for sarcasm and satire, but if it's getting in the way of your argument, you should let it go.
The wife-beater article was fantastalicious! The evangelical outpost looks like its earning a spot on my blogroll.
I can't find your email
Hey Jonathan, long time no hear. This is Antonio from the Grace Evangelical website. When you gonna come over and visit us again?
Antonio, good to hear from you again. Debating "Free Grace" is not high on my agenda right now. Maybe in the future. Keep in touch and, as MacArthur would say, "Grace to You"!
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