Is discussing/debating online worthwhile?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Arthur Smith on April 22, 2010 at 6:25am

Is online witnessing worthwhile? It depends on what your goal is. Through online witnessing you can reach people you would never be able to reach otherwise. You can get out information to people who really want and need it, who may have no other way of getting the information. You can provide answers to those who are truly seeking. You can plant the seeds that God can use to strengthen, encourage and even lead someone to salvation. So in those regards, it is very worthwhile.

However, you cannot turn a hardened heart. If you debate the hardened atheist to convert them, you will loose and you will be discouraged. If instead you debate them so that others who's hearts are not yet hardened, who might be also reading the post can hear and see that there indeed are answers to the atheist's claims, then yours ARE the feet that bring good news.

You also cannot avoid persecution and cannot avoid the lost insisting that their way is better than God's (even those that claim their way is God's even though it completely differs from what He says). Yet this is true not only in online witnessing, but in any witnessing.

The best thing to do is to pray and ask God if the particular forum (online or real-world) is where HE wants you to devote your time. For me, God has put it into my heart to avoid atheist boards. To others, He could choose the atheist's boards as their mission field. So your first action needs to be to ask Him where He desires you to be.

In His Service... Arthur Smith
www.HaveYouNotRead.com
http://YouDontHaveToHaveAPhD.blogspot.com/

Permalink Reply by Robert Barnett on April 22, 2010 at 8:53am

I agree that we shouldn't go to atheist boards. I'm learning that there are rules to debates (that also apply to discussions) and one of them is to not participate in a debate like that. The general idea is to have a respectful discussion, for the benefit of teaching the audience, or less likely, teaching the opponent. This is often difficult to do in the vast majority of online forums, which is why professional ministries tend to not participate in those.

Other than that, it's helpful to learn about logical fallacies, and to not get stuck on the defensive. I recently learned that Dr. Lisle is very correct in "The Ultimate Proof" in that you can't just tell someone when they are committing a logical fallacy. It comes across as a personal attack. You make note to yourself that it's a logical fallacy and respond accordingly. I made the mistake of telling one person online "This is a straw-man fallacy, meaning that you're posing an argument against something that may not exist." It would probably have been more appropriate to ask, "How do you know it's really like that?" or something.

Arthur Smith said:

Is online witnessing worthwhile? It depends on what your goal is. Through online witnessing you can reach people you would never be able to reach otherwise. You can get out information to people who really want and need it, who may have no other way of getting the information. You can provide answers to those who are truly seeking. You can plant the seeds that God can use to strengthen, encourage and even lead someone to salvation. So in those regards, it is very worthwhile.

However, you cannot turn a hardened heart. If you debate the hardened atheist to convert them, you will loose and you will be discouraged. If instead you debate them so that others who's hearts are not yet hardened, who might be also reading the post can hear and see that there indeed are answers to the atheist's claims, then yours ARE the feet that bring good news.

You also cannot avoid persecution and cannot avoid the lost insisting that their way is better than God's (even those that claim their way is God's even though it completely differs from what He says). Yet this is true not only in online witnessing, but in any witnessing.

The best thing to do is to pray and ask God if the particular forum (online or real-world) is where HE wants you to devote your time. For me, God has put it into my heart to avoid atheist boards. To others, He could choose the atheist's boards as their mission field. So your first action needs to be to ask Him where He desires you to be.

In His Service... Arthur Smith
www.HaveYouNotRead.com
http://YouDontHaveToHaveAPhD.blogspot.com/

Permalink Reply by Ailsa on April 29, 2010 at 2:58pm

I think that if you are going to discuss things on line, you have to be very careful not to get dragged into slanging matches. Once the mud starts to fly, it's best to politely take your leave, gently stating that you are happy to discuss issues and evidence, but that you refuse to join in with disrespectful mudslinging.

I agree, atheist sites are probably the hardest. A lot of people there tend to throw up a lot of straw men, and they are very prone to mock what you say without apparently thinking about what you have said. It is common for people to completely get the wrong end of the stick and assume you are saying the opposite of what you are saying (I wonder sometimes if it's deliberate?). One big problem seems to be definitions of terms. Sometimes you realise that you are talking at crossed purposes because you actually mean different things by the same word or phrase. And there is a lot of missing the point - nit-picking about minor things while completely missing the big picture.

I try to take as humble an approach as possible. I think it's really important that I don't come over as some raving dogmatist who thinks she knows all the answers and tries to put down other participants. We have to remember whose we are and avoid debating just to build up our own egos or score points. As Arthur says, your goal is very important, and praying for those involved is also vital. We have to keep in mind that people on the website will be drawing conclusions about Christians from your behaviour. If you can come over as respectful, thoughtful, and serious about discussing issues rather than dissing atheists, you may find that some people will start to think about what you say. There will always be those who are so hardened and cynical that they won't listen to anyone who doesn't agree with them. Try not to get riled by them.

Also, it can sometimes help if you ask probing questions instead of stating your case. Sometimes you can go on to demonstrate that their answers don't stack up.

The other things is that you may not get anywhere with the people on the site at the time, but sometimes, you may strike a chord with someone who reads the thread later. In the end, it is for us to plant the seeds and for God to water them if He chooses to.

Permalink Reply by Alexander Martin on May 8, 2010 at 1:35am

Hey Robert,

The definition of science is a fun topic. I have try my hand to clarify this in the thread "What is Science?" You might find some interesting pieces of information you can use the next time you get into a debate like that.

Permalink Reply by Robert Barnett on May 12, 2010 at 12:39am

The last discussion I got into that went into the definition of science, we all agreed it was a very important thing but we also had to agree that we simply couldn't agree. They said science must be atheist by definition. I said that the dictionary definition and the original meaning/intent of science are not/was not atheist. And since frankly it's a word representing an idea or concept...people can believe whatever they want to about it.

Not that being in the dictionary means much. There are cuss words in there, and the Simpson's "doh".

Alexander Martin said:

Hey Robert,

The definition of science is a fun topic. I have try my hand to clarify this in the thread "What is Science?" You might find some interesting pieces of information you can use the next time you get into a debate like that.

Permalink Reply by Alexander Martin on May 12, 2010 at 6:51am

Hey Robert. Yeah, I've been getting the atheist word thrown around a lot in my thread so you may not want to go there if you're squimish about that sort of thing. On the other hand, it just might be entertaining and you may take a few tidbits from it.

Robert Barnett said:

The last discussion I got into that went into the definition of science, we all agreed it was a very important thing but we also had to agree that we simply couldn't agree. They said science must be atheist by definition. I said that the dictionary definition and the original meaning/intent of science are not/was not atheist. And since frankly it's a word representing an idea or concept...people can believe whatever they want to about it.

Not that being in the dictionary means much. There are cuss words in there, and the Simpson's "doh".

Alexander Martin said:

Hey Robert,

The definition of science is a fun topic. I have try my hand to clarify this in the thread "What is Science?" You might find some interesting pieces of information you can use the next time you get into a debate like that.

Permalink Reply by David Thomas Posey on January 10, 2011 at 6:59pm

I got into a discussion at the end of last year; one person (who I later learned was Jewish) asked the seemingly straightforward question, "What is Jesus trying to do in the Gospels?"  I gave my answer, that His ultimate purpose was to die, rise again, and thus deliver us from our sin, and then backed that up with multiple Scriptures.  The people on the forum kept asking for more proof, and I kept supplying it.  Ultimately, I left the discussion as I had said what could be said, and they rejected it (as was their prerogative). 

The saddest thing, however, was the activity of one particular Christian on the site.  He couldn't resist ad hominem attacks, calling the atheists idiots and saying the Jews hated everybody else.  It would have been better for him not to have participated.  What do we do when the other Christians act silly like that on other forums?  Do we rebuke them on the forum, like Paul rebuked Peter, or do we keep silent?  What are y'all's thoughts?