A Facebook conversation (if one can call it that) in which I recently became embroiled reminds me of how I used to approach discussions with those who disagreed with me. It was OK to lump my opponents with the worst behavior among those who agreed with them, but any attempt to reverse that logic was dismissed. And it was no problem to deny that I had earlier said certain things, if it later became clear that they were problematic or indefensible.
I was arguing for Jesus, and so of course winning mattered, right?
Now, however, I think that Jesus would care more about how those who claim to be his followers behave in their discussions with others, than about whether or not they seem to win the argument.
Why are so many Christians today happy to have the mere appearance of victory, especially when engaging in immoral or immature debating tactics means that you have been defeated in your attempt to follow Jesus, something which ought to matter more than being defeated in an argument. It should matter more even than being right, never mind merely appearing to be right.
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