I'm Right! You're Wrong!

Like I've  probably said multiple times in this blog... "Everyone has their own opinion", and that's perfectly fine...when it becomes an issue is when someone thinks their opinion is the only right one and everyone else has to see it the same way or they are stupid.

And what does that cause...arguing.
Plain and simple, arguing. 

Have you ever just sat back and watched 2 fully grown 'adults' go at it? It's quite hysterical actually.



And you want to know one of the best places to see this arguing? The internet. Because let's face it, people say and do things over the internet that they would never have the courage to do in the real world.

I mean comments on facebook, youtube, and news articles could entertain you for hours! (Just have a bowl of popcorn near by)

All you have to do is go to website that mentions anything about the following:

1. Politics
2. Religion
3. Pop Culture
4. Morals
5. Global Warming

and....BAM! instant internet debate.

Adults on their computers, hiding behind the security of monitors and keyboards acting the exact way they tell their children not to act.

You want to know how to start and online argument? It's easy....State your opinion and wait

It starts so civil.
"I believe....."
"Well I believe you are wrong for the following reasons and here is where I found that information."
"Your sources are not reliable and your reasoning is flawed for these reasons"
yada yada yada until one or both sides begin to become frustrated and then what do they resort to? name-calling and finger pointing.
Then friends are called in as re-enforcement (or they just show up because they can't resist a good internet debate)
and it's just a down hill spiral from there on.

Fact is,
It's human nature to always want to be right
It's human nature to want to defend yourself and others you love
It's human nature to want to argue because it get the blood pumping and the adrenaline flowing.

But is it always a good idea?

A while back a friend of mine posted a simple status on facebook. Her opinion... and I agreed with it.
Well, someone else didn't agree and made that perfectly clear in his comment to her. But like the above scenario he didn't stick straight to facts and figures, he attacked my friend personally and to me that was NOT ok. 

I replied to him as calmly and cleared minded as I could, even though I was steamed.
I stuck to the facts and explained why I agreed with my friend and disagreed with him.
When he replied to me, once again he fought back with personal attacks. He questioned my beliefs, my reasoning, and my motives...which made my face even  more red with anger.

Right after I recieved a text message from my friend. It read, "Don't reply!"

WHAT?!
I was angry! He disrespected me, he disrespected my friend,and just all around bashed us both.
How could I not respond?
I was right and he needed to know that!
I was not the one with questionable motives and beliefs, he was!
And I knew exactly what buttons to push, he would never mess with me again! Oh yea!

Cut a long story, I never did reply. I just let it go. It was no longer worth my time or energy to argue with him. He was the type that even if he did have the slightest hint that he was wrong, he would still argue and play devil's advocate just for the fun of it.

The moral? Here it is.
As Christians we are going to be attacked and belittled for our beliefs. 
People are going to want to argue with us and try to make us question our beliefs. Some of them may even know their Bible better than you do (Don't fool yourself, Satan probably knows the Bible like the back of his hand), but they twist it into saying something it really doesn't say.
Don't let them get to you. People are going to anger you. Talk to them in a reasonable manner, but don't get pulled in to their childish arguments. When they begin using personal attacks, don't give in...that makes you no better than they are.

When Jesus came a cross a sinner that disagreed with what He was preaching, what did He do?
Did He say, "What? Are you stupid!? You are obviously wrong! I can't believe you think_________!"
No,
No, that's silly. He loved them, He prayed for them, He spent time with them, and He invested in their lives to show them that He was different and He was who He said He was.
Then when they attacked Him and crucified Him, He didn't say a word, He turned the other cheek, and continued to pray.  (Isaiah 53:7, Mark 15:3-5)
And if we claim to be Christians than we should try our hardest follow His example.  (Luke 6:28, Matthew 5:39)

What would happen the next time someone tried to start a fight with you and you didn't add fuel to the fire?
What if you showed them the love of Christ and prayed for them?
They wouldn't know what to think! They would be dumbfounded!
They would notice that there is something different about you, and then you may be blessed with an opportunity to share Christ with them. How great would that be?

Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game because they almost always turn out to be—or to be indistinguishable from—self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time.

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

You cannot reason people out of a position that they did not reason themselves into.

  

That's the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you're never wrong.

Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument an exchange of ignorance.

The most important tactic in an argument next to being right is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without an embarrassing loss of face.

 Nothing so sharpens the thought process as writing down one's arguments. Weaknesses overlooked in oral discussion become painfully obvious on the written page

Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3