Refuting Error And Polemic Technique

Gen. George S. Patton wrote a book, Patton's Principles: A Handbook for Managers Who Mean It.  The point he makes is that we need to pick our battles and not get into disputes for no good reason when we have nothing positive to gain.  If we have everything to lose and nothing to gain, avoid it!  Some arguments generate more heat than light, and subsequently, aren't worth the adrenaline. 


The Bible says that God's servant must not be quarrelsome, and forbids us to be contentious, argumentative, judgmental, or divisive; the strategy of the devil is to divide and conquer and we need not be ignorant of his schemes.  We must learn the art or discipline of agreeing to disagree, and to disagree without being disagreeable!  Some people avoid all arguments like the plague, but an argument is simply showing someone his error or falsehood.



There are rules of debate and etiquette to keep arguments civil and under control, so as not to alienate and do irreparable damage to the relationship:  they say you shouldn't ever talk politics or religion, according to the American maxim, but how do we ever arrive at truth without doing that?  Truth is not relative but absolute and we need to be devoted to the truth; the unbeliever rejects the truth, but he who is of the truth hears God's voice--Jesus came to bear witness of the truth and truth came through Him, the personification of it.  A good lawyer can argue both sides of the case and knows the arguments pro and con, but we also hone our skills at learning and speaking by the principle that "iron sharpens iron" (per Proverbs 27:17). 


We all tend to be opinionated and some people don't want to understand, just express opinions, but just as we hold opinions, convictions hold us and we would consider laying down our lives for them.  We all have a right to our own private opinions, but not to fabricate our personal facts. The Bible doesn't forbid controversy, just godless controversy.  A point in fact:  John Stott wrote a book, Christ the Controversialist, to show that he didn't shy away from hot topics and wasn't afraid to upset the apple cart and the security of the Pharisees' turf, so as to make them jealous of His fame and popularity. We must not avoid controversy because it's not an option; to avoid it is to avoid Christ and the truth, letting heresy take over the church.   



We must aggressively confront heresy and confute those in opposition to sound doctrine--a good deacon can defend the faith and confront heresy, even smelling false doctrine a mile away, as it were. Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Let's not lose by default because we conceded and didn't come to the rescue and aid of our errant brothers.  The truth of the Bible is fully defensible and we need to be equipped to rightly divide the Word of Truth and to study to show ourselves approved unto God, as workmen without shame (cf. 1 Tim. 2:15).


Republicans insist there's no "evidence" of a cover-up; there's plenty of it, but they don't know what evidence in a court of law is:  it doesn't necessarily mean "proof" but only an argument or case to consider in making the decision of guilt or innocence.  There is often evidence pro and con in every case.  There is evidence of a cover-up because Trump told the Russians that he got rid of the "crazy nut job" to ease the pressure on the Russia issue.  He also admitted to Lester Holt on TV that the reason Comey was fired was an attempt to end the Russia investigation (by intimidation).  


Obstruction of justice, by the way, doesn't have to be successful, to be considered obstruction, all one has to do is make the attempt, even if it fails.  It isn't just one staff member that's under suspicion, but eighteen and there is evidence according to the FBI of a cover-up, and this implies there's a crime to cover up!  As they say, where's there's smoke, there's fire.  Soli Deo Gloria!