de•bate di-ˈbāt, dē- noun
: a contention by words or arguments: as
a : the formal discussion of a motion before a deliberative body according to the rules of parliamentary procedure
b : a regulated discussion of a proposition between two matched sides

Whether you are an avid fan of public debates or you don’t think they do any good or you’ve just never thought about debates, I propose that it is time for a fresh look at this aspect of communication. Whenever I mention the word, “debate,” I imagine the person talking with me as conjuring up images of two red-faced politicians yelling at each other, but still saying nothing of substance. I brace myself for the “Those kind of things aren’t productive; people just talk past each other,” comment. Unfortunately, I think this stigmatized view is becoming more and more ingrained in people; and it is not usually a conclusion based in experience.

My own experience with Christian debate has been almost entirely contrary to this disparaged view of debate. However, my experience is limited, having only two of my own debates thus far. So I decided to speak with an experienced Christian debater for some insights: Dr. Michael Licona. Licona is the founder of Risen Jesus Ministries and is a New Testament historian, author, Associate Professor at Houston Baptist University and Christian apologist. He has participated in twelve formal, public debates with two more debates set for next month.

What do debates accomplish?
Most people I have spoken with who have an aversion to debates dislike them because they see the primary focus of debate as centered on the debaters’ ability to “win” or on the possibility to “lose.” Some even see debate as an obstacle to spiritual maturity or as having lesser value than other kingdom work. In contrast, Licona believes in debating specifically because of the spiritual benefits. He outlined six of the benefits of debate:

1) Inform seekers
At a debate, people who are seeking to know more about God are able to hear both viewpoints by persons who are studied in each side of the topic. They will get succinct presentations on those views as well as rebuttals to each view. So they will get to explore both sides throughout the debate to further inform themselves on their beliefs.

2) Inoculates saved
I (MJ) have been asked, why would I expose any believer to the opposite viewpoint on belief in God? They might doubt their belief due to hearing a case against God…right?

First, I hope the church understands that doubting God in some way is prevalent in the body of Christ. In fact, Dr. Gary Habermas states that doubt is possibly “the single most common problem among Christians.”[1] Throughout his years of ministry, Dr. Habermas, of Liberty University, has written extensively on treating doubt about God; some of which can be found online at www.garyhabermas.com.

Second, most believers are going to hear, at the very least, some sound-bytes about faith that are not well-conceived, but can still erode their beliefs. Plus, the more secular our society becomes, the more we will face arguments against belief in God (even feasible arguments). The church can provide opportunities to learn about these or let believers encounter the arguments entirely on their own. I choose the church as the setting to introduce these arguments. Churches should also be training up the body of Christ in the history and essentials of Christianity.

Third, belief in God must be based in truth. If a person does not really believe God exists, then she is delusional in acting as though God does exist. The apostle Paul states that if Jesus did not resurrect from the dead then our faith is useless and we are bearing a false testimony about God (1 Corinthians 15:14-15). Belief in God is either based in truth or falsehood: this is an area in which we must be intellectually honest.

Licona gave a couple of examples to illustrate his second point on how his debates have affected others’ belief in God. After his debate with Richard Carrier at Washburn University, a student approached him saying, “I just want to let you know that you have reignited my faith and I want to get involved with Bible study at my school. I had doubted what I believe, but this debate has turned me around.” At Appalachian State University, a student told Mike she was troubled about her faith after attending a class in which the professor assigned a Bart Ehrman book to read. The debate between Licona and Ehrman answered many of her questions and her spiritual life was invigorated by her attendance.

By addressing the issues that are raised concerning the existence of God, we are building up the body of Christ to defend their individual belief in God. We should take Paul’s admonition to the Colossians to heart: “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Col. 2:8)

3) Improved substance
“Debates improve the substance of our apologetic.” Licona explained that Christian debaters, to anticipate the counter-arguments, study how non-Christians have responded to the existing Christian arguments. Next, they think through their strategy: what arguments do I use? Are some arguments better than others? He stated that some people are not using convincing arguments for Christianity. Either they haven’t seen the rebuttals to those arguments or they have never used the arguments outside of a group that already agrees with their point-of-view. This makes for poor argumentation.

In debates, the various views are hopefully well-researched and the counter arguments well-prepared. This makes for good argumentation and thoughtful interaction. I (MJ) think it also delineates between a reasonable position and dogmatism. Licona specifically debates certain people who are highly respected in their fields to put his arguments to the test. If his material is not solid, he hopes he will receive useful criticism from the opponent to challenge him. The result of his labor is stronger, more succinct arguments. In turn, his work helps the body of Christ put our best foot forward and do so persuasively.

Let me add a quick note: This is not “just rhetoric.” This is about giving your best in your field (in this case, debate) to the Lord God. Why would anyone go into a debate on the subject of God without giving their absolute best arguments and preparation? That is not glorifying to God. However, a new argument has emerged against the Christian debaters: the Christians are too good at debating (see William Lane Craig’s response to this accusation here). I guess this would be a problem if the Christian debaters were using empty rhetoric in place of arguments. But they are not. So praise God for those who train themselves well in presenting arguments to the public for examination and persuasion!

Check back soon for the last three of Dr. Michael Licona’s points on the merits of debate. Plus, we’ll discuss the negatives and positives of formal debates and share a few more of Licona’s debate experiences.

Thanks,
MJ

© Confident Christianity, Inc. 2010

[i] Gary Habermas, “Dealing With Doubt,” [online-text], http://garyhabermas.com/books/dealing_with_doubt/dealing_with_doubt.htm.