Comments on: I Love A Good Christ-Like Argument

By: fMhLisa

fMhLisa — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:40:49 +0000

Hum, ramble alert.

I do enjoy a good discussion (argument), but having been a socially awkward teenager, I had (maybe have) a hard time figuring out the correct time and place and person and even emotional approach to having these discussions (arguments).

I don’t know what I mean exactly, like there are some people with whom you can have a rousing discussion and it’s all in good fun, and others where messy feelings get involved and there’s all this emotional fall out. And I’ve found that as I’ve gotten older, and been trying to get myself some social skills, I’ve sometimes avoided the first kind of discussion because I want to avoid the latter at all cost.

Obviously the internet makes low-cost arguing easier, because you can pick fights er I mean engage in discussions with people and not worry about potential emotional fall out. Unless you go and build a community and start having complex cyber relationships. Not that we would do that or anything.

I think that idea is where the Christ-like argument problem comes into play for me. I can throughly enjoy an argument if I feel like all participants are somewhat detached, sincere perhaps, but not taking things personally. But when I worry that the other person is hurting, or if I start to hurt, then while the argument is still often compelling (because one does like to be right) it’s no longer harmless. Or something.

I don’t know, since I’ve never been very good at keeping my own emotions out the “discussion” it’s probably better for me to just avoid them all together, but then where’s the fun in that?

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:15:33 +0000

Tim-
Huh? Did you mean “when we do that, too” (just leave out the “you”)?

Bret-
Ultimate revenge of a parent: watching your children be parents. I get it now, why my mother has a slight cackle to her laugh whenever I talk about “how am I going to survive this?!”

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 04:21:14 +0000

That is what bothers me the most!

It bothers me when we do that you too.

By: Bret

Bret — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:45:46 +0000

Don’t worry Cheryl, our family can’t WAIT till Rusty has his own oldest son teenager>:)

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:58:42 +0000

lamonte-
That is what bothers me the most! How do they know what I personally believe? I would never claim such arrogance and conceit and claim to know what they believe.
Elder Holland’s talk was awesome at Conference. I’ve decided it’s best to leave the arguing to the professionals. I’m not that good at it anyway.

Rusty-
Guys like you in high school drove me CRAZY! Your poor sister…

By: Lamonte

Lamonte — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:47:41 +0000

#13 Tim -”Most (k)no(w) very little about Mormonism.” I don’t disagree with this statement but my experience is that many or most Evangelicals I’ve encountered THINK they know a lot about Mormons and Mormonism. They seem to love to tell me why I believe - which is almost always NOT what I believe.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:29:13 +0000

I’d also have to say that my own blog posts that seem to get the most attention from LDS seem to be those which are arguments rather than discussion.

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:24:33 +0000

in discovering how many bloggers are lawyers, I think there’s something to what Seth says in #12.

I actually think most Evangelicals are not even that interested in arguing with Mormons. Most no very little about Mormonism. The ones you’ve more likely encountered aren’t interested in arguing as much as they are in telling Mormons that they have been “served notice” that they’re going to hell.

By: Seth R.

Seth R. — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:00:05 +0000

I think this is a guilty pleasure most bloggers have.

By: BiV

BiV — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:33:35 +0000

I sure love a good argument. Don’t you know that the only time I ever experienced the gift of tongues in my life was during the second month of my mission in an argument with some Evangelical Christians. They lured us into their home with the promise of listening to our message, and suddenly we were confronted with their entire scripture study group of about 15 people. I really got into the “discussion,” converting no one, of course. But when we left the home several hours later, I realized to my shock that I had been conversing entirely in French! No thinking, translating in my head, groping for words, or anything. I spoke and understood as if it was my mother tongue, and didn’t realize it was happening until later. It was AWESOME.