If we choose to die on a mountain regarding an issue we have the minority view of, we will be most effective communicating our reasoning to others if we have researched the majority viewpoint and can demonstrate a solid understanding of it. Not only will we be more effective, we'll avoid people losing respect for us. Minority viewpoints can sometimes be easily discredited, and if we continually beat the drum for one in a way that insults others who ultimately have better arguments against us, we're not only going to fail to change someone else's thinking, we are likely to have them lose respect for us overall.
Minority viewpoints are not generally well-accepted, whether we're dealing with those who are different from us or those who generally agree with us. Being dismissive or flippant of the majority viewpoint doesn't add to our credibility; we must show that we comprehend where others are coming from and why they are thinking as they are, and then reasonably share why we see it differently.
Too often we try to convince others to see things our way by being insulting, taking an attitude that tries to shame others into thinking as we do. We have to realize that will not actually convert someone to thinking as we do. It may just cause them to not challenge us openly. Weak faith is produced in this way. People need to understand why they believe what they believe, and if we are dealing with minority viewpoints, the burden of proof is on the proponent, not those opposed. The most important thing to realize when dealing with issues that can be disagreed upon without any real spiritual significance is that godly men and women CAN disagree on non-essential points. We should treat those topics carefully so we don't cut our own legs out from under us.
No comments:
Post a Comment