5 Questions to Ask When You Disagree With Another Christian
Christians disagree with one another. This happens all of the time. I’m not talking about disagreeing about fashion or music or television shows. I’m thinking more about disagreements about Christian faith and practice.
These disagreements have been around since the beginning. Check out this message I gave about the Jerusalem Council from Acts 15.
I have noticed that some Christian apologists spend as much time responding to Christians they disagree with as they do responding to concerns of non-Christians.
Since disagreements are going to happen, we should approach these experiences thoughtfully. Here are some questions that we should ask ourselves.
- Is it a major issue? How important is the issue that is being disagreed about? It is it an essential of the faith or is it something that only extreme specialists would even be aware of?
- Am I treating the person with respect despite the disagreement? It saddens me when I see the anger and borderline hatred that I see between Christians who disagree.
- How much have I studied this issue? Some people hold to strong convictions without having done the homework. Maybe this is an opportunity to do more study.
- How do I want non-Christians to see our disagreement? Our debates do not take place in a vacuum. People, including non-Christians, see how we approach disagreements. Are we giving a positive or a negative witness?
- Am I prepared to admit I might be wrong? Is there any evidence that could convince you that you are wrong and the other person is correct? Are you so entrenched that nothing could move you?
What other questions should people be asking?
After writing this post, I came across this video which I think illustrates a healthy way to approach disagreements and responds to unhealthy ways.
