The big idea
Most conversations go badly for reasons that have nothing to do with theology.
You do not need a philosophy degree. You need four habits. First: define the terms. Half of all religious arguments are two people using the same word — faith, evidence, God, science — to mean different things, and never noticing.
Second: separate the claim from the person. Whether an idea is true is a different question from who said it or why they said it. Attacking motive instead of content is the fastest way to lose credibility with everyone listening.
Third: notice when a burden of proof is being smuggled. "God does not exist" is a claim too. Fourth: watch for the straw man — the weakened version of a position that is easy to knock down. The cure is simple. Restate the other person’s view until they say, "yes, that is what I mean." Then respond to that.
Key argument
Clear thinking checklist
- 1Define the key term before you argue about it.
- 2Address the claim, not the person making it.
- 3Ask who is claiming what, and who owes support for it.
- 4Restate their view before you answer it.
The objection
"You are just using debate tricks to avoid the real question."
Best response
Clarity is not a trick. If we are using the word "evidence" differently, we will talk past each other for an hour and neither of us will learn anything. Thirty seconds of definition saves the whole conversation.
Mistake to avoid
Naming fallacies out loud like a scoreboard. Saying "that is an ad hominem" sounds like showing off. Just address the actual point.
Conversation move
"Let me make sure I have your view right before I respond — are you saying that…?"
Memory line
"Questions are not the enemy. Weak answers are."
Practice
A friend says, "Christians only believe because they are scared of death." Which reasoning problem is that, and how would you name it without being condescending?
Self-check
2 questions to check the idea stuck. This one is just for you — it is not scored and does not affect your quiz accuracy. The path quiz is the graded one.
A straw man fallacy is best described as:
Only the person claiming God exists carries a burden of proof.
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