The Problem with Statements Disguised as Questions

Post by
Michelle Dowell, Contributor

Some people believe that in discussing topics like theology, lots of questions can help. While this may be true, questions aren't always the best in all cases.

Out of fear a person may say a question, but really the question is an opinion disguised as a question. It is a tool to hide an opinion. It's not entirely honest: It's pretending to be inquisitive when really the purpose is to put an opinion out there without taking ownership of it to try to influence a decision or person in some way.

It's fine when a person isn't sure about an opinion he or she has and wants to know what another person thinks, or when a person wants to know what another person really thinks on a subject. The difficulty is when the person asking the question is very sure of what they think the answer should be and honestly doesn't care what the other person thinks.

It is unloving in another way: it requires the person being asked the question to needlessly use energy because they may not know that it's merely a disguised statement, that the person doesn't care about the answer, only about influencing in some way.

Rhetorical questions can be fine, if used appropriately as a literary device and not disguised as an actual question.

God the Same through Eternity

Winston Churchill "To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often."

Hopefully the error in this quote is obvious immediately to Christians. God is the ultimate standard of perfection.

He is the same through out all eternity. All human wisdom must be measured against the bible.

While change often has value in a fallen world – it cannot be absolutized as an absolute good.

Some statements seem true when we look at them in isolation. However once we compare them to the truth of the bible we see their error.

To change does not imply perfection. Actually it was man's first change of state which lead to his state of sin in the world.