We often find in discourse that people will wish to win an argument by a trick question or by bringing quotations out of context to win an argument. It is as if getting the "right result" is more important than the method by which the result is obtained.
I am convinced that we cannot seek to follow God and not care about the methods by which arguments are won. I believe that any dispute won by deception or guile or shortcuts is usually a battle which is lost.
The truth shines in the light. If we cannot win a dispute taking the high road and acting in spirit and truth than the battle is not worth winning.
It is often that arguments are won in Christian circles by people misquoting scripture. They bring certain texts out of context because it seems to conveniently prove their point. If they brought in texts which really deal with the issue it becomes too muddied and their "win" is more difficult.
You see the bible had great nuance. And many situations in the bible require wisdom. That is why pulling definitive texts which do not apply to the situation at hand is so detrimental.
The bible does not give easy answers to many questions. We are a people who love quick fixes and easy answers. We don't like situations where the answer after much thought requires thought and wisdom and may be opposed to the general conscious of the current day.
We do not like any areas where there is greyness. Everything is so black and white. That is the way the bible is of course we think. But the reality is that often in the bible men acting in faith did not know what to do.
If everything is always so clear there would be no need for the constant call of the bible to wisdom. There is very much which exists in a very clear cut ethical state. But there are also many things where it is difficult to know what is right.
Too often the church jumps in and tries to impose clear cut answers without thought on people who are in situations which require much thought. We are often far too confident in ourselves and far too eager to try to solve problems which will take far more thought and prayer to solve than we are willing to devote.
We fail to solve many problems because we are so set in our ways that we are not open to the solution at times.
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