“In a lawsuit, the first to speak seems right,
until someone comes forward and cross-examines.”

Proverbs 18:17

As long as there’s been free will, people have been debating the issues. The Bible has several examples of debates, with some notable winners and losers.

Here are 10 times in the Bible where people made mistakes when debating. Also included is how those mistakes might playout in a modern debate.

The examples given are not intended to lean one way or the other, and ChatGPT deserves credit for helping me keep things nice and concise!

Keep this handy while watching the debate and see how many fallacies you can identify!

1. Ignoring Audience Worldview (Acts 17)

• Definition: Failing to consider the audience’s beliefs or context.
• Biblical Example: Paul, when in Athens, wisely tailors his message to the Greeks by using philosophical reasoning instead of Hebrew scriptures.
• Political Example: A politician discussing rural farming issues using only urban economic data fails to connect with the rural audience’s experience.

2. Ad Hominem Attack (Matthew 12)

• Definition: Attacking the person rather than their argument.
• Biblical Example: The Pharisees accuse Jesus of being aligned with Beelzebub instead of addressing the miracle he performed.
• Political Example: Instead of addressing a policy proposal, a candidate dismisses an opponent as “too inexperienced to be taken seriously.”

3. False Cause (Matthew 12)

• Definition: Incorrectly assuming one thing causes another.
• Biblical Example: The Pharisees claim Jesus casts out demons because he is in league with them; Jesus refutes this by saying a house divided cannot stand.
• Political Example: A candidate claims that crime rates dropped because of a new law, without evidence that the law caused the reduction.

4. Confirmation Bias (Matthew 12)

• Definition: Interpreting information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions.
• Biblical Example: The Pharisees view Jesus as a threat and ignore evidence of his good works.
• Political Example: A politician only cites data that supports their position on immigration, ignoring studies that show opposing outcomes.

5. Appeal to Tradition (The Book of Job)

• Definition: Arguing something is true or right because it’s always been done that way.
• Biblical Example: Job’s friends insist “bad things happen to bad people,” disregarding Job’s unique situation.
• Political Example: A politician argues against reforming the education system by saying, “We’ve taught this curriculum for generations, and our parents turned out fine, so there’s no need to change it.”

6. False Dichotomy (The Book of Job)

• Definition: Presenting only two options when more exist.
• Biblical Example: Job’s friends suggest suffering is either a punishment for sin or a sign of God’s disfavor, ignoring other possibilities.
• Political Example: A candidate argues, “You’re either for this healthcare bill, or you don’t care about people’s health.”

7. Overconfidence Bias (The Book of Job)

• Definition: Being too confident in one’s understanding or knowledge.
• Biblical Example: Job’s friends are overly certain about their simplistic views on suffering.
• Political Example: A politician insists that they can negotiate international trade deals better than experienced diplomats, despite having no background in international relations, purely based on their success in domestic business.

8. Attribution Error (The Book of Job)

• Definition: Attributing someone’s situation to their character rather than considering external factors.
• Biblical Example: Job’s friends blame his suffering on his supposed sinfulness without considering other reasons.
• Political Example: A politician blames poverty solely on personal laziness, ignoring systemic issues like lack of access to education or healthcare.

9. Appeal to Self-Righteousness (Mark 10)

• Definition: Believing oneself morally superior due to outward actions or beliefs.
• Biblical Example: The rich young ruler claims he has kept all commandments, but Jesus points out his lack of internal sacrifice.
• Political Example: A candidate claims to be the only “true patriot” because they adhere to a specific interpretation of the Constitution.

10. Appeal to Authority (Galatians 2:11-14)

• Definition: Arguing something is right because someone in power believes it.
• Biblical Example: Paul confronts Peter for following Jewish Christian leaders instead of adhering to inclusive values.
• Political Example: A politician justifies a policy by saying, “Because the President supports it,” rather than providing solid reasoning.

What do you think? As lists go, this is just a small portion of the pitfalls debaters can fall into. Picking a winner can also be a form of confirmation bias. Who can blame you for rooting for “your” side?

Still, as Christians we have higher standards to follow. Among those are love, faith, humility, forgiveness, and justice. You might want to put those on your scorecard, too.

Or, you can tune out and ignore the issues alltogether.

But that would be a big

mistake.

Have a great week,

Mitch

https://vote.gov/