Debates are for the Lazy
When Dr. Heiser said "debates are for the lazy," he didn't necessarily mean that they're lazy for the debaters who are doing the debating, but he was talking about those who intend to use debates as a substitute for real study and research.
//Debates are for the lazy. What I mean by that is that, if someone really wants to learn something, they’ll study and do research. They won’t be content to be entertained. Debates are a substitute for study. They are academic bloodsport — entertainment for both sides that allows both sides to avoid the hard work of studying.//
Do your own work; this means that you need to engage every side with fairness and clarity, using a good faith approach that doesn't run out the gate with the idea that you're just going to defeat one side before you've even looked at it properly.
That being said, there are many times when ideas can be discounted basically out of hand if they have no evidence, no logic, etc. Don't waste your time on nutball ideas.
If someone wants their idea to be considered in the realm of sensibility, they do have a responsibility to present it in a way that affords a reason for a critical thinker to spend their valuable and limited time looking at it. We should insist upon that evidence rather than spend our time chasing fancies.
"Oh but it's fun looking at all these ideas."
Then call it what it is: entertainment. Fiction. Storytime.
God is a Consuming Fire: How “Glory” and “Fire” Frames Help You Read the Bible
If you’ve been around church for a while, you’ve heard about God's glory, maybe scratched your head wondering what, exactly it was. And you've probably heard the line:
“Our God is a consuming fire.”
For some of us, that…
Not the Author of Evil: How the Bible Holds Sovereignty and Agency Together
In episode 60, Who Causes Sickness? - Episode 060. I explored the question: "Who/what causes sickness?" One perspective that has been prevalent throughout Christian history is the notion that Satan, as a biblical entity, may be involved in causing s…
