Debate

When someone says they are open-minded, they sincerely don’t care, they are fools, or they imply they are open to listening to your side of the argument long enough for an opportunity to interject their opinion while holding the same objective as you:  to win you to their cause.  This almost never works.  People just don’t listen to opposing facts (assuming at least one side bothered to start the process with any facts).  Maybe it’s a problem with the media.  We no longer know who to trust.  Liberals attack conservatives, conservatives call liberals communists, liberals call those conservatives who called them communist, racists, while racists call everyone racists except themselves and we are all left puzzled when we didn’t realize we were a member of any of the above groups and where’s the cover sheet on your TPS report, didn’t you get the memo?  Everyone has their own agenda (yes, everyone!).  The objective is to win you to their ‘side’.  I don’t think people set out to lie, but lies are propagated on all sides.  Lies are easier to come up with than facts.  If the facts don’t support your cause you can lie.  If the lie is discovered; change it.  Lie again.  Lie bigger.  Retreat, mix in a little fact (lie less), regroup and lie differently (but the same).  I’m not speaking of any group or cause here, just in the general sense.  Whoever is more powerful wins, and they won before the debate started.  But it’s nice to be polite and give the other side a chance isn’t it?

When it comes down to it I really don’t care about the politics; pretty much got Maslow's hierarchy of needs covered.  So why do I enjoy debating the issues so much?  Is it really the issues themselves?  Ultimately I am removed from the final decision making process.  Is it the issues themselves or is it just the conflict, the battle of wits?  It’s human nature to love conflict.  It's sometimes an adrenaline rush, but there is hardly ever any resolution because those who are willing to enter into the thing in the first place have similarly strong feelings but inclined to opposite sides of the argument.  Why do we always assume what seems to us to be an elegantly structured, logical, and perfectly reasonable solution never resolves the issue or converts the other participant to our side?

Arguments don’t gain any ground.  Debate does not win hearts.  Debate does not win minds.  Debate is like a boxing match.  Sure a boxer wants to win, but they really just want to go out and kick some ass.  To see the other boxer humiliated with bloody eyes and mouth.  It’s an organized endeavor.  After the ass kicking you shake hands and there is no guilt.  But you’ve tasted blood.  You want to kick ass again.  I was on the frontline.  I was the boxer.  I was the best; undefeated, but with no victories:  Running on a hamster wheel watching punishment and humiliation receiving the occasional nugget of worthless corn that has no nutritional value.  Call that life?

I give up the fight.  I am a treasure in the arms of Christ.