It finally warmed up here in northern Ohio yesterday–our first 60° F. day in March (just barely snuck it in). We’ve had the 2nd snowiest February and March on record, but we think the worst is over now. Of course, that’s what we said in early March, so we’re not offering any guarantees . 

We had hoped to have this post ready Monday, but the warm weather caused a frantic flurry of outdoor yard work. We have a twice-a-year brush pickup in our township, so we’re up against it on getting bushes and trees pruned in time for the growing season on our two acres. Plus Brian’s Dad still needs care, so a trip to his house also shrunk the available time.

If you’ve been following our posts the last few days, you’ll remember that we’ve been presenting a mini-series type of thingy on Brian’s debate with a pro-evolutionary homeschool blog author. 

Before you start moaning, “Oh no, not another long debate to read!”, relax. We’re going to just give a brief summary followed by some tips you can use should you ever find yourself in the middle of a debate, either voluntarily or involuntarily. Then we’ll give it a rest. Not permanently, but for a good while. Promise.

We don’t normally devote this much time and space to the topic of origins,  but it was a unique opportunity to show some of the arguments on both sides of the issue and to show that homeschoolers are as diverse in their beliefs as the general population, perhaps even more so. Maybe WAY more so, come to think of it.

It was also our hope that you may have learned something about how to properly debate a contentious issue such as the evolution vs. creation ideas. Our position, of course, is that Darwinian evolution is false, and that Biblical creation offers the only valid explanation for the multitude of life on earth.

What did we find?

We found that evolutionists are just as fervent in their defense of their ideas as creationists are, and that both sides believe there is a bias against their position in some circles. Creationists generally believe there is an evolutionary bias in the media, universities, and scientific community, and most evolutionists believe there is a creationist bias in the majority of homeschooling science materials, web sites, and the Christian community.

We also discovered that some homeschoolers on both sides even go as far as to describe it as a “conspiracy” by their rivals. So it seems that the evolution vs. creation debate is very controversial and causes strong, emotional responses on both sides of the issue. 

The debate started rather contentiously, as is typical with a controversial issue, with both Brian and Dawn taking a few potshots at each other, but as time went on their bluster seemed to diminish. Even though they were still at odds with each other on the question of origins (translation: in total disagreement), they became more respectful and focused on presenting their arguments rather than the “in your face” kind of stuff.

What caused the friction?

One bone of contention was that Dawn thought we should specifically identify ourselves as a creationist blog. When she first found our blog, she apparently believed it to be a general-homeschool-information type of site that didn’t address these kinds of issues (evolution vs. creation).

So being an evolutionist, she felt somewhat ‘blind-sided’ when she found we did have a strongly held creationist belief and were willing to write about it. So that was at least part of the reason that this blog “annoyed” her. She was sensitive to the aforementioned perception of a creationist bias in homeschooling materials.

And she thought that we had co-opted the term ‘Christian Worldview’ (one of our categories), because she indicated that there were many Christians for whom ‘worldview’ apparently doesn’t include creationism. This came as somewhat of a surprise to us, as we had always believed the vast majority of Christians to be creationists because of the Bible’s very clear statements indicating a literal, 7-day creation, especially Genesis 1.

So that raised some interesting questions. Should we specifically identify ourselves as ‘creationist’, and if so, how? Is it really necessary? And if we did identify ourselves this way, would it give the impression that this is the primary focus of our writing, which would be somewhat misleading as we try to cover a wide range of topics?

We can see the merits of identifying ourselves, perhaps with a sub-heading or sidebar, but are not sure if it’s necessary. We’d appreciate your feedback by placing a comment at the end of this post, and if we get enough feedback indicating a change would help, we’ll do so.

Debating made simple

Now for the tips. We’ll call it “The Homeschool Insider Unofficial Debate Guide”. OK, admittedly pretty corny, but this isn’t a copywriting clinic, so cut us some slack here. We didn’t get these tips out of a text book–it’s just something we developed on the fly, but we think you’ll find it helpful. Stick with us now…

First, know your topic you want to debate. Sounds pretty elementary, but you’d be surprised how mis- or un-informed many people are who attempting to make a defense of their cause. Do your homework so you understand your subject thoroughly and can make organized, intelligent comments.

And just as important, know your opponent’s arguments. Visit forums or blogs where your topic is already being discussed, and just observe rather than participate. You might be totally surprised to see a line of reasoning you hadn’t considered.

Visiting the forums, blogs, and chat rooms where the topic is being debated ahead of time will also help you with your research to become well-informed on your topic. If you find something you don’t understand, do some online research, but use multiple source to help avoid author bias.

If you’re a creationist, for example, don’t get all your information from creationist web sites, and vice versa if you’re an evolutionist. Try to use “neutral” sites if at all possible like Wikipedia or Dictionary.com, for instance, but even these could have some bias occasionally slipped in under the radar screen.

And if you do cite a reference or link in your argument, be prepared for your opponent to question the reliability (bias) of your source. It can be a good tactic to use a quote from a source compiled by an evolutionist, to continue the example, in making your case for a creationist argument (if you’re able to find one, of course). It’s a little tricky, but it avoids the common “author bias” argument.

Wish we didn’t have to mention this… 

Now, something a little, ah, delicate. If you visit a site that is dominated by the opposing viewpoint, and you sashay in with your arguments thinking to demolish theirs, get ready to be attacked. Sometimes it ain’t pretty. And it may even happen on a site dominated by your own views if there are antagonists from the other camp.

You may get cursed at, called derogatory names, have all manner of insults hurled your way, and just get generally trashed. Remember, you are the enemy. You may be attacking long-held beliefs or beliefs held with religious fervor, and you have dared to invade their turf.  Add in the anonymous nature of the internet that gives some people the feeling of entitlement to toss out all the rules of decency, and it can deteriorate pretty quickly.

Side note, not meant to stir up trouble: Both creation and evolution are not just ideas, but represent an entire ’worldview’. Most creationists say that the all-powerful, creator God supernaturally created all life, while the majority of evolutionists totally exclude an all-powerful God, or give Him a minimal role. So when you attack either idea, you are attacking that person’s belief system.

Personally, we will not continue to debate on a site that we discover uses vulgar language, name-calling, crude humor, and the like. Not because we’re claiming moral superiority, but as Christians we prefer to not be exposed to behavior that is dishonoring to God. We figure that if their arguments are so weak that they have to resort to those types of tactics, we won’t waste our time, and we don’t want our names to be associated with such sites. 

You may or may not choose to debate on such a site yourself (where you get attacked with vulgar language, insults, and so on). Let your own conscience guide you. If you do, don’t resort to the same tactics yourself. Stick to the issues and reply in a professional, unemotional manner. In fact, that’s a good principle to follow in any debate.

If you can’t resist taking the bait and find yourself replying in an angry or crude way as well, skip these venues and save yourself the negativity. You’re not likely to win any arguments there anyway if every reply you make results in your getting cussed out or personally (verbally) assaulted. 

Final tips

Choose sites where intelligent, factual arguments are being presented on both sides, stick to the issues, and leave out the generalizations such as “You creationists always (do some negative thing)” or “You evolutionists never (do some positive thing)”.

Use proper grammar to avoid nitpicking by your opponent, and if you quote a statement or offer some other authoritative information, always quote your source preferrably with a link. This gives credit where due and allows other to verify the authenticity of your information.

And if you are attacked personally, surprise them by saying something sincerely nice (not sarcastically) about them. You’ll catch them off guard, and they won’t quite know what to make of you . “Bless them which persecute you, bless, and curse not.” (Rom. 12:14)

Finally, use your time wisely. While debating can be mentally stimulating, and yes, fun, it can take up a lot of your time, especially if you’re debating a subject that requires a lot of research. Don’t become ‘addicted’ and let your other responsibilities slide by engaging in lengthy, embroiled dialogues.

To sum it up: Good manners and common sense go a long way. And keep everything respectful and honest, particularly if you’re a Christian. Remember, you’re representing the King of Kings.