Bill Nye/Ken Hamm ?, My Husband 1

 Taking a break from learning about nutrition, I went blog surfing and hit upon a post about the Bill Nye and Ken Hamm debate. Not having seen it yet, I decided to watch it (sometimes I do live under a rock). After years of involvement with home school speech and debate, my tastes lean to debate as entertaining. I judged them and taught basic debate skills so I am little demented.

 Settling into my comfy seat in the living room, I prepared my mind to take mental notes. Ken started right out the gate the way a good debater should, defining terms. The definition of terms sets the tone and is crucial to the topic at hand. Ken set the definitions and if Bill did not agree with them, he never said. In debate, silence is concession. Unfortunately, the "debate" quickly became irritating because it went off-course chasing red herrings. It became a juggle of proving who had more info not if the topic could be affirmed or negated. Sadly, they got into the rebuttal with all kinds of new questions being thrown in and some of the original questions never being answered. That is just not good debate so, yes, I did get distracted and not pay much attention to who may or may not have been the winner.

herring (Photo credit: Wanderin' Weeta)

  In my distraction, I chased my own red herrings and  found some blog links that led me to an understanding of a point of argument in my house.

 Since my husband stopped attending church about two years ago, we have had some struggles. Removing Christ from my life is not like changing socks but more like removing my flesh. It is part of me. Days of frustration come and my husband flares up with questions like, "Who is right? You? Everyone else does not get it but your church does?" 

 Right now, I fall back on keeping quiet and just listening as much as I can keep my tongue still. It is a source of pain though, mostly because I could not understand why he was irritated. Well, my blog surfing opened a window to some understanding.

 Being an occasional inhabitant under a rock, I had no idea how much was out there to "watch" for heresy. Some men that I had counted as sound teachers had articles about their lack of judgment or errant decisions. As my brain throbbed, I read more to which I found myself audibly screaming a few times. It was overload. Is there none above reproach? Is there no teacher standing firm on the Word? Who is right? And are they proving that they are right by their actions?

 God peeled open a layer and showed me that my husband's struggle in some ways is founded. Until God reveals to him the Truth in the Word, it is easy to get caught up and tossed around and not know what is right and what is error. The problem is rampant and sin is muddying the water. Part of me wants to yell, "Stop it! You all are making a mess and hindering the true Gospel" but like a debate this world has a pre-determined flow. Red herrings and rabbits are unfortunately, going to be part of that flow. The Bible speaks of the existence of false teachers so it really should not be a surprise. 

 So, one point to my husband for an argument that has some ground but, to my favor, that ground is backed up in Truth! Now as I wrestle with 1 Peter 3 and how to present Truth in my marriage, I pray that all who are in Christ will be bold against false teaching, sin, and error in churches and "Christian" leaders. Be ready brothers and sisters!