Defending Your Faith Pt. 2: Religious Discussions 🛡️⚔️

Confidence is Key
Last time, we discussed the importance of knowing and believing in what you’re defending. Putting in hours of prayer, scripture reading, church attendance, and more will better prepare us to respond to criticism.
 
However, fortifying ourselves is only half the battle. The hardest part for many of us is confidently responding to negative comments or questions. Criticism can come from both external sources, such as strangers on the internet, and internal sources, like family members or close friends. No matter the source, being confronted in this way can be stressful, but responding with confidence helps ensure that religious discussions remain professional and Christlike.
 
 

Being Confident in a Religious Discussion

1. Be Willing to Listen

The best thing you can do when talking to a critical person is to listen carefully. Often, people who dislike the Church have either been misinformed or have had a negative experience. Even if we disagree with their opinions, it’s important for them to feel heard and for us to understand where they are coming from.
 
    “When someone attacks Church doctrine, we must first determine if the attack is upon the existence of God, the truth of Christian religions in general, or a specific attack upon The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Defending the existence of God or the Atonement of Jesus Christ requires a whole different set of arguments than defending the doctrine of the restored church. Most critics don’t want to risk offending Christians by attacking Christianity. The Latter-day Saints are a much smaller group, so we are a much easier target.” (Be Ye Wise as Serpents, Scott Frazer)
 
By taking the time to listen, we can better understand the root of their concerns and formulate a thoughtful response.
 

2. Ask Questions

Asking good, thought-provoking questions is another way to gain insight into what they’re challenging. Questions help clarify the individual’s perspective and allow us to address their concerns more effectively.
 
    “Rhetorical questions are questions that are asked without expecting an answer. There is no real inquiry in them. For example, someone might ask you, ‘How can Mormons believe in polygamy?’ Since you don’t know how all Mormons came to their beliefs, there is no answer to such a question. You could launch into a complex explanation, requiring reviews of Church history, references to the Old Testament, and explanations of when polygamy is needed and when it is not. However, it may be better to ask your interrogator to clarify their question. Take heed that rhetorical questions like this one are often designed to make a negative statement and cast doubt on the subject matter, not to actually gather information.” (Be Ye Wise as Serpents, Scott Frazer)
 

3. Respond Thoughtfully

    “And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” (Alma 32:21)
 
When responding to comments or questions, remember that it’s okay if we don’t have the perfect answer to everything. This scripture teaches us that even if we don’t know everything, we still have our testimonies.
 
However, having scriptures and other sources to back up your beliefs is always beneficial, especially if the person you’re talking with is genuinely seeking an answer. Just be mindful not to let the discussion devolve into a “Bible bash,” where both sides are simply arguing over the interpretation of certain scriptures. 
 

4. Keep It Christlike

The most important part of responding to criticism is to do it the way our Savior would. It’s easy to let these discussions become emotional, but it’s always better to calmly and respectfully disagree, maintaining a tone that reflects Christlike love. If the criticism you face is online, it’s often best to not respond at all and simply let it go.
 
    “And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand;
    Let us reason even as a man reasoneth one with another face to face.
Now, when a man reasoneth he is understood of man, because he reasoneth as a man; even so will I, the Lord, reason with you that you may understand.” (D&C 50:10-12)
 
The word “reason” or “reasoneth” is used six times in that short passage. The Lord is emphasizing the importance of reasoning with each other—agreeing to disagree and respecting each other's beliefs and opinions.

 
If you’ve had any positive experiences where a religious discussion led to a better understanding, please reply to this email and share it! We’ll read every response.