365 – Proverbs 16, 17 and 18 (Day 197)

Proverbs 18:17 (NCV) reads: The person who tells one side of a story seems right, until someone else comes and asks questions.

Have you ever heard the headlines on CNN and then turned the channel to FOX? It’s amazing how a news report can sound so reasonable, and yet be given a completely different slant by someone else. And if you’re surfing in the other direction, the illustration works just as well going from FOX to CNN.

The same is true of any testimony. The writer of Proverbs states that the first one to tell the story has the advantage. Even though someone else coming along with a different version of the story may be credible, it’s difficult to overcome that first imprinted idea.

Yes, cross examination is a wonderful thing. If the prosecution offered a witness in a court case, and the defense was not allowed to cross examine, the defendant’s goose would be cooked. On the other hand, if the defense was able to tell its story, and the prosecution was not allowed to produce any witnesses, no crime would ever even go to trial.

There are basically three levels of belief: dogma, doctrine and opinion. As Christians we would say that someone who doesn’t agree with our dogma cannot be a Christian. Someone who does not agree with our doctrine might fit better in another denomination. Someone with another opinion just isn’t as insightful as me. Unfortunately, one person’s opinion may be another person’s dogma, or may threaten another person’s dogma. The more dogmas a person holds, the more difficult it is to engage them in dialog. Everything becomes a tirade.

Dogma comes from one side, holding the reins of power, imprinting on one side of the story and never looking back. The problem is, once something is reduced to the level of dogma, discussion is unnecessary, or even threatening. Anyone with a dissenting opinion is labeled a heretic. Whatever happened to: In essentials UNITY; in non-essentials LIBERTY; in all things CHARITY?

I thank God my professors in college and seminary taught me to look at both sides of a question. We had to be able to state the argument from the conservative (or traditional) side as well as the liberal (or critical) side, and then clearly state our own opinion giving evidence to back it up. Among other things, this taught me that someone might have really good reasons for his opinion, even if I don't personally agree, and just because someone sees something differently from me doesn't mean he's a monster on the fast track to hell.

Does anyone have a story about being blown up by a dogma bomb? On the other hand, are there things you’re defending as dogmas that really aren’t?