The Lost Art of the Argument

The idea for this blog came from a talk that Douglas Wilson gave at Indiana University earlier this year. If you haven’t watched it yet you really should. It’s quite good. I’ve blogged about it before. But the Q & A at the end is, as far as I’m concerned, where the action on these videos is at. During the Q & A Doug is bombarded with question insult after question insult. But one questioner really struck me. It was a young man who says something like “I’d like an answer. This time with logic please.” He then proceeds to interrupt Doug with exclamations about how his answer doesn’t make sense.

All this got me to thinking that people have really lost the art of the argument. Indeed, were it not for my philosophy and history studies I fear I would not possess it at all. So, I’m going to give you a really basic primer on how to argue.

“Argument” is not a Bad Thing

“Argument” in its most traditional sense simply means that we disagree and now we’re talking about it. The following is NOT a traditional argument,

“The Office is dumb.”

“No, it’s not!”

“Yes, it is!”

These guys REALLY love The Office.

This IS, technically, an argument, but a really stupid and unproductive one. Here is a traditional and useful argument.

“The Office may be the best show on television. It has excellent characters and is well written.”

“I disagree, while Dwight and Creed are funny the rest of the characters, and the writing, is derivative.”

“Please explain.”

“Okay . . . “

See what happened there? In the traditional argument two differing points converge. A premise is stated, “The Office may be the best show on television. It has excellent characters and is well written.” After that, an opposing premise is presented backed up by supporting claims. That is how an argument is supposed to go. It is important, at this point, to note that it is the dissenting view (The Office is bad) to prove the other wrong but not always.

Burden of Proof: A Woefully Misunderstood Concept

Some Atheists use Russell’s Celestial Teapot example to show that proving God is ALWAYS on the Christian. Commonly the refrain is, “there is no God. He’s like the teapot; YOU have to prove ME wrong. The burden of proof is on you!” 

That is not entirely correct. Burden of Proof can be tricky but I’ll do my best to show how it works. If I assert something my opponent has two valid options they can say “what is your proof?” or “No, that is wrong. Here is why.” If your opponent answers with the former the burden of proof is on YOU. If he answers with a dissenting view it is now up to him to explain why. Basically, contradicting me doesn’t automatically put the burden of proof on my argument. Now, it’s time to make your arguments.

Marshaling Arguments

I've always loved the phrase “marshaling arguments.” 

Think of your arguments as soldiers and the opponents’ arguments as opposing soldiers. Essentially, the ways you arrange and send forth your arguments is going to determine who “wins the fight.” How do you marshal arguments? Here are some basics,

• Use only relevant facts. 
• Good: The Office is a good show because is causes me to laugh which is its intended purpose 
• Bad: The Office is good because cats have tails. 
• When possible use your opponents’ arguments against them. 
• Ex. “You say the office is derivative but there are many shows that now use the ‘documentary style’ format. That format was not popular until the Office came along.” 
• Avoid Fallacies 
• I’m not going to get into formal fallacies. They are not fun and are a little less common in everyday language. However, be very wary of informal fallacies! They pop up all the time. Knowing how to spot them and neutralize them is a valuable skill (Blog idea!). Check out this list of fallacies to get an idea about them. 
• Make sure that your supporting points always lead back to your initial premise. 
• Ex. “The Office has good characters. Also, the writing is creative and insightful. For those reasons, and others, the Office is a good show.”
  

Some Non-Argument Things to Keep in Mind

Remember that you will probably not convince your opponent of your rightness especially on big issues like God’s existence or abortion. Side note, it is a SWEET feeling when your opponent is forced to admit your rightness, but it doesn’t happen often. But I digress. There are two things to remember when it comes to disagreements. One, you both can’t be right but that’s okay. This doesn’t mean that you have to say “okay, I guess both of us are right.” It means you can say “Listen, I’ve presented my arguments and you yours. I think you’re wrong but I don’t seem to be convincing you.” People can have different opinions.

The other thing to remember is to be polite. So you don’t agree. It’s not a problem. I will make one important exception. If people could get hurt or in trouble don’t be polite. If you’re disagreeing about robbing a bank, don’t be nice. However, does your friend think God doesn’t exist? While his soul is in the balance you’re not going to win him over by being arrogant with your arguments for God’s existence. Remember, the way you act is at least equally important to the arguments you make.

So there you have. Stick with these basics and I guarantee you win more arguments and be better liked.

Another blog on the books! How do I keep up this pace? Follow me on the twitter, you won't regret it.

Wrath of God ReDux

Remember when I blogged about God's Wrath? You don't remember it? Well deal with it, it happened. The reason that I bring this up is because I saw that Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian and all around excellent author, wrote about the same subject.

You should check it out. 

Call it a comeback.

Man I was in a sweet groove for a while there. Hopefully, I can get back in the game an finish out the year strong!

We've been getting ready for the new semester at Faith Bible Seminary. Check out this video while I think of some good ideas to blog about.


MABC Overview from Faith Ministries on Vimeo.

Delays :(

Sorry guys today was a crazy day here at work. But keep your eyes open for a new post Monday.

Update: Man I hate to do this but with family in town and wedding to go to I'm not gonna have a lot of quality "computer time" for the next week. I hate to say it (again) but another week delay is in order. New post Monday 8/20/2012.

In Soviet Union Review Watches You!

This book review is going to be a little different than the other ones but here we go anyways.

Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time by Joel Comm

About a year ago the seminary that I work for joined the world of twitter. Partly at my behest and, in a careful what you wish for situation, I was made curator of our Twitter feed. So now there was the small problem that I didn't really know what I was doing. That's when our director of electronic communications suggested the above book. Twitter Power was a very helpful book if a little outdated.

The Twittersphere was a very different place when Joel Comm wrote this book but his basic principles remain very relevant. Comm says that the number one thing to remember is that Twitter, like all social networking programs, is about community and relationships. This is a great reminder that networking is about people. Some of the practical advice Comm throws out is stuff like answering questions immediately, ask questions of your users, offer advice, and give out promotions. So as you build relationships you build your community. Finally, as you build community you advertise effectively. 

This is great advice in our day and age when everyone just uses Twitter as a glorified RSS feed. While it is hard to implement if you can build the community he talks about you really can dominate your market. 

My major criticism of this book is that the info in this book is a little outdated. For example, he mentions how to re-tweet but much of that information is irrelevant. Also, it is no longer considered proper etiquette to follow everyone who follows you. Unless, of course, you're really interested in following a bunch of bots that are spamming porn.

How does this help me be a man?

Well, I guess the stuff about maintaining relationships is good. But, for the most part, this a book is chock full of practical knowledge on a specific subject. Sorry guys, not a lot of applications here.

Recommendation

If you tweet on a regular basis for an organization or business this book is very valuable. Otherwise, its probably not worth the trouble. 


Update: As I was grabbing links for this blog I found out there's a Twitter Power 2.0! I'll have to check that out.

Place Holder.

Uhhh, so I'm still on vacation. Enjoy this picture until I get back.

"Say carbonite again! I dare you! I double dog dare you!"

Now It's Time for You to be Jealous of Me!

Thank you Blogger for allowing me to schedule posts! As you're reading this I'll probably be here

"Hey, hey" rhymes with "Wadda ya say . . ." It perfect! The perfect song!

Yes, I'll be in the friendly confines watching the Cubs probably lose to the Cardinals. My wife and I are celebrating our second wedding anniversary a little early with a 4 day weekend in Chicago. Then after that we're gonna get some fabulous Moroccan food. We might even take in a late showing of The Dark Knight Rises . . . IMAX style!

IMAX is the screen that I don't deserve. Also, I believe in Harvey Dent. Wait, what movie is out now?

Basically the who weekend is going to be a whirlwind of eating, sight seeing, and that thing married people do when they go on vacation.

Highlights include the field museum, fire works at navy pier, flaming Greek cheese, Table 52, Fogo De Chao (all you can eat meat!), and ice cream at Fair Oaks farm to cap it off! It's going to be an amazing weekend.

Now its time to get serious

The point of this vacation is to celebrate 2 years of marriage. This is definitely a time for celebration. My wife is the best woman in the world for me. In addition to being beautiful and funny she makes me a better man every minute of every day. She is encouraging when I lack confidence. She is funny when I am sad. When she is sinful she is teaching me to be patient. She supports me in all my endeavors. Thank you God for putting her on Earth to be my wife!

Thank you Mrs. Fatool for putting up with me. If this trip brings you a fraction of the joy you've brought me you'll be VERY happy. Love you.

Alright, enough of the sappy stuff. See you on Monday! Also, today is my birthday.

Book Review: The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World

BOOM! Here’s another review.

The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World By Michael Pollan

I reviewed a different Pollan book last week so I’ll spare your reiterating what I think of his argumentation and writing style. I’ll just jump straight into my review of Botany.

The question at the heart of this book is, “do we choose the plants in our garden or do they choose us?” As Pollan himself points out, this seems like a silly question; of course I choose my plants. But not so fast; why did you choose those plants? Pollan would argue it’s because, through the long dance of evolution, you “desire” those plants more than any other. To illustrate his point Pollan walks us through the history of the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. In each part he explains how each plant went from its wild form to a wildly desirous piece of horticulture.

Pollan’s discussion of each plant is very fascinating as he breaks down the desires that caused the above plants to boom in popularity. For example, when discussing the apple he points out that the plant engendered itself to human by being sweet and making good booze. As a result colonial Americans planted apples in mass quantities. This idea is absolutely fascinating! We don’t choose the plants they choose us. Moreover, the plants “manipulate” we humans by playing to our desires and that is how they propagate themselves. This idea is fascinating but I’m not sure it’s right.

YUM!

How does this help me to be a man?

Pollan’s idea about plants is interesting but not biblical. Genesis 1:29-30 tells us that God has put man over the earth. Pollan does not subscribe to this view so it is not surprising that he doesn’t include it into his work. However, while Pollan covers the “plants choose us theory” very well the doesn’t give much credence to the "we rule the plants" theory.

But there are examples in Botany of how humanity has mastered the plants. Potatoes, for example, were wild tubers growing in South America but we’ve managed to grow and distribute them in quantities more massive than they ever would grow in the wild.

Humanity’s place is rule over nature. That does not mean that we abuse nature but we are, to the best of our ability and in an attitude of humity, control and rule over it.

Recommendation

Like Omnivores, I wouldn’t get this one for your book shelf. Grab the audio book or manuscript from your local library but don’t skip anything on your reading list for it

Bonus Blog!

It's from a few years ago but this is a cool interview between two guys I really like; Lecrae and Mark Driscoll. They talk about urban ministry, 21st century missionaries, legalism, and more. Definitely check it out!

Man Up Monday's: Making the Long Trip

It’s been a long time since we’ve had a Man Up Monday. But here we go anyways!

The summer is upon us and that means travel in the car. But how do you go about it? Well, I’m here to help. I've made the long trip from Indian to Pennsylvania on many occasions. Plus, it’s in my blood. My Dad once made it from Pennsylvania to Arizona in 46 hours.

Taking a page out of the Cracked playbook I’m going to do this list style. Here are my best tips for making those long road trips

Get Lots of Sleep the night before.

There is nothing worse than hitting hour 5 of a 12 hour trip and you start dozing off. You can avoid this by making sure you get to bed early the night before. Also, a little extra coffee and soda can help you on the day of the trip. But don’t overdo it on the stimulants! Too much soda and coffee will lead to dramatic loss in energy once the caffeine wears off. You’ll just end up worse than before. Finally, if you’re just too tired pull over and take a nap. Or ask your wing man to drive . . .

Bring a wing man.

Sometimes it’s your wife or just a friend but try to bring someone along with you. Having a travel partner is great! Now you have someone to check the map, keep you awake, drive when you’re too tired, etc. Driving alone just isn’t as fun; but I know that it is sometimes unavoidable. So, maybe it’s time to bring your girlfriend
home to meet the family.

Bring your own meals

Bringing your own meals saves you time AND money. I suggest sandwiches, sodas, something sweet, and a snack. But anything that you can easily eat with your hands is good to. I once made the 12 hour trip from Indiana to Pennsylvania on nothing but Slim-Jim’s and Pop Tarts.

Combine Stops.

You’ll have to stop for gas. Sorry, it’s just the way cars work. But make good time by combining bathroom breaks and gas stops. Also, be sure to limit the number of bathroom breaks by limiting your coffee and soda intake (see above.)

Audio Books are your new best friend.

Whether you have wing man or not get a couple of audio books for your trip. Usually these book come on CD. And sure you could pop them into your CD player disc by disc but I suggest that you load them onto an MP3 player the night before. If you’re willing to drop about 50 bucks I suggest that you get and FM transmitter. I like this one. I got one for Christmas and I use it ALL THE TIME. That being said, audio books are great because they keep you focused and awake. Plus, you get to catch up on the “reading” you’ve always wanted to do.

Got some tips of your own? Leave them in the comments section.

God’s Personality "Flaws" Part 3: God’s Holiness.

Man, this article has been a long time coming! This three part series about the less “popular” aspects of God was one of the original reasons that I started this blog in the first place. Way back in the day I looked at God’s Wrath and God’s Judgment. So today we finally finish off this series by looking at God’s Holiness.

This post is going to be a little different than the other two. In the other two articles the idea was that we don’t like the fact that God is wrathful and judgmental. But once we delved into those a litter further, hopefully, we found that those attributes are actually good. Not quite the same with God’s holiness.

If you were like me, then you basically understood that holiness, especially God’s holiness, as something that is good and to be revered. But what you didn’t understand was why? That is what I hope to answer for you today. Holiness is God’s primary attribute and “holy” is something that you and I can be. Let’s start by unpacking what God’s holiness is and why it is important.

What is Holiness?

When something is “holy” it simply means that it is set apart and not for common use. That is a good place to start thinking about God’s holiness. God is set apart from creation. That doesn’t mean he is aloof from or unable to interact with creation. What it means is that he is above and outside creation because of his holiness. We see God’s holiness in the famous story where Moses is receiving the Law on Mount Sanai (Exodus 33:17-23). Moses has to hide behind a rock to even get peep at God’s holiness. Being in full view of God’s holiness would have destroyed Moses because of his body’s inability to comprehend the greatness of God. Later, when Moses comes down from the mountain his face is glowing from having been near God’s glory (Exodus 34: 29-35). The reason this happens, simply speaking, is that God cannot be comprehended by man. He exists in a way the humanity cannot fully grasp. Let’s next dig into why this is important to us.

Holiness is God’s Primary Attribute?

God remains set apart from creation and this allows him to judge it perfectly. It also allows him to redeem it perfectly. There are many references that point to God’s holiness but one of the best is Isaiah 6:3-5. When an angel of the Lord is announcing God he proclaims “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts.” Notice it’s not “just, just, just” or “loving, loving, loving.” It’s God’s holiness that is called to attention. This complete set-apartness and perfection allows God work all things for His own glory. God is not tainted by creation. He is perfection and the standard by which all things are judged. Being above creation also allows God to be perfectly compassionate as well. It was God’s holiness that allowed him to strike Jesus dead on the cross (Luke 23:46). Jesus for a moment took sin upon himself. God, being perfectly holy, could not tolerate the presence of sin. But, in his perfect wisdom, he knew that he could resurrect Jesus. So the greatest act of love in the universe was accomplished, in part, because of God’s holiness.

How does this help me now?

Holiness is something that you and I can have. The bible tells us that we should be holy like God is holy (Matthew 5:48). Can we be perfect like God? No. But we can be set apart. Yes. 

We must endeavor to be set apart to do to the will of God. We must be “in the world and not of the world” (Romans 12:2). Through the power of God’s Holy Spirit we can be set apart. We can look to Jesus, God’s perfect example to humanity, for an example of how we should act and think. We can be better than this fallen world because we have the holy example of God and he son Jesus.

Conclusion

For this series I chose the three aspects of God Evangelical Protestants tend to talk about the least and “redeem” them. All of these posts have essentially had the following form,

• God has attribute X
• Let’s unpack attribute X so that we understand God better
• This new understanding should lead us to love God more

Whether I’ve been successful is, in a large measure, up to you, the reader. But the above form holds true with all of God’s attributes. We can never understand God too much.

Hopefully I didn’t get too much wrong J Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

Book Review: The Omnivores Dilemma

Here we go! Three for three weeks in a row! Yay blogging!

The Omnivores Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

Having read both The Omnivores Dilemma and The Botany of Desire (review forthcoming) I can say that Pollan has an initial line of inquiry in these books that is similar to what strikes many of us when we’re sitting at the computer. For most of us it goes something like this, “I wonder who that one dude is from that episode of Buffy the Vampire?” 

Nicholas Brendon. You were thinking of Nicholas Brendon.

Then, solving that mystery pulls us all over this vast place we call the internet. Similarly, Pollan starts with the simple question of “what happened to bread in the American diet?” From there Pollan decides that he is going to 1) trace a meal from farm to plate and 2) see if he can put together a meal totally free of any processing. Along the way he makes some very interesting discoveries and some very interesting musings.

First, a word about Pollan’s writing style. He doesn’t so much present arguments as he does curate a museum. What I mean by this is that typically Pollan will present a point of interest, muses about it for a while, and then move on to a new subject. Like a museum guide. For an analytical mind like mine I prefer closure. I prefer tight arguments that prove points. So I’m gonna ding Pollan on this one. That being said, his writing style is also very alluring (like the internet example above) I found myself eager to turn the page and hear his next thought.

Pollan’s journey from the corn fields of Iowa to the mushroom hunting grounds of northern California is a fascinating journey from beginning to end. What makes it so interesting is that Omnivores explores where our food comes from. Something we often don’t think about in this highly industrialized food culture of ours. From beginning to end Pollan provides (terrible pun imminent) lots of food for thought.

Ultimately this book is more conversation piece than masterpiece. My poor long suffering wife had to hear me bring up examples from this book for 2 weeks straight. That is, however, the cool thing about this book; it provides you lots of stuff to talk about with your friends. But what the book won’t do is provide you definitive answers or change your mind. Pollan just doesn’t go there and that is the greatest weakness of the book. Pollan seldom explores and never tells the reader how this deluge of information about the food industry should change their mind about how they eat.

How does this help me be a man?

The most interesting interaction of the books comes about half way through when Pollan meets an all natural farmer named Joel. Joel is, unapologetically, Christian (from what we can tell anyways.) It is fascinating to see how Joel’s upfront-ness about his faith and how that relates to his farming really throws Pollan off guard. In my favorite section of the book Pollan and Joel are beheading chickens. Pollan asks Joel if he ever has doubts about what he is doing. Joel replies simply that chickens don’t have souls and were designed to be eaten. No moral ambiguity necessary.

The contrast between Pollan’s constant skepticism and uncertainty and Joel’s confident demeanor is a great lesson for Christian men. Joel goes about doing and saying what he believes to be right because he is certain in his convictions about creation and God. Pollan never gets there. He never is firmly convicted one way or the other and his book is weaker for it. Christian men should strive to be like Joel; certain and confident in their convictions.

Recommendation

If you’re anything like me you haven’t put much thought into where your food comes from. This book is a great read if you’re looking for some info about the food industry. But if you want strong convictions and powerful arguments about how and what you should eat you won’t find it here.

Pick this one up from the library or listen to it on audiobook.

Sexual by Design | Douglas Wilson in Bloomington, IN — CanonWired

Man I wish I could embed these bad boys!

Anyways, today I'm bringing you a BONUS BLOG!!! Click the below link and you'll be directed to a talk by Douglas Wilson about homosexuality. It's great stuff. I'm going to check out he Q & A tomorrow.

Sexual by Design | Douglas Wilson in Bloomington, IN — CanonWired:

'via Blog this'

Some Thoughts:

• Props to Doug Wilson for going into and extremely hostile environment. Living in Indiana I know that Bloomington, despite their embrace of "diversity," aren't very welcoming to Christian viewpoints.
• I really liked Wilson's point about laying out "what used to be called an argument." The art of the argument is gone. However, we need it back. We need it back bad! (Perhaps a future blog post?) Wilson's detractors seem to think they scored a victory because they shouted louder than he did. Maybe you should focus on his arguments instead of yelling? Just a thought.
• Wilson handled himself very well. Kudos on a great Christian witness
• Also, kudos to IU and the IU police force for enforcing Wilson's right to free speech. A couple years ago a fire and brimstone, bible thumping, hate monger of a pastor came to Purdue. Editorials we made to prevent him from coming on campus. I wrote a letter that, in effect, said "Sorry Charlie. Purdue is state owner property. He has a constitutional right to be there and speak." I wish that opponnents of Wilson had decided to sit down and listen. A better discussion would have ensued.

Okay, that's it. Enjoy your bonus blog.

Ownership

It's hard to miss the banner on this blog. It says updates "Monday, Wednesday, Friday." I haven't been on that schedule. No more! There WILL be updates on those days even if they're short or re-postings of articles. Thanks for reading.

Kirk

Update: Sorry that today's update was weak. But hey, it's there. So tomorrow off. Look for a new post Wednesday.

Why No Denomination Will Survive the Homosexuality Crisis – Kevin DeYoung

I like the underlying theme of decisiveness in this article by Kevin DeYoung. Check it out!

Why No Denomination Will Survive the Homosexuality Crisis – Kevin DeYoung:

'via Blog this'

The Republic by Plato

Okay one review down. Here’s another.

The Republic by Plato

This was a tough one. I had previously read this book as a sophomore in college and then picked it up again for Thinking Man (see the last entry for background.) Honestly, this is a tough one to get through. But it’s totally worth it if you can slog through the dense prose and antiquated language.

What the book is “about” is Plato, via Socrates, arguing with some dudes about how to create the perfect government. The government that Plato arrives at is a little autocratic. In his ideal state kids abilities are pegged and they are provided the job they are best at. This will ensure they are always “happy.” The idea being that you’ll naturally gravitate towards what your good at so if you’re always doing what your good at you’ll always be happy. But Plato’s conception of the perfect government isn’t where the action is at in this book.

No, the real action in Plato comes from the analogy of the cave. This is fairly famous example from the book but it is good. In this analog Plato talks about forms. Without going too in-depth forms are what reality emulates and the closer that we get to the form the closer reality gets to perfection. But we can never get there completely. Why is this the aforementioned “action?”

Because The Republic sets the ground for all of modern philosophy until the 1960s and the arrival of non-rational philosophy. Several hundred years after Plato’s death Augustine would synthesize Christianity with Platonic philosophy. How did he manage to do this? The reason is that as Christians we believe that this world is just a fallen “preview” of heaven. We can live in this world but we look expectantly to the next. This is very similar to Plato’s idea of forms.

"So in about 2000 years people who study
us won't be qualified to do anything except serve food!"

How does it help me to be a Man?

This book, in addition to the stuff mentioned above, also discusses the topics of justice, fairness, government, religion, and more. Once you read it you will understand why philosophers have constantly referred back to this book for centuries. Furthermore, you will see through Plato’s rigorous questioning how we can refine and improve our arguments and the arguments of others.

Recommendation

As mentioned earlier this book is a tough read and not very exciting. You could read the cliffs notes but don’t cheat yourself! Taking the time to read and understand The Republic is a reward in and of itself. Read it at least once so that you understand all of the basic questions of all of western philosophy.

Book Review: The Kid Who Climbed Everest: The Incredible Story of a 23-Year-Old's Summit of Mt. Everest By Bear Grylls

Well readers (if you even exist) I’m going to be working on catching up on my book reviews. I’m waaaaay behind. But, what the heck, this is my blog and nobody gives me feedback. So naturally I’m left to assume that everyone loves me and you’re basking in the glow of my wonderfully written posts.

So without further ado let’s take it all the way back to September and take a look at this awesome Bear Grylls book.

Book Review: The Kid Who Climbed Everest: The Incredible Story of a 23-Year-Old's Summit of Mt. Everest By Bear Grylls

First things first, how manly is that name! Bear Grylls (pronounced “bear grills”). It just rolls off the masculine tongue (do not search this term on Google!). This book is part of a series of books that my friends and I get together to discuss roughly every month. Originally it we called ourselves the “Broadly Thinking Christian Men” that title being too unwieldy we settled on calling the group “Thinking Man.” But the philosophy remains the same; read books in a wide variety of genres and consider the impact on us as Christian men.

I hear you saying, “that was a pointless aside” but I assure it wasn’t. So we get back to the point. When one member of our group picked this I didn’t have high hopes. But to my surprise this book was an excellent read both for entertainment value and conversation points. Grylls (better known as the host of Man vs. Wild) recounts his story as the youngest British person to every climb Mount Everest. Almost every part of this story was exciting and well written. Everything from Grylls trying to raise the necessary funds to go to Nepal to all the dangers that befell him and his fellow climbers as they sought to stand on the highest point on earth was written in a concise and exciting manner.

Most fascinating were the little details about climbing Everest that I’d never thought about. For example, you don’t climb Everest in one shot. Grylls and his friends had to go up and down numerous times before they were ready to reach the top. Other details like where they camped, how helpful the Sherpa were, and contests about urinating (seriously) were nice touches that made Grylls and his friend more relatable and likeable.

How does it help me be a Man?

The answer to the above question, much to my surprise was “a lot of ways.” I think that number one is the fact the Grylls is humbled by the task of climbing Everest. Initially his optimism leads him to believe that he’s simply going to go to Nepal and climb the mountain. But he hits a road block right away when he isn’t able to find any sponsors due to the fact that he’s 22 years old. Even on the mountain he is humbled by how difficult the mountain is to climb. Grylls learns his lessons well and doesn’t drown in despair. Rather, he acknowledges that he can only try as hard has he possibly can and see the chips land where they may.

Furthermore, he gives credit where credit is due. He understands that even with this training he accomplished his amazing feat because of those around him, some good luck, and a higher power granting him success when all seemed hopeless.

Did you realize the same is true for us? You may have worked hard to get your job but have you stopped to consider that you had nothing to do with being born with the brain that makes you good at your job? I think that is an important lesson exemplified in this book. We can work hard and use our gifts but ultimately we need to be humbled by that fact that many of our “gifts” are just that, gifts. We didn’t earn them they were given to us.

There are other great lessons about toughness, bravery, and friendship.

Recommendation

I highly recommend that you pick this up from the library. It’s a good book but unless you really love Bear Grylls or mountain climbing there isn’t going to be much impetus to pick it up again. This is a great manly read about accomplishing a difficult task.

Billy Graham, Woody Allen, and talking to the unsaved

At the church I go to I’m teaching a class on church history every Wednesday night (as mentioned previously). Last night I was covering church history from 1900 to about the mid 1980’s. You can check out the notes form all of my classes here. But the highlight of last night was a two part clip of Billy Graham having an interview with Woody Allen (below).

Go ahead and give this clip a view when you are able. After that I HIGHLY suggest you look below to see my comments on the clip.

Okay, that was awesome, right? The answer is, of course, “yes Kirk you are right.”

What I really like about this clip is that it is a great example about how to talk to the unsaved. A little background, the year is 1969 and Woody Allen is very popular as playwright. But he also, I think, exemplifies 1960s culture; cynical, distrusting of authority, and out to have a good time. We also see his skill as an interviewer. Notice how his looks are very unassuming and he is disarmingly self-depreciating. But he also smart often trying to catch Billy off-guard as with the questions about premarital sex and God’s existence. Billy, however, is never caught off-guard.

These clips show why Graham was the great evangelist that he was. Never is he insulting to Allen and he’s always got a joke when appropriate. He doesn’t dodge any of Allen’s questions but answers all of them candidly and with Biblical truth. I think, and I’m obviously biased, that Graham wins that day. He looks cool, collected, and always ready with God’s truth.

I told my wife, “if every conversation I had with non-believers went like this it would be awesome.” I think we can learn a lot from Graham. He comes into the interview ready to give his point of view but never looking for a fight. He engages Allen in conversation and never preaches at him. At the end Graham even sets up another meeting with Allen (though I don’t have any evidence Allen went a Graham revival).

When talking to the unbeliever I think we can learn a lot from Graham. We should always be ready to make conversation instead of having an argument. We should always say what is true about God but let the other guy have his say. Finally, in never hurts to crack a joke!

Wanna know more about history? Have question about my notes? Wanna leave note confessing your undying love for me? Leave a comment.