Why Debate on Social Media?

Recently a fellow minister asked me if I ever had success arguing with people on line. To his surprise, I said that I had indeed had success. This surprised him because he said that he had never had any success with social media debates. My friend may not be as unsuccessful as he thinks. He simply may not yet know his impact. It is not that I win over my most vehement opponents through stunning arguments. That seldom happens to even the best and most famous apologists. But I do influence and win over “lurkers”. Social media is a tremendous tool and I’ll explain why more people should take advantage of it.

My Dear Drucilla

In the spring of 1991 I was a newly-wed husband, new father-to-be, and a 28-year-old fulltime college freshman at Atlanta Christian College. In enrolled because I was driven by my faith to explore more about God, learn about apologetics, and learn how to deal with people who were members of cults, the occult, non-Christian religions, and the growing homosexual movement in the Atlanta area. I was moved by the preaching of Gary Armes at First Christian Church in Cumming, GA and the children’s minister, Mark Coffman, connected me with the college. I wasn’t sure how long I would be able to attend so I jumped right into a senior-level class called Genesis with my then favorite professor Dr. Stephen Hooks. Dr. Hooks had given a series of lessons on Proverbs at First Christian. It was more than standard Bible study lessons and I wanted more of the kind of stuff that he knew. During that class I met a woman in her 50s named Drucilla. She was recently widowed and decided that she would attend college to fill the emptiness in her life. By doing so, she changed my life.

The Internet did not yet exist for the average person. The World Wide Web would be released that coming December. It wouldn’t be fully commercialized until 1995 and I believe we got it either in ’95 or ’96. What did exist at the time was the Bulletin Board System (BBS). This was a computer that someone hosted and you could dial in on your telephone line by using a modem on your computer. The late Harry Whitehead hosted this one. You might think of it as something similar to a forum like Reddit where you could download topics that you were interested in, read the comments, and then upload your own. I had no idea that such a thing existed but Drucilla did. She decided that I needed to be part of the BBS world so she bought me a $100 1200-bps modem to go in my late 1980s Tandy computer that I had purchased from Radio Shack. I didn’t know what a modem was but I accepted her graciousness and my debate journey began.

My First Victory

JALEOPARD was my first major opponent. He was a flaming homosexual lawyer who worked in the Peachtree Towers building in downtown Atlanta. I was a nobody country boy from rural Cherokee County. In no way did I ever convince JALEOPARD of anything but one day I got a private message from someone I did not know. The message said something like, “I don’t comment but I’ve been lurking in your chat with JALEOPARD. I was ready to believe what he said until you came along.” This was the moment that I realized that other people were watching the debate like a spectator sport but one that had consequences for their lives. After that I have never worried about whether I convinced a vicious opponent. The odds are slim to none, especially with a topic where the opponent is heavily invested and thinks that he has everything to lose. It is the person on the outside who is not invested, who is not educated on a topic, who is looking for some answers that can be persuaded.

Gad Saad

Dr. Gad Saad is touring promoting his new book, Suicidal Empathy. He regularly refuses to debate opponents who he feels that he has no chance of convincing. He views it as a waste of time and effort. If one views convincing a vehement opponent to abandon his position and accept yours then it is a waste of time. But Dr. William Lane Craig of Reasonable Faith has held many such debates. He realizes that people like the debates, they attend the debates, and he has a tremendous audience which is open to his persuasion. Furthermore, the debates wind up being on YouTube and podcasts so they live on forever. It often takes people years to ruminate over a difficult topic before they change their position but they need that information in front of them in order to think about it. One of the most famous bits that William Lane Craig has delivered was his 90 second takedown of Dr. Peter Atkins following their 1998 debate with William F. Buckley moderating. It still is remembered and replayed nearly 30 years later. It was so popular that a follow-up debate was held in 2011. Sadly, Dr. Atkins had not changed his position through the years but a whole new generation was introduced to this debate. Now Dr. Saad does engage on social media with people who are complete unknowns if he thinks it can be beneficial or perhaps for his own entertainment. Such exchanges are not prolonged debates. He has a sly wit and uses it. He has his own podcast and his speaking engagements are also on the Internet. But he may be missing out on some crowds and excitement by avoiding the public debates.

Preaching

As a preacher and past university professor, I have an educated opinion and specialized knowledge that not everyone shares. As a preacher, I have a calling to speak boldly and honestly about the things that God has said. If the Apostle Paul had access to travel, email, YouTube, and Social Media he would surely have used these to guide his churches and proclaim that Jesus was raised from the dead. If he had cellphones and Zoom he could have preached more broadly and corrected his churches in person rather than have to travel for weeks or months or to send surrogates like Timothy to do it. We live in a golden age of communications.

Refining

As a young man in Bible College I needed to refine my skills. The BBS was a great place for that. I had mentors like John Dougherty, another computer tech guy, who would point out weaknesses in my arguments or correct my language when I used the wrong words or had an incomplete understanding of a theological concept. I also found it a place where I could ask these guys questions about their perspectives on things that I didn’t understand. So the social media platform can serve to build up your skills.

Reaffirming

The late Rush Limbaugh said that his popularity was because he said what other people were thinking and no one else out there was saying it publicly at that time. Especially for conservatives living in an environment where the dominant media and cultural trends were moving toward uncomfortable liberalism, people who hold to traditional Christian values need to hear some reinforcement of what they believe. You may remember that the prophet Elijah got despondent even after his great victory over the prophets of Baal at Mount Carmel because Queen Jezebel was trying to have him killed (1 Kings 18). He felt alone and isolated so he fled to Horeb (Mount Sinai). Elijah was intensely afraid and prayed, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” (1 Kings 19:4b). Righteous people grow weary of the battle. This is especially so when you win but still seem to lose, as was the case with Elijah. Rather than rebuke him, God provides food and an angel to encourage him. After he reaches Horeb, God inquires of him two times:

• “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” (9b-10).

Even with a great victory at Mount Carmel and even with Divine provisions from ravens and an angel visiting and God causing a great wind, an earthquake, a fire, and then appearing to him in a still, small voice Elijah still felt alone and dejected.

• “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” (13b-14)

If the greatest prophet of the Old Testament period can feel dejected and alone in spite of all the evidence that God was greater than all of his enemies then how must our regular church people feel when they see the world infecting the church with unholiness and destroying all that is good and holy? God gave Elijah a plan of succession and assured him that there were 7,000 people who had not bowed down to Baal. He was not alone. God also mitigated his fear of death by taking him away in a chariot of fire. Similarly, the rise of talk radio and the use of social media can serve the same purpose of comforting, educating, and reaffirming people in their beliefs. It is there to reassure others that they are not alone. Their views are not the problem. Not long ago I received this message from the wife of a pastor in Colorado, neither of whom I’ve ever met.

This is not an unusual message. Another pastor’s wife I’ve never met wrote about a recent article that I published concerning arguments about women pastors, “It was excellently written and I can understand it. 🙂 I hate when people use language and words I can’t understand.” Compliments and encouragement come back to me as I am encouraging other people. These people often feel alone, isolated, deflated, or perhaps unable to communicate their views as well as they would like. They take courage from people who will speak boldly on hot and difficult topics. I have frequently written about homosexuality over the years because the Bible says things about it that our culture wants to deny. Whatever eloquence that I may possess is not as important as the fact that I will speak and write and post on social media. People love it when you refuse to be beaten down by the woke mob.

Resistance Comes

Yes, you will meet resistance so be prepared for it. You might think it only comes from unbelievers or rabid homosexuals but the most hurtful will likely come from within closer circles. Pastors who are moral cowards don’t want to rock the boat by saying what needs to be said. You can tell who they are by what they don’t post on social media. Demons react vehemently when confronted with truth. I found this out within my own church when Roe v Wade was overturned. I posted this:

The pastor at the church, who I’ll call “Devil Green”, and one of the so-called elders, who I’ll call “Satan Jones”, were a bit upset. Devil Green did not address the issue from the pulpit or anywhere else. Satan Jones got upset that I told him that abortion was evil and unsupported by Christian theology. He stormed out of the room. An elder and the pastor at the church neither had the theological intelligence nor the moral courage to post on Facebook or take any kind of public stance against the most grotesque evil of abortion and they did not want me to do so either. It was “controversial” and might “turn people away” from the church. Too bad. So sad. God has said things and the people of this world need to hear them, be reminded of them, be affirmed in them or to be revealed by them – as these men were. Let the spiritual chips fall where they may. God is not mocked and judgment day awaits these men.

Jesus Ran People Away

Over the course of my life on social media I have notably lost two friends from my youth. One of them for whom I was the Best Man in his wedding. He took exception to the fact that I was openly critical of Andy Stanley, the megachurch pastor. Without any warning, my friend simply ambushed me one day and said he was dropping our friendship on Facebook because I was calling out Andy. My friend attended Andy’s church and I went with him to two different services. My friend was not open to discussion. He didn’t even want a reply. He thought that I should talk to Andy face to face and so I asked him to arrange that meeting. He never replied. Of course Andy was not going to entertain such a meeting or answer any difficult questions. He had publicly stated that he would not do so and had refused many opportunities from more famous people than myself to explain his theological heresies. Progressive pastors thrive on confusing people and Andy is a Progressive pastor.

Another longtime friend dropped me because of my biblical opposition to homosexuality and same-sex marriage. He was convinced that none of it was a sin and yet he had no education or authority to make such a judgment. Likewise, I lost a fellow directly over the same-sex marriage issue because he refused to think that his homosexual friend was a sinner because he was a nice guy and was in love with this other man. Again, no theology grounded in Scripture just an emotional reaction.

I’ve been told that my posts are negative even though I post humorous stuff all the time. The truth is that such people don’t want to be confronted with what the Bible actually teaches and the sexual issues have been dominant for 30 years or more. They continue to be hot topics and churches are caving on these issues. Here in 2026 the PCUSA church is trying to decide if their clergy should be monogamous or not! This was never a question before. Everyone knew the answer was “Yes. Adultery or polyamory is a sin. It is in the Bible.” So people still need to be taught and affirmed and confronted on such critical issues.

The BBS era ended for me sometime after we moved for seminary in 1995 and it became a long-distance phone call. Later I turned to the Internet where I was posting articles regarding the debate over homosexuality and marriage some of which are still around in this old link. When people try to tell me that the Bible doesn’t say what it says then we have a problem. By that, I mean THEY have a problem. I will not stand by idly and be lied to nor will I allow those lies to go uncontested. Why? Because I learned on the BBS that people need to hear a presentation of the truth and I am compelled as an ordained minister of the Gospel to tell people the truth lest I be held accountable myself. Throughout the Bible God holds leaders accountable and gives grave warnings for those who fail.

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not warn them… I will hold you accountable for their blood.” (Ezekiel 33:7-8, NIV; similar in Ezekiel 3:16-21)

“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” James 3:1 (NIV)

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13:17 (NIV)

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4 (ESV)

Taking Grief

I have been called “hateful”, “un-Christian” told that I “don’t know Jesus”, called a “homophobe”, called an “Islamophobe”, called “backward”, “ignorant”, “on the wrong side of history” and probably every other form of slander imaginable. Just this week I was called half of those things by a Disciples of Christ minister. In fact, I’m often told by people who are supposed to be ministers that I’m the one who doesn’t know Jesus. Very few of these people could match my education, experience, or credentials and yet I’m the fool because I still assert that what we all believed 40 years ago about homosexuality is still true. Just because cultural trends change doesn’t mean that the Bible changes. Instead, the cowardly and the weak change the Bible to suit themselves.

I take grief and lose people because of the sexual issues and because I have condemned the Democrat party as evil for more than 30 years since it supports all of the sexual sins and abortion. In 2008 the party went so far as to take God OUT of its platform until public outrage was such that they put Him back in. But they actually took Him out! They weren’t even pretending to like God until they put Him back in. Now they are openly Communist, just as I told people they would be.

I take grief for opposing Islam as the evil political-theocratic viper that it is. Just this week the aforementioned Disciples of Christ minister blocked me because I want to see the immigration of Muslims restricted and those who are here be eventually converted to Christianity. He wanted to simply COEXIST. I want to evangelize them.

I address the hot topics because that is where you find a person’s soul at stake so I make enemies. Hot topics reveal spiritual truths about people that they could otherwise hide. It is quite sad that such a large part of the academic and ministerial class fears the “controversy” on such issues more than they fear the God who gave us the Bible. Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon once wrote something like, “That is an idea so stupid that only a PhD could believe it.” Indeed, my experience with higher education and more than 30 years as an ordained minister tell me that the Cowardly Lion and the if-I-only-had-a-brain Scarecrow inhabit far too many pulpits and positions of power. It is the equivalent of a doctor testifying before the Senate that “most people who are pregnant people are women”. That is how corrupt the politically correct bullies have made the medical field. All pregnant people are women no matter how they want to describe themselves. If professional doctors can’t stick to basic facts such as that then just look at what can be done with the Bible. Anything is possible if you don’t care about the truth.

The Babylon Bee did a video titled “Woke Jesus Faces Temptations from Satan.” In it they comically point out the truth about so many Christian leaders. As Satan is befuddled that Woke Jesus is so easy to tempt, Woke Jesus says, “Oh no. That’s Regular Jesus. I’m Woke Jesus. I will literally conform to anything you or the world throws at me as long as it makes me liked and popular. I will be popular, right?” Then when Satan explains that he thought Woke Jesus would put up a battle of wits and he quotes Scripture, Woke Jesus says, “What’s that from?” Satan says, “The Bible.” Woke Jesus says, “Never read it. Sounds lovely, though.” The frustration is that people who do claim to read the Bible and do go to school to learn the Bible still will wimp out and prefer a Woke Jesus to the real Jesus.

Conclusion

You have friends that you don’t need. You have false spiritual leaders in your life. Debating on social media is a way to identify such people and clean them out of your life. You can build your skills and encourage others along the way. You may never know who you reach or what seed you planted but the fact that you engaged in the battle stores up your treasure in heaven. So to my minister friend and to all of you, engage in the struggle, set your expectations low, and do not fear the consequences.