Debating Tactic – Don’t Nitpick

My free Quran form the Local Mosque

Having debated a lot of people on many topics, I want to share some wisdom that I’ve accumulated over the years.  This advice is to not waste time on the peripherals, go for the jugular.  To put things in simpler terms, don’t nitpick.

Nitpicking is a waste of time because people don’t leave a religion if you can prove that their sacred texts are wrong on some minor things.  When I see people nitpicking, I conclude that they’re not interested in truth, they’re interested in scoring points.

A few months ago I spent three posts talking about the one error in the Quran that I’d use in debate.  I am of course referring to the Quran’s blunder in thinking that Mary is part of the Trinity.  With the possible exception of Surah 9 verse 30 which says that Jews think Ezra is the Son of God, I wouldn’t go for anything else in the Quran.  It’s simply because in dialogue between Christians and Muslims the Trinity is one of two or three topics that takes centre stage.  Muslims target this doctrine and I’m not going to let them take their shot at it while their holy text doesn’t understand it.

How does one deal with the nitpicker?  They’ll bring up some peripheral issue on a certain topic.  After you rebut these claims immediately use the brief moment of victory to direct the discussion back to a core issue.

It’s hard to get someone to leave a religion.  It’s almost always not an overnight process.  They’re presented with some core shaking truth and they dwell on it, pray, and search for answers.  Core issues will stick with them.  If it’s some minor detail such as some contradiction in their holy text on an oddball topic or an embarrassing story about their religious figure, there is a good chance that they won’t dwell on it.  They’ll just conclude that it’s a small nothing issue and that some apologist somewhere has an answer for it.

Here’s a good exercise.  Think of the group or groups that you want to deal with.  Perhaps it’s only one group or maybe it’s five.  Think of these groups and how you want to challenge them.  Find three areas and learn them really well.  Make sure that these are the core issues.  Anything less than the core issues is nitpicking and won’t get anywhere.  We need to go for the core issues.

Let me give an example of the three that I would give for Islam.  I would point out the Quran’s massive error on the Trinity like I mentioned.  I would point out that the religion is not historical in its claims.  My third argument would revolve around the Jesus of the Bible against the Jesus of the Quran.  That’s it.

What I wouldn’t do is point out small contradictions in the Quran.  I wouldn’t point out embarrassing stories in the Hadith.  I would only focus on those three main key points.  Don’t nitpick.  Never nitpick.