How to Have a Conversation: Basic Principles

You're in a conversation with a friend or a family member, and it's clear you have different values or convictions about a given topic. You want to have a productive conversation, but you don't want to come across as pushy or dogmatic. What would you say? It's important to go into conversation with the right motive and a game plan. The next time you're about to have a hard conversation, here are two principles to remember: First, think like you're planting a garden, not harvesting a crop Second, use questions to make headway while staying safe Donate Here: http://WhatWouldYouSay.org/give Website: http://WhatWouldYouSay.org http://ColsonCenter.org http://Breakpoint.org Comment Policy: We encourage civil discussions. Please keep bad language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and general bad behavior off our site. Recommended Reading: The Story of Reality—How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important in Between. https://smile.amazon.com/Story-Realit... The Tactics Video Study https://smile.amazon.com/Tactics-Vide... The Tactics Study Guide https://smile.amazon.com/Tactics-Stud...

Is Religious Freedom Just a Way to Protect Privilege?

You’re in a conversation and someone says, “Religion has been used to justify all kinds of bad things, like war and slavery. Claiming religious freedom is just about protecting privilege.” What would you say? Sometimes people think that standing up for religious freedom is really about clinging to power and privilege. They assume that Christians who defend religious freedom just want to protect their own dominance in society. But is that really true? Is religious freedom just a way to protect privilege? First, from the beginning, Christianity has taught that all people have inherent and equal dignity. Second, the idea of religious freedom also comes from the belief in the imago Dei. Third, religious liberty, by definition, is equalizing. It is freedom for all people, not just for one group. Donate Here: http://WhatWouldYouSay.org/give Website: http://WhatWouldYouSay.org http://ColsonCenter.org http://Breakpoint.org Comment Policy: We encourage civil discussions. Please keep bad language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and general bad behavior off our site. Sources and Recommended Reading: "How Christianity Changed the World," by Alvin J. Schmidt For more on the popes who condemned race-based slavery, see: Pope Eugene IV’s 1435 bull Sicut Dudum; Pope Pius II, letter on October 7, 1462, to a Bishop; Pope Paul III’s 1537 bull Sublimis Deus; Pope Urban VIII, bull on April 22, 1639 to the Collector Jurium of the Apostolic Chamber of Portugal. For the quote from Thomas Aquinas, see Chapter 10 of "The Religious State, the Episcopate, and the Priestly Office."