How to argue with an idiot

We've heard this title before, "how to argue with..." an idiot, a republican, a democrat, an atheist, a christian... etc, etc. I keep coming across people who want nothing more than an argument where they can claim victory. But so far, all I've come across are the same old arguments and name-calling.

My most recent one comes from a CNN article Black Church: Place of Empowerment. I read this article, and was so upset that people who have been so repressed by an institution could continue to praise and give thanks to that same institution.

I re-quoted the article "Enslaved Africans were exposed to the literature of the Christian Bible, and they found comfort and direction in the same book that was used to justify their enslavement." And I added that I was "pissed off" at the article for not giving praise to the true source of power: the people with the strength to overcome the obstacles set by the institution of faith.

A person replied to my comment and started off with an insult. He called me "dumbalot" as a reference to my user name "teksalot." He accused me of not knowing the Bible and stated that it did not advocate slavery.

My response to his argument is the following from the site: Scary Bible Quotes


On Slavery & Subjugation of Women
Ephesians 5:22-24 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Exodus 21:20-21 If a man beats his male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies as a direct result, he must be punished, but he is not to be punished if the slave gets up after a day or two, since the slave is his property.

1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men.

Peter 2:18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

Leviticus 25:44-45
Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property.



Now, how does that not advocate slavery. Actually demanding that women submit to their husbands, and telling you exactly where to obtain slaves sounds pretty convincing to me.

But to get back to my original point in the blog and title. How to argue with...

Everyone, every where, "knows" they are right. I put "knows" in quotes because it is only internally that we "know" we are right. I can not put in words any argument that will change the mind of a reader until they are ready to change their mind. Every Christian "knows" God exists and Jesus is the only true path to eternal salvation and at the EXACT SAME TIME every Atheist "knows" God does not exist and Jesus more than likely is an amalgam of oral story telling traditions from ages ago.

There is no way to win an argument until the other side is ready to change their mind. You can not win an argument with anyone until they decide they are ready to lose.