# Dumb Christian arguments

Christians *frequently* argue over relatively small lifestyle elements while forgetting broader issues.

- Expect [disagreements](people-conflicts.md) when the Bible doesn't address an issue or has 1 verse that *might* apply.
- Petty disagreements are the most frequent cause for [a church split](history-church.md).
- Ironically, most of the issues serve little practical benefit for anyone's [spiritual journey](spiritual-exercises.md).
  - If there *are* any advantages to one side or another, that will be sorted out with a more significant issue.

The [concept of predestination](theology-predestination.md) fits neatly into this category.

- However, many proponents on both sides of the argument will almost make it an utter requirement for salvation to believe one or the other.

Political views mixed with faith:

- This is *far* more common in [cultures that give people the right to vote](politics-systems.md).
- Advancing a political agenda can have potentially good qualities:
  - Conservatives want to align the nation more with [God's will](god-will.md).
  - Liberals want to give more [freedoms and protections](people-boundaries-why.md) for the oppressed.
- Whether you're a Christian is determined by [*your* relationship with God](people-identity.md), not someone else's.
  - However, politics can define other people have *their* relationship with God.
- The most significant factor about whether politics are worth pursuing is *why* you endorse it.
  - Protecting legitimately suffering people (e.g., unborn children, orphans) is a Christ-like endeavor.
  - However, make sure you're not simply receiving indoctrination talking points from political [influencers](power-influence.md).
- Take a stand on [clear ethical positions](morality.md), and ask Him for wisdom for difficult ones ([James 1:5](https://biblehub.com/james/1-5.htm)).
  - Be careful, though, since it's easy to fall into a secular political cult (see below).

Lifestyle and [cultural](people-culture.md) decisions:

- Triumphalism - God's Kingdom is taking over, so Christians must urgently conquer everything for Jesus.
- Mariology - The Virgin Mary has significance in our daily lives and rituals.
  - This is strictly a Catholic value system, with a few Protestants keeping it.
  - Much of it comes from [the Gospel of James](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_James), which was later rejected by Pope Innocent I in 405 and later by the [Gelasian Decree](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelasian_Decree).
- Veneration - We can pray for saints to intercede and pray for us.
  - While it's *possible* the saints are actively praying and interceding for us, there's nothing in the Bible that indicates we should pray *to* them.
- Triclavianism - 3 nails were used to crucify Christ (the Catholic Church declares it was 4).
- Other cultural matters:
  - Individuals' choice in music or media.
  - Whether [pastimes](fun.md) or [rituals](spiritual-exercises.md) or acceptable or profitable.
  - [Power dynamics](power-types.md) and [politics](groups-large.md) inside churches.
  - Whether certain holidays (e.g., Christmas, Easter, Halloween) are right to practice and how.

Since Jesus is both God *and* man, there are disputes about His will:

- Monothelitism - Jesus only has one will.
- Dyothelitism - Jesus has both a divine and human will.
- Trithelitism - Jesus has a divine and human will, but also a will through the Holy Spirit.
- Trinitrithelitism - Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit all have separate wills.

Debates about how to perform the Eucharist/Communion:

- The original church may have had bread and diluted wine mixed with water.
- After a few hundred years, the tradition became everyone corporately drinking from a cup and taking pieces of bread.
- Modern Protestants use tiny predesigned disposable plastic grape juice cups and a small piece of bread like an oyster cracker.
- At the farthest end, some of them come in tiny foil-sealed plastic containers (for the Christian on the go!).
- All of these are acceptable as long as they honor the spirit of the tradition.
- However, some people who have issues with the stigma of [alcoholism](addiction-substances.md) have issues with wine instead of grape juice.