Greg walks through how to identify the underlying flaw in an objection and then use simple questions to engage and lead others to affirm key truths.
Transcript
Caller: So, you seem to put a lot of thought into the questions that you ask.
Greg: Sometimes, not always, but go ahead.
Caller: I was just curious if you had, like, a kind of a system or a framework that you’ve kind of developed over time to come up with these questions, especially the ones that get people to really see the contradictions in their thinking and, like, really think through issues.
Greg: Well, it’s a fair question, but the only system that I have is the tactical game plan, which I suspect you’re familiar with. And what I did in the more recent book called Street Smarts, what I’ve done is I parlayed the third step of the game plan—which is using questions to make a point—into a kind of a general apologetics book. So, I’ve taken issues like atheism and abortion and the Bible and Jesus and sex and marriage and gender and stuff like that (these are kind of hot-button issues that people are raising questions about), and I have anticipated—well, the challenges that are out there.
So, what I’ve done is tried to think through appropriate questions to expose the fallacy of thinking with regard to each individual objection. And that’s what that whole book is about. It’s actually quite long. It’s like 80,000 words. I didn’t think it would be that long, but that’s because, well, I’ve got a lot of dialogues in there. Amy helped me a lot to take any hint of snarkiness out of the exchange that I created between me and the interlocutor who has the other point of view.
But I will just tell you, in terms of my general interaction with people—by the way, that book is meant to show people how it works. And in some cases, if you’re stonewalled with a particular challenge, like “no one knows when life begins,” you know, well, what’s the next question?
Caller: What do you mean by that?
Greg: You could, but I’m going right now to step three because step three is where I’m making my point. So, I said, “Well, is it growing?” We’re talking about the unborn, the fetus, right? “Is it growing?” “Yeah, it’s growing.” “Well, then it’s alive, right?” So, you don’t have to identify when life begins to know that the one in question is alive, because the thing in question is growing. Now, it turns out, all the way back to conception, it’s growing. So, we know it’s biologically alive.
So, notice that now I know the problem with that challenge when they say, “Well, nobody knows when life begins.” So, I could just say, “If there is something that’s alive, it’s growing. And the fetus is growing, therefore it’s alive.” Now, that’s my point, but it’s inelegant. I’ve just made the point. There’s no tactical shrewdness to it. So, instead of making the point, I ask the question “Is it growing?” Now it’s their turn. Now the ball’s in their court. They answer it. Now when they answer it, they’re giving me a piece of information that they are affirming. So, they’re putting a piece of information on the table. They’re not going to take it off because they just put it there. So if they say, “Yeah, it’s growing,” that’s the problem, that it’s growing, yeah. “So, if it’s growing, then it’s alive, right?” “Well, yeah, I guess so.” Boom. End of issue. It’s over with.
Now, the point I’m making is, in that book, there are a lot of places like that people might get stuck in conversations. All right? And so, what I’ve done is offer a question that will get them unstuck and moving forward in the same way I just shared with you. So, the other person is engaged. They’re contributing. But what they’re doing is, you’ve enlisted them as an ally to give commonsense answers to things that allows them to affirm and confirm at least a step or two or three of your line of thinking. All right?
Now, I put that in the book in advance. And in some cases, when I have a challenge, I’ve got to sit and think about it. Like, what am I going to write? Or maybe I get blindsided in a conversation, and I don’t know what to say. So, I’m just stuck. So, what am I going to do when that happens? When I’m on my own, at my leisure, when the pressure is off, I’m going to think about it. And I’m going to think, what could I have said that would have helped? So, sometimes I’m anticipating the objection, and I’m thinking—
Okay, let me back up just a scooch here. I have to know the problem that is inherent in the challenge they’re offering. I’ve got to know what’s wrong with it before I can expose the wrong, and that’s—a ton of the material in Street Smarts is showing what’s wrong in all of these challenges. Now, once you know what’s wrong, now you want to try to deal with the error by using questions, and that takes a little creativity.
So, sometimes I’m thinking after the fact, you know, well, what could I have said? And then I think of it, then I try to remember it for next time. Sometimes it just comes to me because I’m focused on asking the questions. And also, since I’ve been in play for quite a while, I can see the problem. Okay?
People say, “Well, it’s arrogant to say that your view is true and other views are false.” Okay? Now, that’s a statement people make. Now, I know exactly what’s wrong with that right away. It’s self-refuting because they’re saying that particular thing is true and opposing views are false. So, I’m going to ask the question. I’m going to say, “Do you think the view that you just expressed is true and others are false?” Now, it’s a question. The ball’s in their court. But see, because I’ve been around the block a few times, those kinds of things jump right out at me.
Now, what I have to guard myself from doing is saying, “Aha! I got you! That’s self-refuting. It doesn’t fulfill its own requirements.” You know? “Blah blah blah.”
Caller: You’ve got to turn it into a question because people respond so much better.
Greg: Absolutely. Jesus said to be gentle but shrewd. So, this is what we’re doing. So, here’s my suggestion for you. I know this sounds self-serving, but I would get a copy of the book Street Smarts, first of all, because there I walk through a whole host of issues that Christians get blindsided on or stonewalled. They don’t know how to respond. And so, what I do is try to educate on all of these issues: “Here’s what’s wrong with that challenge.” You know? “It’s my body. I can do whatever I want.” You can do anything you want with your own body? “Anything I want?” Well, how about this? Can you do this? I had a woman that said that to me when we were in the airport. We were waiting for a flight. I just made the observation “When you cross the curb, ma’am, the government slapped all kinds of laws on your body, and you didn’t object at all.” Now, that wasn’t very elegant, but that would be the point. Okay? That’s what’s wrong. So, I’m going to try to find a question. So, that will help you in a number of things.
But I will tell you a secret about how this works—that the more that you do this, the more it becomes second nature. It’s just a matter of practice. And you realize, “Oh, I got that. Oh, okay. I see what’s wrong there.” That’s part of your education. But it becomes second nature to think of a question that will help them, that will involve them, will engage them, and maybe help them to see the mistake, but in an interactive kind of way.
So, you asked if I have a technique. I don’t have anything more than what I just shared with you. Sometimes it’s reflection after the fact—what could I have said? Sometimes, like in the Street Smarts book, you can read before the fact. Well, here’s the question to ask: “Is it growing?” And by the way, when somebody says on the abortion issue, “Well, it may be a human being, but it’s not a person,” I know exactly the question I ask. Do you know my question?
Caller: Let me remember it.
Greg: What’s the difference? What’s the difference? That’s the question.
Caller: Yeah. And then you could just say that anybody is less valuable because of size or location.
Greg: Yeah, that’s the SLED test. Right. Yeah. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot, but it was kind of fun.
Caller: Yeah, I was trying to remember because I did read Street Smarts, and I absolutely love it.
Greg: Oh, you have it. Okay, great. So, you see how that all works. And I would say—I’m almost out of time here, so I’m rushing to the end—but I would say the key to all of this is doing it. The more you do it, the better you’re going to get at it, and the more the impact you’re going to have. And when you first start out, you may not be very effective. That’s okay. That’s okay. Remember, if you’ve got Street Smarts, one of the first anecdotes is a gal who tried this tactical game plan for the very first time in a bookstore, and the whole dialogue is there because she called on the phone—she called on the air—and we had this conversation. That’s how I know it’s accurate. But it’s just the very first time that she tried to use the tactical game plan. It was amazing how it worked for her, and that gave her more confidence to do it again.