WHAT WOULD YOU SAY: How To Have A Civil Debate

These are tough times to have civil debates on controversial issues of public policy that encourage consensus and cooperation, without things getting overly heated as logic and facts go out the window, replaced by snarky passion and rhetorical gotchas that divide.

Nowhere is the need for preserving civil discussion and debate more important than on Capitol Hill, and especially at the staff level. Members of Congress still, to a great degree, observe the appearance of civility and decorum during floor debates and committee sessions.

But much of the work done in Congress happens at the staff level and that’s where preserving the capacity for productive give-and-take on issues that get to the heart of political differences and possibilities for healthy, equitable compromise is absolutely crucial.

The following “What Would You Say” video from the Colson Center features Stand to Reason’s Greg Koukl with a couple of valuable suggestions for how to approach such discussions. Koukl’s immediate context is conversations between Christians and non-Christians, but his suggestions are equally applicable whenever opposing advocates address issues:

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