Tools of Apologetics 1.20.4

Leading Questions

Formulation of Leading Questions

The discussion in the last chapter on Leading Questions might lead many to think that  formulating Leading Questions should be quite an easy task. After all, they might reason, we all ask many questions and after all Leading Questions are not different. They are mistaken. The very fact that a whole chapter had to be devoted to introducing this subject indicates that Leading Questions are not ordinary questions. They cannot be formulated easily or without some instruction in this art. Thus in this chapter we shall look at the different aspects of formulating Leading Questions.

Why Learn To Ask Leading Questions?

Once in a while one might be able to meet an individual who intuitively asks Leading Questions, but such individuals are rare. The others have to learn it, and the following are some of the reasons:

1-Leading Questions Don’t Come Automatically: Leading Questions require of interrogators to understand several things at the same time. They have to understand the confusion or deception on the part of the respondent, the actual issues involved, the best way of approaching the problem, and several other things. It is not easy to take all these things into consideration, and thus Leading Questions do not come automatically to Apologists minds.

Much training is required in the fundamentals of theology, logic, science, philosophy and many other fields before an Apologist can successfully formulate Leading Questions. Also, much insight and even exposure to the way in which others formulate such questions, are needed before one can begin to ask such questions. Even here, the greater the experience, the sharper would be the questions. All the above reasons put together demands that the Christian Apologist or Teacher should consciously devote time to learn the art of formulating and asking Leading Questions.

2-To Overcome The Destructive Effects Of Stupid And Sidetracking Questions: As mentioned before, many seemingly good and intelligent questions are stupid in essence. Their net result is to sidetrack the debate into non-issues and even into discussion damaging to the cause of the truth. Thus it is necessary to eliminate all such questions and set the discussion going into the right direction.

Thus if more people than the Apologist and the respondent are involved in the question-answer session, some people might ask uninformed and sidetracking questions. The presence of people who ask such questions is damaging to the cause of truth. Enemies of truth love this kind of question-answer session where there is much talk but no solid movement in the direction of truth. It is falsehood that emerges as the winner in all such undirected discussion. The Apologist can minimize the damages and lead the discussion in the proper direction only by asking pertinent leading questions.

3-To Establish And Defend Truth And Justice: It is more than obvious to any defender of Biblical truth that the world does not love God’s truth. Thus all discussion on important subjects have a tendency to move in the direction of error and falsehood. The aim of Christian Apologists is not to start an animated discussion on any subject that goes in any arbitrary direction, but rather to discuss in a manner such as to arrive at truth. Also, they have to lead people to arrive at this truth in a manner that leaves a strong impact for truth. This can be done only when they eliminate all unnecessary discussion by using Leading Questions. In this process they can exert tremendous pressure upon the opponent to come to grips with the truth. Since Leading Questions leave very little opportunity to opponents to maneuver themselves out of the discussion, these questions force them to admit that they are helpless to argue against Biblical truth.

comments

• Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org