Scholarly Reflections
Koukl, Gregory. (2019). "Chapter Eleven: Practical Suicide." In Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (updated and expanded). pp. 157-164.. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Koukl previously discussed points of views which are automatically self-defeating. In this chapter he deals with those that can be held but cannot be articulated. As an example, he says, "It's wrong to say people are wrong" (Koukl 2019, p. 158). This is a position which many people hold but which cannot be said without being self-contradictory. As long as it is not articulated, it works. A similar, but more sophisticated example, is seen when someone gives reasons why the use of reasoning to prove a point is inappropriate. Confronting the root issue which is contradictory is uncomfortable but often suffices to show a person the weakness of his views.
Koukl observes that a relativistic view of morality frequently self-destructs. Telling someone not to push a view on others is readily seen as pushing a view. Asking "why" is a sufficient response (Koukl 2019, p. 160). Koukl continues to illustrate the issue with an extended example of Soviet border guards admitting to religious freedom and access to Bibles yet prohibiting people from providing such opportunities (Koukl 2019, pp. 161-163). The overall logical conflict is the ssame, though the outcome of his discussion was not. He gives a third extended example (Koukl 2019, pp. 163-164) of a controversy caused when the Southern Baptist Convention urged praying for Jewish people in Chicago, an act the Anti-Defamation League considered an invitation to hatred. Their claim was that evangelization should only be directed to people who have no religion. In fact, the Jewish leaders said as a religious conviction the Baptists should violate their own religious convictions.
Once views such as these are articulated, they prove invalid. However, not all people are willing to allow the contradiction to be pointed out. These conversations can be very difficult.