Last year was my first year doing Speech and Debate through NCFCA. During the year, I learned a lot about the fundamentals of debate, and how to write a good case. This year I am hoping to grow even more and learn how to better use my skills for God’s glory. I am just coming out of my second tournament this season, and there are a few things that I have learned that I believe anyone can apply to their debate tactics, regardless of whether or not you debate competitively. This article will hopefully provide you with some useful advice that will help you to take your debating to the next level.

1: Know your topic:

This probably seems self-explanatory. After all, how can we debate if we don’t even know what we are talking about? However, it is easy for us to become complacent. I started off the year with a very shallow understanding of the resolution, and it took multiple losses to motivate me to dig deeper. When it comes to the question of rationalism and empiricism there are so many different approaches people can take. The only way to be ready to respond to someone else’s arguments is if you really understand the topic.

2: Question your own understanding:

When you take the time to question your own understanding, you can come across all kinds of inconsistencies. If you can’t answer simple questions about your own case, you are probably not ready to be debating. Here are a couple of questions that I believe can help you to assess your own understanding, and check for weaknesses in your cases.

A: Can I summarize my case in 2-3 sentences?

This helps to check your understanding and give you a starting point for further questions.

B: Is my summary a reasonable argument?

Asking yourself this question can help you to quickly recognize major issues. Your argument should be a series of claims that don’t need support to be effective. If the claims you make are faulty, it doesn’t matter how much evidence you squeeze in there. It still won’t work.

C: If I were arguing against this, what would I say?

Try to tear your own claims apart. If you do this well, you should start to feel discouraged. When I first look at a case I’ve written, I think that it’s invincible. However, when I take the time to question my own arguments, I discover that it isn’t. Attacking your own claims is an easy way to find the weakness in your case. If your case is strong, you might have a hard time arguing against the summary. When that happens, it is time to start attacking your support.

D: What do my friends and family think?

When I write an argument, I feel like I understand it really well. This can be fatal. Not everyone who listens to you will be as well read in philosophy, political theory, or theology as you think you are. Last year, I ran my case by one of my brothers. This enabled me to ensure that my case made sense to someone who hasn’t dedicated their time to studying the issues at hand. Simplicity is key to a good argument, and your friends and family are the perfect people to ask for feedback. If they don’t understand you, you have failed to communicate your side clearly. Other people can also help you to think about new perspectives that you may have failed to consider.

3: Support, Support, Support:

Does your case have lots of evidence? If it does, you are on the right track. However, a well-supported case is just the beginning. Take some time to think about your last rebuttal. Did you have as much support for the claims you made then? This year I have been working on compiling evidence, support, and responses to some of the common arguments that I have seen. For example, a lot of people this year have chosen to use a value of truth for their cases. The best way to prepare for future rounds is to have evidence to support your own claims about your opponent’s understanding of truth. Most people have an internal bias that causes them to fall prey to a fallacy known as “appeal to authority”. This fallacy happens when we value the name of the person more than the logic of their claims. This internal bias is why it is crucial to have support for your arguments. No matter how reasonable your claims are, people will often tend to fall to the side that is most supported by big names like Aristotle, Plato, or even Donald Trump.

4: Be respectful:

When I get nervous, you can tell. I start to talk faster and take a more aggressive approach to my arguments. Whenever we begin to let our emotions take over, we lose credibility. It’s a lot easier to believe someone who calmly approaches an argument than someone who can’t keep their emotions in check. When it comes down to it, the purpose of debating is to help share the truth with others. In most cases, your debate will do very little to persuade your opponent. Instead, you should be trying to persuade your audience. The easiest way to do this is to be yourself and show respect. Someone who is fake is much harder to trust than someone who is sincere and cares about what they have to say. It’s okay to be passionate, but make sure you keep your emotions from taking over.

5: Trust God:

I learned a lot about trusting God last year. If you want to hear about my experience of His provision and timing in debate, you can read this post. https://lifeadventuregames.com/2023/05/08/paving-the-road-for-us/ It can be tough losing. Trust me, I have had my fair share of losses. What we need to remember is that our arguments, and our debates are supposed to be used for God’s glory, not ours. 1 Corinthians 10:32 says: “Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” If we choose to debate for our own benefit, we will only ever be disappointed. God wants us to be humble and to seek Him first. Putting God first will enable us to truly see the purpose, power, and impact of our debates.