‘It’s a very distressing thing about evangelicalism – we are not very good at responsible domestic debate,’ wrote John Stott in 1995 in Third Way. His words still resonate today; we evangelicals are people with strong convictions and a passion for truth. How do we debate hot-button issues in a way which glorifies Jesus?
When it comes to talking about such matters as the Fletcher and Smyth scandals, there are rightly additional challenges and sensitivities too. Somehow, though, we have to find Christ-like ways of discussing these things both in en and elsewhere.
One forum where issues can be debated here is the Letters page. Like any newspaper, publication of a letter should never be taken to indicate that en agrees with the views within it; we have published a letter from an atheist before! That is now made explicit at the top of this page. Inevitably, speaking generally, some views will seem objectionable to others; such is free speech, which is vital. But what does get published is mild compared with some of the letters which are not.