Discussing sex, politics and religion online: some tips

1. If you think you might not be very good at expressing yourself, stay out of the debate. Pray for and support those who are.
   
2. Be aware of who's listening to what you have to say, what their personal experience is of the issue at hand and if they're intellectual or practical sort of people. Don't be intimidated by them - God is over the discussion.
   
3. Work out one big thing you're trying to get across. Feel free to get help with this. It's usually good to express this in positive terms, because Christianity doesn't stop with exposure of sin.
4. Remember that apologetics has a limited role to play. Yet if God's ways really are the most healthy and life-affirming, then some of your readers may come to recognise this. You may also be able to remove barriers that get in the way of someone ever listening to the Gospel message.
5. As you craft each of your contributions, think about what the other correspondents have just said, what you should say and how you should say it. Pay careful attention to what they actually said and keep your emotions in check. Decide which battles to fight and try not to take attention away from your main point. Sometimes you may need to establish the legitimacy of the Christian viewpoint to be heard before you can proceed to the issue at hand. And don't fear anyone's intelligence - we have been given the very truths of God. Write using normal social skills and courtesy. It can be okay to be blunt, but it's never fine to be aggressive. Don't be defensive either - be unashamed, calm, confident and compassionate. Use commonplace words and explain yourself so that a teenager could understand. Read over what you have written, preferably out loud. Read it a few times, each time imagining that a different person is listening. Better still, leave it until morning to post. And best of all, get someone you respect to read over it for you.
   
6. Pray really, really hard.