The homeschool speech and debate circuit is quite conservative. Duh. This comes as a surprise to no one. Most of the motivations for homeschooling in the first place come from conservative places, such as evangelical Christianity. Christian leagues like NCFCA and STOA encourage their students to glorify Christ through speech and debate. This is a really good thing. My life and faith found their roots because of the conservative traditions in forensics. That being said, there should be open doors for some progressive opinions as well. Not everything. But some. And here’s why.
The world is complicated. Outside of the Bible you won’t find one book or school of thought that is right on every issue every time. Even the U.S. Constitution was designed to be occasionally amended. Those who participate in and support Christian speech and debate should welcome opportunities to reflect on our own beliefs. Not to dismantle them brick by brick. But to make them stronger by replacing the one or two bricks that have cracked over time. And people may disagree on which bricks ought to go. But is that not the point of healthy debate?
I grew up conservative. And I would still generally say I support and vote for mostly conservative positions. But I also remember in high school, way back in 2014, when I first researched voting rights for felons in the US on an old election law TP resolution. It opened my eyes up to some flaws in America’s criminal justice system Christians should care about. The way we treat people who are fighting for a second chance at life. And I won a lot of rounds with a case advocating those flaws be addressed.
And that’s the other side of this issue too. Students who like winning should take a look at some “liberal” stories and authors. There are Christians who are passionate about affirmative action or climate activism with great stories to tell. Stories of Christian feminists, racial rights advocates, and social justice warriors. And yes, there might be some holes in their theology or politics that are worth mentioning, but that doesn’t invalidate the compelling nature of their stories. So before you cut your next interp or platform take a look at the ex-cons turned pastors, climate minded missionaries, or the Christian democrats in Washington. You might be surprised about how clearly the Gospel is found in their lives.
Speaking of action and activism, debaters who want to expand their pool of arguments might want to try out a progressive case sometime. The reality of modern academia is that there is an overwhelming abundance of progressive research. This is a problem. Universities should not be as one-sided as they are these days. But that problem is also an opportunity for research-hungry TPers. If you always want to have more data and authors to back up your position than the other team, write a case on climate change. The sheer amount of progressive research in that subject area is absurd. And you’ll be surprised how quickly judge bias goes away when you can read 10 pieces of evidence for every 1 your opponent has. Also, there’s an AFF case I wrote in the upcoming Lasting Impact sourcebook that demonstrates this. You should take a look at it!
High school is a time to learn and grow. The traditionally conservative homeschool speech and debate world is one of the best places in the world to foster that growth. It helps students prepare a firm foundation for a world that is very hostile to Christian traditions. It also is a safe environment to present and hear critiques of those traditions. So we should welcome some new and progressive stories and opinions. Not all of them. Not those that openly defy the Bible and sound wisdom. But those that invite us to be more open minded, more empathetic, and learn to be even better communicators for Christ.
P.S. If you want to hear more from me on how to talk about progressive topics in a conservative league, be on the lookout for some fall classes I’ll be teaching at Lasting Impact!
Coach Eric is back! Check out his Fall 2023 TP Club or Extemp Round Table OR schedule a one on one coaching session with him today! Registration for all our fall classes and clubs is going on NOW!
“Eric Meinerding has been coaching and competing in speech and debate for over a decade across multiple college and high school leagues. He earned his BS in Law and Policy from Liberty University in 2019. While at Liberty, he competed for the school’s Team Policy, Moot Court, and Mock Trial teams, winning the largest Moot Court tournament of the year in 2019. After graduation, Eric worked in full time college ministry in Lynchburg Virginia for Campus Outreach for three years. This fall he will begin studying law at the University of Virginia School of Law. Eric believes that competitive forensics allows students to glorify God through competition that hones and develops their skills as communicators and reasoners. Debate, while a game that students should passionately be trying to win, is a place to also learn and develop as a person and believer.”