Within a very short space of time, we quickly find our differences, magnify them and then let our egos go to work on each other.
These ensuing battles and our score cards become the fruit which we then offer up to the one we actually serve while in the heat of those moments.
We Christians argue over words, but are specifically told not to.
We Christians fight like Cains over the mantle of Abel, while cherishing the belief that the winner will be the rightful and rational heir to Abel's throne.
Note that I said "We".
I wish I could point my fingers at the worst offenders in these discussions and say it's "Them". My ego would love that! But, that would be a lie.
The truth is, in each and every discussion, the Holy Spirit, should I ever choose to listen to Him, is telling me to shut up and find Him in silence.
Boring...what fun is that? My ego would rather catch someone in a misstep, beat them into submission with it, and then win the argument for me and my team!
Unfortunately for my ego, Proverbs is a mirror that's loaded with advice for my ego, who of course is not at all interested unless the advice helps it "win the fight".
By their fruits, by their works, ye shall know them and the works of a rational ego are not the same as those of a believing, faithful Christian.
In fact, the ego will tell you its stuff is better! So...Fight! Fight!! Fight!!!
Self certainly can be a part of these conversations, leading to what the Bible describes in so many words as vain competition and making another person one’s enemy to be defeated, rather than seeing them as someone being held captive to error and who might be counselled to recognize the truth.
On the other hand, even in the time of the Apostles, false teaching was being put out by professing Christians, as the Lord Himself warned would happen, and the Apostles strove to expose it and the false teachers in no uncertain terms, even using condemning language. Two thousands years on means two thousands years of interpretation, Christians living out their faith, and of invention, including false invention. Christians shouldn’t believe that those who oppose them somehow in belief or interpretation are necessarily enemies to be defeated, or deliberate false teachers. Someone could even have a point. But it is important to have these discussions, which is essentially teaching, to counter false teaching.