Building Straw Men and Persoal Attacks

and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32 ASV)
...When I was an atheist I had two forms of attack that I employed to make the Christian uncomfortable and this caused them to abandon the discussion and I could the declare victory. This only impressed the unlearned but that was my peer group, then. I am worried because most of the people sitting on the pews, on any Sunday, are not saved people and the same two tactics I employed in the sixties have crept into the church.
... One of the methods is to, what I term, build a straw man to ride down on your trusty white steed. This is best done by listeing to what your opponent has not said, accuse him or her of saying or implying it and tear the idea to pieces. The second, favored method, is the personal attack known as killing the messenger. When these two forms of attack they are very effective because the defender must now leave the discussion lying where it is ad defend him or herself while the attacker gloats about the victory accomplished.
... The truth of the matter? The Humble Christian has in fact told the truth and the attacker has damaged their immortal soul. Perform this method of attack often enough on a Christian, successfully, and you will close their mouth...a.k.a. destroy their witness.
... The Christian does not lose their salvation but they are no longer effective tools in the hand of the LORD on the Mission Field that they reside in.
... My point? The followers of Christ must learn the lesson of keeping a tender heart but of having a thick skin. Couple this with te lesson taught in Romans 12:1, become a living sacrifice, and you have a mighty Christian Warrier that, in the hand of God, is used to accomplish the purposes of the Kingdom. We must lear to take heart, even in the face of what the world calls defeat. Actually, I have read the Book al the way through the end and guess what? God wins!