Saint Nicholas: On the Proper Method of Debate

It may be surprising to some that Saint Nicholas was not always known for his magical reindeer and communist gift-giving/child labor practices.


In fact, he was a respected bishop of the Christian Church in the 4th Century. So respected, in fact, that he was invited to the Council of Nicea, the council which left a lasting impact on the Christian faith for all time. At Nicea, the Biblical Canon was established, the Nicean Creed was written, and....


A certain man named Arius was vehemently defending his stance that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is not equal to God the Father. He spoke against the doctrine of the Trinity, saying that Jesus was a created being, and not fully divine.


Now, Nicholas could have showcased his stunning wit and gotten tangled into a principled debate on the nature of Christ. He could have held a nice, long debate on the Greek and Hebrew semantics of the passages involved.


Instead he stood up, faced the heretic, and punched him in the face.


Like a boss.


Because sometimes, it takes too long to find your politically correct multiracial opponent, and hold a long, politically correct debate with him or her, in which both sides walk away with the exact same opinion she or he held before.


Because sometimes, you just need to find your heretics and slap them in the face.