Some of them are original, carefully thought through and well expressed.

Most of them are not.

The majority of opinions held by the majority of people, I'm convinced, are arrived at via a mish-mash of random factors, and where thinking carefully features as heavily as juggling with hyenas.

Here are just some of the factors that can influence opinions these days, ranging from the breakfast cereal you eat to the political party you vote for:

what my more opinionated friend said

which side of bed I got out of this morning

what the weather's doing

what I thought yesterday (today I've changed my mind)

how a political leader speaks/looks/walks/spends his or her spare time

my football team's league position

You may be protesting "that's so unfair!

I always think before I speak, and carefully weigh up the arguments before deciding what my opinion is", in which case hats off to you, you're in the minority.

And, as we all know (if we trust statistics), the majority rule.

When I was at school, a big deal was made about the debating society.

This was a bunch of schoolkids and teachers who would gather together periodically to take some hot topic or other and beat it mercilessly with a stick.

This was meant to teach us logic, reasoned argument and clever ways to be rude to people you disagree with.

Doubtless some of its arch exponents are now MPs, captains of industry, heads of international crime syndicates, or at least have appeared on BBC Radio 4's Just A Minute.

Because it takes a certain set of skills to win an argument, and they may have nothing whatsover to do with being right.

Or promoting truth.

Hence my memory of one particular balloon debate which ended with Adolf Hitler successfully arguing to be kept in, while St Francis of Assisi was ignominiously booted out, doubtless to talk to the birds on the way down.

Sadly, this approach too often pops up on radio and TV, where genuine debate is often replaced by fatuous argument that makes for more gripping listening or viewing, so the theory goes.

And it inevitably means that polarised views are pitched into the arena for a good slanging match, while sweet reason and the middle ground are unable to get a word in edge-ways.

And when a lot of our opinions are cooked up via this kind of "media debate", it's hardly surprising a lot of them end up being half-baked.

You need good information to start with.

You need careful explanation.

And with tricky, complex issues, you need time to take it in - and language that is able to communicate clearly.

Check out James 1: 5-8. It's a reminder that it's what God thinks that counts.

And if we lack wisdom - or we haven't a clue what we think - we need to ask God about it.

And get into the Bible afresh - as James says later on in the chapter: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Easy? Of course not.

But it's the only approach that will keep us grounded in a world of easy opinions and few convictions.

The mind of Christ may not be the majority view, but it's the only opinion worth having.


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