As election season ramps up, Fr. Wayne Genereux of Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in St. Petersburg chose to feature an article by Tom Hoopes of Kansas' Benedictine College in the church's Sept. 6 bulletin. 

The article was entitled “How to Argue like a Christian.” It offered seven rules for Catholics to follow when you get into a heated discussion with someone you disagree with.

Rule 1: Don’t give up on anyone. Hate racism, but don’t hate the racists. “Help them find a reasonable way out of their impasse,” the bulletin quoted Hoopes' article.

Rule 2: Win souls, not arguments. Follow the example of St. Paul: Advance Christ’s message, not your personal preferences.

Rule 3: Break out of your bubble. Don’t give in to the us vs. them mindset that is constantly promoted in the media. You probably have more in common with your enemy than you think. “Read your allies with a critical eye, but read your opponents with an open mind,” Hoopes recalled a wise man who worked in policy in Washington, D.C. once counseled him.

Rule 4: Admit when you are wrong. This is admittedly hard to do, but it gets easier with practice. If you want others to admit when you are right, you have to admit when you are wrong, Hoopes said.

Rule 5: Give your opponent a way to save face. Utter defeat and humiliation of your opponent makes it humanly impossible for agreement to happen.

Rule 6: Build a positive case. In his Gospel of Life, St. John Paul advocates building 'the culture of life.' "The faith spreads when people see it as a way to happiness, not as a way to moral superiority," Hoopes said.

Rule 7: In sum— love your opponent. “There are always two ways to approach your opponent: You can define them by their worst tendencies, or see and love what is best in them,” Hoopes said. “Love has an unmatchable power to build trust and clear obstacles."