By Brad Locke
March 20, 2006

(AgapePress) - Ninety percent of my job, it seems, consists of asking questions. I interview coaches, school officials and athletes; I ask myself what is the best angle for this story. I ask myself, or co-workers, if I've got sufficient (and accurate) information. And above all, I ask God that He will be glorified through my writing.

Being a fairly young journalist -- I have 5 1/2-years' full-time experience -- I have closely observed how my more-seasoned colleagues handle interviews and fact-seeking. What I have learned from them, and from personal trial and error, is to avoid lazy questions. You've probably heard them during quickie halftime interviews on TV or radio, or during postgame press conferences.

"So, coach, what was Johnson able to do so well today?" Yawn. A better question would be, "Coach, what did you tell Johnson to help him stay more patient in the pocket this week?" The more specific the question, the better information you'll get, and the closer to the truth you'll get. It's a matter of noticing the details of what's occurring, and of doing a little homework beforehand. It's a matter of thinking about what you've seen and heard, of pondering it and trying to put it in a larger context.

Now, general questions can come in handy when you're interviewing someone about an event or another person that you've been unable to gather much information about. For example, just today I interviewed a high school baseball coach on one of his players. All I knew about the kid was that he was on our all-area team last year and that he was probably his team's best player this season. High school baseball being what it is, it's hard to know a lot about those involved in the sport if you've not observed them or heard about them much in the past.

So what I did was ask the coach some general questions -- "What kind of player is he? How long has he been a starter? What's his long-term potential?" As the interview progressed, and as I learned more about this player, my questions became more specific. So by the time I interviewed the player, I was able to ask him mostly specific questions, and I uncovered a good angle for my story. That is when general questioning is useful -- when it leads you toward the vital details.

But they become lazy questions when not followed up. It seems a lot of people today don't have time, or patience, to dig under the surface of issues far more pressing than a quarterback's pocket presence. We're too busy spouting our opinions to consider if they have any logical foundation. And some of us are just plain scared of what kind of answers we may find.

Let's take the ongoing brouhaha over Darwinian evolution vs. intelligent design (ID) in our public schools. Most public school teachers and administrators seem unwilling to even allow a civilized discussion on the matter, either among school boards or among students. Why is this? What are these people so afraid of? Oh, they try to say that ID is such a crock that it doesn't even deserve consideration. But it's quite telling when someone won't even give an effort to refute an opponent's claims; it usually means they're too scared to even try.

Darwinian evolutionists should be terrified, because the scientific cloak has been torn off their materialistic worldview. I'd love to go into detail, but my time is limited. Those who would disagree with me, I personally challenge you to ask your own questions and to objectively seek answers. Ask yourself, for example, if time plus matter plus infinitesimal chance could have produced -- and continue to sustain -- this universe, this planet or your own consciousness. I'll give you a starting point: Lee Strobel's book The Case for a Creator. Read it with an open mind. I dare you. (That goes for my fellow believers, as well.)

Forgive my digression (or tangent, perhaps). I simply encourage you to keep asking questions about life, about God, about whatever weighs heavily on your spirit and your mind. Starting out with general questions is fine, as long as you're committed to digging until you find the real truth. Asking specific questions -- and trying to answer those of people who've disagreed with me -- has strengthened my faith immeasurably.

Proverbs 15:14: "The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly." Seek the truth, friends. If you don't find it in life, it will find you in death. By then, it won't do you any good.