Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources
0388
Report of Hardeman/Bogard Debate
J. D. Tant
May 12, 1938
Two thousand attended the debate with 200 gospel preachers and 40 Baptist preachers present. I have met Bogard in six debates; have heard all our leading debaters, including John S. Sweeney. J. A. Harding, A.G. Freed, Joe S. Warlick, C. R. Nichols and others; yet never heard a man do a more complete cleanup job than Hardeman did. After Bogard heard Hardeman's first talk he seemed to be completely lost, and all his old arguments that he had used for 25 years on me and others were exploded and shown to be false. I have never seen a man so completely overthrown.
Some years ago when the digressives wanted a hundred debates with the church of Christ on instrumental music, Hardeman held one debate with their leader and put him out of business, and now you cannot get one of their leading men to attempt a debate on instrumental music.
When the Hardeman-Bogard debate comes out in book form, my brethren should take five thousand of them and put them out to preaching. I have ordered fifty copies myself. If Hardeman and I were not special friends, I might complain, as I wanted to meet Bogard in three more debates before retiring as a debater; but Hardeman gave Bogard such a cleanup I feel like I will never get to meet him again.
Such a debate will do more good in teaching Baptists the truth and in converting some of my half-converted brethren who think debates do no good than any other method of teaching.
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