Freethought & Rationalism Archive

orangebaw · 02-26-2006, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kassiana

How would it be "more" productive to attack Islam? I don't think it would be.

I do. Not just attack it, but try to show that it is false. I think it is very productive to get people out of religious brainwashing.

When I argue about religions, I dont like to pick on certain silly details in the text like "how did God chose who went on the ark" (an example that is currently in action on the Biblical forum) because I think it's rather pointless, you wont actually get anywhere. I like to concentrate on how the text was actually created in the first place, and the true events of the time.

Imnotspecial · 02-26-2006, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kassiana

How would it be "more" productive to attack Islam? I don't think it would be.

"Attack" might not be more productive but pointing out irrational aspects of any religion in a polite manner should produce fruit in an open mind.

Chris Porter · 02-26-2006, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangebaw

This is false. If we talked about the stupidity of Islam more, it may encourage more muslims to leave the faith.

Also, Islam does affect all of you. Your troops are in Iraq at the moment, dying, being maimed and suffering perminent brain damage. Islam affects everybody, and I think a good proportion of you are being extremely short-sighted.

But surely they were sent there at the behest of a Christian nation, so it is Christianity at fault for sending them there. And they aren't dying because of Islam, they are dying because they are invading a foreign country, and the foreign country is fighting back. Just as I would fight an invasion into the US, though I am not Christian. So it's not extremely shortsighted to focus on the religion that seems to be driving the US to war. It's only somewhat shortsighted.

orangebaw · 02-26-2006, 12:57 PM

But then they would not have been invaded if they didnt act aggressively to other faiths.

I think invading Iraq was wrong, but I still put a lot of blame with Islam.

orangebaw · 02-26-2006, 12:58 PM

And I dont like Christianity either, but my point is it is being attacked on this website far more than anything else.

Kassiana · 02-26-2006, 01:06 PM

Quote:

I think it is very productive to get people out of religious brainwashing.

I think that attacking their religion is the least likely to get them to leave it. Perhaps you could try something else.

Mickey · 02-26-2006, 01:34 PM

Orangebaw

As has often been said on this site,it is for believers to substantiate their belief,rather than for atheists to to show that religious belief is ill-founded.The one way to attack all religion is to explain that religious beliefs are not true knowledge,but the difference between knowledge and belief is a fairly complex philosophical matter."What is knowledge?",is one of the central and unanswered questions of philosophy.It is unanswered because the sceptical argument seems to be capable of being advanced ad nauseam.Obviously we can adopt an approach which provides a workaday definition of knowledge,but which leaves us without the certain knowledge that believers mistakenly claim.
Telling religious people that they don't know any true facts,when the whole of their mindset is centered on the true fact that the bible,(koran et al)is the actual word of god is probably a waste of time.

Mickey

Reena · 02-26-2006, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangebaw

I suppose I can understand it in a way, there are a lot of Americans here who were brought up in Christian environments and you have that nasty "Bible Belt" too. But Surely you should not concentrate all your energy questioing this one religion. For starters, Christianity, Judism and Islam are all linked, so it would give you far more ammunition if you researched all three and questioned all three equally.

I just joined this site less than 24 hours ago and am someone dismayed at the one-dimesionallity of so many of the posts, espesially on this particular board.

Maybe because many of us were at some point Christians. For me personally I don't take Islam, Mormonism etc. seriously, and it seems self-evident that they have nothing to do with God.

I took Christianity seriously once so I have a bias toward criticizing it.

BUT, you have a point. Maybe we should focus our energies on questioning other religions, maybe it would help people in those religions leave.

Splarnst · 02-26-2006, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orangebaw

Why keep questioning something you know is wrong? It's better to move onto questioning other things and gain more experience, that's my view. Christianity is not as much of a threat these days as Islam is to people.

I don't. Who says I do? And I'm not going to waste my time questioning a bunch of other religions for no purpose.

reddhedd · 02-26-2006, 02:32 PM

Orangebaw,

I fail to see how complaining about those here who discuss the bible helps your "cause" at all.
Instead of complaining about the threads you see, start one of your own. Come on, show us how it's done, give us a taste of what you want!

You want to bash Islam, go for it! You feel like dragging Judaism through the muck, drag away.

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02-26-2006, 12:57 PM	#24
orangebaw Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Edinburgh, UK Posts: 189	But then they would not have been invaded if they didnt act aggressively to other faiths. I think invading Iraq was wrong, but I still put a lot of blame with Islam.

02-26-2006, 12:58 PM	#25
orangebaw Banned Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Edinburgh, UK Posts: 189	And I dont like Christianity either, but my point is it is being attacked on this website far more than anything else.

02-26-2006, 01:34 PM	#27
Mickey Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Stoke On Trent England Posts: 94	Orangebaw As has often been said on this site,it is for believers to substantiate their belief,rather than for atheists to to show that religious belief is ill-founded.The one way to attack all religion is to explain that religious beliefs are not true knowledge,but the difference between knowledge and belief is a fairly complex philosophical matter."What is knowledge?",is one of the central and unanswered questions of philosophy.It is unanswered because the sceptical argument seems to be capable of being advanced ad nauseam.Obviously we can adopt an approach which provides a workaday definition of knowledge,but which leaves us without the certain knowledge that believers mistakenly claim. Telling religious people that they don't know any true facts,when the whole of their mindset is centered on the true fact that the bible,(koran et al)is the actual word of god is probably a waste of time. Mickey

02-26-2006, 02:32 PM	#30
reddhedd Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: I'm down here! Posts: 1,757	Orangebaw, I fail to see how complaining about those here who discuss the bible helps your "cause" at all. Instead of complaining about the threads you see, start one of your own. Come on, show us how it's done, give us a taste of what you want! You want to bash Islam, go for it! You feel like dragging Judaism through the muck, drag away.

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