Jagella

I'm wondering why people debate issues regarding belief in God, the Bible, Jesus, or anything else related to religion. It seems to me that people, Christians in particular, aren't willing to budge on these issues. Are you really interested in the truth, or do you simply seek to convert the unbeliever? Will you disregard any facts or reasoning that casts doubt on your beliefs?

Julian

I like the intellectual challenge of a debate. I love to debate, actually. Many times a debate has changed my mind about something. It is an excellent way to learn if you approach it with an open mind which, granted, most christians don't do. When debating christians, it just feels good to have a factually superior position. I never expect to turn a christian to atheism, it's those fenceriders you have a chance with if you are well informed.

Julian

Veritable

Imagine for a moment you are a person who had believed something for so long you can't remember when you started. Imagine you designed a whole world around this idea and adjusted you behaviour to coincide with its demands. You had expectations of the future and life because of this belief. You had networks of people with similar beliefs and you all talked about your beliefs with glee and enjoyment.

Now imagine you just learned your whole belief system, and in turn, your whole life was a sham.

If I was a theist I'd revel in my ignorance and debate fervorously too.

regis

Jagella Quote: I'm wondering why people debate issues regarding belief in God, the Bible, Jesus, or anything else related to religion. It seems to me that people, Christians in particular, aren't willing to budge on these issues. Are you really interested in the truth, or do you simply seek to convert the unbeliever? Will you disregard any facts or reasoning that casts doubt on your beliefs?

Well, I'm an atheist, so my reason for showing up on religious threads is to get a better understanding of theistic POVs, as untenable as they have shown themselves to be. I will change my postion just as soon as any theistic notion makes any kind of sense, i.e. is reasonable. Don't know about the theists, however - 'their' position(s) seem rather unbudgable.



:devil1:

Veritable

I debate to gain knowledge and ability to prove to myself, by way of proving to others, my intellectual superiority.

Viti

I learn a lot while debating, as I usually do research and have to really consider my positions to articulate them. Sometimes I have found myself holding an opinion and I have no idea why, so this helps me ensure my opinions are actually based on something.

Lugubert

Agreed. For me, it's more for the learning than for the debatng as such.

On the discussion board included in the Religious studies\distant I attend to, I seldom post very sensitive questions, not to enrage fellow students aiming for clergy or similar Christians. For course related questions that may be felt as Christian bashing, I go here, or e-mail those that I know are atheists. Here, all inconsistencies and stupidities are fair game. For test papers, professors fortunately are tolerant and unbiased, and you get away with most anything that is properly argued, even (or especially?) if it is contrary to all standard interpretations.

Jagella

Julian:

Whew! I received a lot of good answers here (like yours). I posted the same questions at apologetics.org, and the Christians there, with an exception or two, simply ridiculed me.

I love the intellectual stimulation of debating too, and like you, I have conceded points that the other person has made.

One of the reasons I decided to post my questions is that it sure seems to me that Christians are very close-minded. I just wanted to give them the fair chance of defending their personal integrities, and at Apologetics, they seem to have mostly flubbed up their chances.

That is a nice feeling, is it not? However, I hate the feeling of having my facts ignored.

I have deconverted Christians. Some Christians are indeed honest people that will accept the evidence even if it falsifies their beliefs. That’s exactly what happened to me, and today I’m an atheist.

Jagella

mountain_hare

Usually I don't want to debate, but a Christian/fundamentalist will claim that one of his stupid assertions is fact, and I just can't resist jumping in to tear him to shreds.

Jagella

I don’t need to imagine. I used to be a Christian, and discovered that my life, or at least my Christian life, was a sham. It hurt, but I got over it and then was glad to know the truth.

I’m afraid most theists do exactly that. The minority that don’t end up as atheists.

Jagella