chekmate

Myself, and many others here have said that the best way to deprogram somone is to get them to deprogram themselves. To get them thinking about their religion is, in general, the best way to get them away from it. Right?

I am asking, because there are a few fundies in my life, who I would prefer not to piss off, but would like to get them to open their mind. As it stands right now, I usually get the response "I don't want to talk about it" or "just stop," which is the equivilant of sticking their fingers in their ears and going "LALALALALALALALALA" until I give up. So, if I were to ask them questions under the guise of being genuinly interested they may listen. And if I ask them the right questions, they would think. After all, they want to save my soul, right?

My question is, if I were to ask some general questions to a Christian, making them think I am genuinly asking them out of interest and curiousity, what should those be? What questions should I ask that are most likely to be non-provocative, and yet thought inducing? Ones that they don't have answers to, and may get them to question themselves?

Thanks for any ideas...

keyser_soze

My favourites are "so who wrote the gospels?"(and show them)

What are the ten commandments(and then show them)

was mary a virgin(and then show them)
was a prophecy fulfilled(and show them)
was the killing of the world the polite thing to do?
in the story of job, get them to actually think not about job, but about his family.
There really is too much material.

chekmate

I'm trying not to be provacative here... Just asking some questions that they don't know the answer to.

Jinto

Ask the fundamental question:

"There are 6 billion people in this world, many of which are rapists, murderers, theives, etc. Thousands of people die each day because of the cations of tyrants who simply don't care about the people they govern. The world is filled with unspeakable sin. Given all this, why is simply not believing in this fairy tale you call God so horrible that he would choose to send ME to hell and yet reward someone like Adolf Hitler, just because he believed this nonsense? Why is it that simply not believing so awful that it would revoke Christ's otherwise unconditional forgiveness?"

People believe in this God because they want to believe: you'll notice that indifferent Gods or evil Gods don't get much press these days simply because no one has a psychological need to believe in those types of Gods. Convince your friend that his God is not an all-good God, and he'll stop believing in Him. This question is a good place to start.

WARNING: Use of this question may provoke every fundie in your area to target you for witnessing. Use with caution.

Magus55

And how else do you expect to escape a world so full of evil, hate and sin? By demanding to be allowed in Heaven?

Beetle

"In your personal experience, do the vast majority of people you meet behave in such a manner that they should be brutally punished for all eternity? Would it be accurate to describe most of the people you encounter as `evil' based on what they do, and not what your book says? In other words, do the people you meet act in the manner that your holy book and religious doctrines would lead you to expect?"

Viti

I usually ask how do they know they chose correctly. Why did they pick religion X above all others? What does you faith do for you that you can't do for yourself?

Some will have a personal experience they feel is only attributable to God and you can't argue with that. But many many simply go with the flow and believe because their parents do or their community does or whatever...they've never thought about it.

Jinto

I hereby award Magus55 the Daily Award for MISSING THE BLOODY POINT.

Tarnaak

LOL

Luiseach

<<<laughing IRL>>>