(June 4, 2013 at 3:54 pm)Minimalist Wrote: I think Mo has a point, there.

When I first read this, I thought it was a typo. But it turns out it was part of a broader point to disparage not just Christians, but Muslims as well.

(June 4, 2013 at 3:55 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote: It doesn't encourage debate to re-hash the same old stuff over-and-over again, either.

Uh, yes, that is encouraging debate. Even if a topic's been done a thousand times it's still beneficial for the critical thinking skills of those who haven't seen it before.

Quote:It's discouraging the people who have contributed to the forum the most, and making them irritable;

As noted, they can simply refrain from reading such threads.

Quote:I promise not to accompany an initial link to the subforum with a snotty proclamation, and I promise everyone else will say whatever they like, as they always do. It won't be a dramatic change from the way things are done now, I think.

I've seen this on other forums. No one used it, and the same old debates continued.

(June 4, 2013 at 4:11 pm)John V Wrote: I've seen this on other forums. No one used it, and the same old debates continued.

Which makes your adamant opposition to it based on the dire consequences you forsee even more puzzling.

(June 4, 2013 at 4:08 pm)ideologue08 Wrote:

(June 4, 2013 at 3:54 pm)Minimalist Wrote: I think Mo has a point, there.

When I first read this, I thought it was a typo. But it turns out it was part of a broader point to disparage not just Christians, but Muslims as well.

See. You're starting to catch on. Stick around for a while and we'll get your thinking up to the 16th or 17th century level.

(June 4, 2013 at 4:14 pm)Minimalist Wrote: See. You're starting to catch on. Stick around for a while and we'll get your thinking up to the 16th or 17th century level.

But what if I want to be stuck in the Dark ag-sorry- I meant Islamic golden age?

(June 4, 2013 at 4:08 pm)ideologue08 Wrote:

(June 4, 2013 at 3:54 pm)Minimalist Wrote: I think Mo has a point, there.

When I first read this, I thought it was a typo. But it turns out it was part of a broader point to disparage not just Christians, but Muslims as well.

I think it disparages anyone who walks into an old atheist forum with an old argument for the existence of God and thinks they're going to get a 'checkmate, atheitsts!' moment that's not only in their own head.

(June 4, 2013 at 4:13 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote: Which makes your adamant opposition to it based on the dire consequences you foress even more nonsensical.

You're quite the drama queen when you lose an argument.

(June 4, 2013 at 4:17 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote: I think it disparages anyone who walks into an old atheist forum with an old argument for the existence of God and thinks they're going to get a 'checkmate, atheitsts!' moment that's not only in their own head.

My point isn't that religious people aren't repetitive in their arguments, my point is that Atheists- who are just as repetitive and nauseating - put themselves in an obviously infallible position where they obviously can do no wrong and do not need to be caged in an encyclopedic sub forum consisting of arguments opposing religion or otherwise in favour of Atheism. It is obvious that most (vocal) Atheists here are hostile to the idea of fair treatment, but might does not make right.

Regarding the OP's proposal:

On the one hand, it is frustrating and tedious to see the same old arguments come up time and time again - and I can imagine that it is much the same from the theist side of the fence. From that perspective, organizing common / old arguments into specific threads is an idea that has some merit - though I would not single out theistic arguments.

TBH - there are plenty of arguments from the atheist's side that to theists I am sure are equally repetitive. I can understand why there is vocal opposition from theists to this based on that alone - and so the only way I would support implementing this is if such threads were created for old / repetitive arguments in general.

Singling out theistic arguments is off-putting to them, and I would not want to see these forums turn into a big atheist sausage fest.

On the other hand.... wait... where did my other fucking hand go?!?!?!

(June 4, 2013 at 4:19 pm)John V Wrote:

(June 4, 2013 at 4:13 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote: Which makes your adamant opposition to it based on the dire consequences you foress even more nonsensical.

You're quite the drama queen when you lose an argument.

I've observed that people who crow about winning an argument are unlikely to have actually done so.