So much for "Render Unto Caesar"

[Lion IRC]

Imagine going back in time and telling Pliny the Younger or Pontius Pilate or Emperor Trajan about the great new addition to their city skyline.

Imagine also telling them about all the suffering Christianity has produced. It would produce a similar reaction to showing Karl Marx what Communism has become. Not impressed!

We should have a formal debate about the good that Christianity has brought to the world.
We could even make it about the overall ''nett good'' if you want to avoid the NTS fallacy that so often happens in such debates. (Godwins Law etc.)

[Minimalist]

We should have a formal debate about the good that Christianity has brought to the world.

You can't do that without also discussing the inestimable harm that it has inflicted.

[FallentoReason]

Imagine also telling them about all the suffering Christianity has produced. It would produce a similar reaction to showing Karl Marx what Communism has become. Not impressed!

We should have a formal debate about the good that Christianity has brought to the world.
We could even make it about the overall ''nett good'' if you want to avoid the NTS fallacy that so often happens in such debates. (Godwins Law etc.)

Sure, that could be an interesting topic that hasn't been touched in a while (in a non-catholic-paedopheliac way). Sorry couldn't resist... but I'm up for it.

If you want, you can start the thread with the aim of determining the "net good" it has produced and we'll go from there. I'm actually genuinely interested in seeing what we can come up with.

[Lion IRC]

Topic - That Biblical Christianity has been an overall nett benefit to human kind since its foundation.

Scope - Theologically distinct (Nicene) Christianity. ''Benefit'' includes life, liberty, happiness and the pursuit thereof including Christianity as a coping mechanism/placebo. Human kind = humans living or having lived since circa AD33. The winner(s) will be the side which best demonstrates a causal relationship/link between Christianity and the asserted overall nett benefit/detriment. (Eg. Isaac Newton was a Christian. Nazis were Christians.) Evidence for/against the proposition needs to derive from actual human history as opposed to hypotheticals. IOW - it is outside the scope of this debate to speculate about benefits which may have otherwise been realized if only...etc.etc.

Affirmative - Lion (IRC)
Negative - Pending. Can be a team if you want.

I would prefer to debate atheists/anti-theists. Dont mind if non-video graphics are included. The debate needs to have agreed word/time limits. Debate thread locked between rounds. No edits.
An opening post, 3 substantive posts, a Q&A round and then summation. Dont care who opens.

[LastPoet]

You guys should use the Debate area for this purpose, contact the Admininstrators to set it up. Its better than just derailing this thread.

[Lion IRC]

Not derailed yet. The topic/thread of the discussion was;

...Vatican ppl doing un-Christian things...distancing themselves from Jesus...Catholics destroyed my culture...objectives vs outcomes...Christianity / Marxism...no true Scotsman...

And the thread is only a page and a half long so far.

But if the thread were to evolve into more formal disagreement about an identifiable proposition that certain folk wanted to debate in the debate area, I'm sure they would certainly ask Admin if they would be willing to assist. :-)

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If nobody wants to do a formal debate in the debate area, we can just keep on with the meandering thread about Christianity/Catholics right here.