Advice For Those Who Have 'Questions For Atheists'

[Faith No More]

What we're hoping is for a different answer that's actually satisfying, rather than the usual apologetics dodges or appeals to personal experience.

I believe that is the very definition of insanity.

[Esquilax]

Depends exactly what question you are asking I guess. If you're asking "why do you believe that" then however half arsed the answer may seem to you, we've answered the question as best we can, no matter how your rephrase it my answer is not going to fit the question shaped hole in your head.

If you're asking "why do you think I should believe that" then of course that's a different kettle of fish altogether.

Yeah, I get that, I've just been in too many situations where, in discussions of religion, the answer one gets back has a pretty gaping logical hole in it. When you point that out, more often than not you'll get platitudes back: "Oh, it's what I believe." "You haven't had the personal experiences I've had." "If you just sincerely asked god, he'd show you..."

And my personal favorite, "You clearly know nothing about the bible, because if you did, you'd agree with me."

When I see (some) of these questions getting repeated, it just feels like an attempt to get a different justification that is sufficient for the claim being made. Religion is one of the few subjects where its adherents feel it's okay to answer a question without really answering it.

[Minimalist]

Atheist do the same thing, they keep asking the same ridiculous questions that's be answered by Christians time and again, yet when we complain about having to answer the same questions we're told to stop complaining and put up with it. Double standard.

GC

So why don't you fucking answer them instead of babbling 2,000 year old rehashed shit from your absurd bible?

I sure hope that this isn't what they're teaching people to ask, but seeing as it's just a step removed from "evolution is just a theory,"

It's a half-step from "if humans descended from monkeys....why are there still monkeys," Tonus.

[Godscreated]

Atheist do the same thing, they keep asking the same ridiculous questions that's be answered by Christians time and again, yet when we complain about having to answer the same questions we're told to stop complaining and put up with it. Double standard.

GC

GC, not finding the current arguments you guys make convincing, is not the same thing as repeating the question. What we're hoping is for a different answer that's actually satisfying, rather than the usual apologetics dodges or appeals to personal experience.

Just because you have an answer you want to hear from us doesn't make your idea correct. When I give you an explanation of scriptures it doesn't change no matter how many times you ask the question and you for one will complain about how many different answers you get. You can't be satisfied with the answers given because they just might make enough sense to show truth in the scriptures. Now I hope for once you are finished with defending the wrong and accept what's right.

GC

[Cyberman]

Atheist do the same thing, they keep asking the same ridiculous questions that's be answered by Christians time and again, yet when we complain about having to answer the same questions we're told to stop complaining and put up with it. Double standard.

You ought to be grateful, GC. If we gave you nothing to whine about, no-one would ever know you were being oppressed.

[Nine]

In my experience believers just seem to make up all their answers as they go..

[truthBtold]

We like to hear what scripture says.. because its always changing just like ur god. .. I wish I can give Kudos to myself. . Dammmmmm...

[Esquilax]

Just because you have an answer you want to hear from us doesn't make your idea correct. When I give you an explanation of scriptures it doesn't change no matter how many times you ask the question and you for one will complain about how many different answers you get. You can't be satisfied with the answers given because they just might make enough sense to show truth in the scriptures. Now I hope for once you are finished with defending the wrong and accept what's right.

GC

How about this, GC: the moment you can give an answer to a question that's not internally inconsistent and illogical, then it will be accepted, though possibly not agreed with. However, you and yours never manage to do that; given this, the conclusion we come to is that the source of those answers must be incorrect.

This is, of course, the exact reverse of what you do to come to those answers in the first place, which is to assume the source (I'm talking about the bible, here) is true, and then ignore any problems with the answers it gives, because since the source is true, the answers must be too.

You're going about this ass backwards; it's no wonder your answers to our questions don't satisfy those of us conducting their investigations honestly.

[Godscreated]

Just because you have an answer you want to hear from us doesn't make your idea correct. When I give you an explanation of scriptures it doesn't change no matter how many times you ask the question and you for one will complain about how many different answers you get. You can't be satisfied with the answers given because they just might make enough sense to show truth in the scriptures. Now I hope for once you are finished with defending the wrong and accept what's right.

GC

How about this, GC: the moment you can give an answer to a question that's not internally inconsistent and illogical, then it will be accepted, though possibly not agreed with. However, you and yours never manage to do that; given this, the conclusion we come to is that the source of those answers must be incorrect.

This is, of course, the exact reverse of what you do to come to those answers in the first place, which is to assume the source (I'm talking about the bible, here) is true, and then ignore any problems with the answers it gives, because since the source is true, the answers must be too.

You're going about this ass backwards; it's no wonder your answers to our questions don't satisfy those of us conducting their investigations honestly.

Honesty from you don't make me oops to late.

[Esquilax]

Honesty from you don't make me oops to late.

Mockery is not an argument, GC.

Shall I presume you have nothing valid to say, and have thus been reduced to childish taunting, then?