Why the religious will never admit you won the argument (and why they don't care)

[robvalue]

I totally agree.

No dead bodies and smashed up buildings? Godzilla almost certainly didn't just walk down my street.

The religious can't admit we won the argument, because it would mean admitting their beliefs are unfounded. So they have to be ready to admit that as well.

I got a rare insight on that today, actually. For those of you who view the forum at large, you'll know I was at a really low point yesterday. Suicidal. Now, I knew full well "my depression" was lying to me. It was telling me all sorts of shit about myself and other people, which I knew were flatly contradicted by the available evidence. I knew, on some level, these things weren't true. But I believed them anyway. The emotional grip my depression puts me in makes it almost impossible not to believe what it says.

I don't expect this is exactly the same as with religion, but I feel it gave me some sort of empathy.

PS: I'd respect a theist who said, "I agree with you now, this argument is invalid. However I still believe the conclusion is true, because... "

Instead it's like hoping we don't notice when they do a merry go round of hundreds of lame arguments and then back to the first one.