(December 20, 2012 at 3:57 pm)median Wrote: So, this is a topic that I have been kicking around for quite some time now and it may very well be a futile one. However, since I am a former believer/Christian Apologist I wanted to discuss possible strategies for keeping theists engaged in the discussion. Now, before anyone chews me up for this please hear me out. From where I sit (as someone who once vehemently argued/debated for theism/Christianity) it is imperative that the theist hear and/or read (over and over) good critical thinking, along with the exposition of his/her false assumptions and irrational justifications. There is good scientific evidence that repetition of information, at varying times, is effective for change. In other words, once is not enough!
I know arguing with religionists/theists can often be extremely frustrating (They are so stubborn!). However, in my view the "outward" signs, or displays of hostility, stubbornness, repetition, etc are not really the important thing. Exposing bad thinking (and having those mistakes accepted as errors in need of correction) takes TIME. Lots of time. One of the things that got me to begin migrating "out" of fundamentalism was continual outsider assessment from different sources (i.e. - different people exposing my irrational beliefs and how/why they were irrational).
With that said, I would like to discuss "methods of magnetism"! How can we get theists to stick around, rather than run away, after getting a lesson in logic (to put it kindly)? Do you think there are ways to keep them engaged longer? What are some good methods?
Look, you think just because someone does not stick around that we don't accomplish something I bet you ran from some skeptic at first, but that seed they planted in you stuck, otherwise you wouldn't be an atheist now. And I also bet as a theist you wanted to have a strategy to get the non believers to listen to your message when you did believe.
We(meaning not one particular website, but the community) in it I have seen people who ran away like petulant children, but because of our bluntness and blasphemy, that seed of doubt stuck, like and they came back and thanked us for shaking them out of their delusion.
There is no right way to attempt to lead people out of religious delusion. Some respond to the library, and others respond to the verbal boxing. Most of the time a multi pronged approach works because it shows them that we are not monochromatic.
I warn against blanket statements and blanket solutions.
