(August 14, 2010 at 1:07 am)superstarr Wrote: Well, I'll give you some tips.
1. If you are discussing the Bible, make sure that you know what you are talking about, and be prepared for that Christian to say "out of context," because even though it might not be out of context, their stubborness will kick in due to the failure of accepting the fact that it is indeed in correct context. At that point, ask them how it's out of context. Right there, try to see yourself how it could be out of context. If you can't see it being out of context, just point out that the person is acting very stubborn. But be warned, breaking the shield of stubborness is very difficult. Attempt to change the subject, because you have already won the debate on that subject since they can't show you how it really is out of context. Unless it is.
2. When discussing the existance of God, make sure you know what Faith is. Because apparently to Christians, it's stronger than evidence and proof according to a supposed saying of Jesus in the bible. In other words, a word by definition meaning "trust", makes something true and it doesn't need evidence or proof. Ask them how "trusting" in something shows the existance of anything. The very word of "Faith" can only be brought down if you can show to the Christian how faith doesn't prove an existance of anything. It will be even harder to do that for closed minded people. Stubborness is key. If they show stubborness due to failure of understanding the very word of Faith and its definition, you have already won.
3. Attacking the Creation Story is actually very simple. Ask them how they know that Adam and Eve were the first human. If their answers are something like "Because the bible states it," ask them to prove it. Ask them how they know that the Eartth and the Universe were created in a week. They'll most likely not be able to prove it. And when they state something like "With my Faith in the bible, it must be right" then you have already won the debate, because they can't prove to you that the creation story happened.
Thank you for the tips! Very useful.
@leo-rcc
Yes, I've already seen that site, its funny.
@padraic and @Irh9
I know that there are some impossible to win debates that bring nothing useful, and I try to avoid those. There are many people that are too stubborn or seem not to be able or willing to analyze the information they receive on this subject that they consider sensitive.
But there are cases when I encounter people that with a debate I can help them in some way improve their lives and change their lifestyle in some meaningful way, at least for them if not for other people also that are around them.
I consider the religious institutions as poisonous for the human mind. Maybe they had some uses in the past for some people to have some hope in their dark times, but today I find them dangerous and useless. Only by being active in exposing their primitive mentality and their constant attempts to slow the human development, and their constant attempts to obtain more power, I am sure that their influence can diminish even faster than right now, and maybe they will just remain a dark stain in humanity's history, a joke told in pubs about how naive can humans be.