Tentatively Christian; looking for a reasonable discussion

[Esquilax]

Anyone can see that things preserve their identity throughout change. This the basic observation analysed by means of reason.

Ah yes, the argument from "everyone knows that I'm right!"

The idea that objects have an "identity" to be retained? Your assertion. The idea that it can't change? Your assertion, and even if you appeal to all the available data- not that you provided any- you're still making a huge argument from ignorance by doing so.

Besides, in a basic sense- and god knows I can't have anything other than that since you're so vague with what your terminology actually means- the claim that things preserve their identity through change is simply false; coal becomes diamonds, sand becomes glass, all kinds of objects change form into something unrecognizeable. No doubt I'll get some form of assertion-as-clarification shifting the goalposts so I'm not talking about what you are, but if you're going to appeal to the same airy Forms stuff you usually do, then all you've got there is another assertion.

I don't know...maybe you haven't made any personal observations that things that exist or noticed any process of change. In either case you would have no content about which to reason.

All the observations I have of things that exist and change are of physical things, undergoing physical changes without any need for the kinds of things you insist are necessary for all that to happen. That's kinda the reason why I keep asking you for evidence of those things; I don't see them, and whenever I request that they be pointed out to me the people saying that they're there just fumble through some presuppositional nonsense about how they're obviously there and everyone can see them.