(August 9, 2015 at 4:53 am)Alex K Wrote: ... This is exascerbated by the fact that he is really not a very skilled debater. ...
Yes, debating is a skill, so that who appears to "win" a debate is not necessarily the one who is most reasonable or is speaking the truth. Indeed, bold lying can be an effective strategy in a debate. I would never do a formal public debate with anyone about anything.
Anyone who is serious about a topic should research it rather than just listen to a debate about it. Who "wins" a debate is more about the debaters than about the subject under discussion.
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.