Attn: Christians, We've Heard Them Already

[Cyberman]

That's just a trick to lure you all in Stimbo

Hey, nobody's getting lured in me!

(Unless they wait to be asked, obviously.)

[Norfolk And Chance]

Dammit, why am I even here if I can't recycle all my old garbage arguments and act as if they're something new?!

Can I still use them if I qualify them with "This is recycled garbage, but I'd like to discuss?" That way, I still get to use garbage arguments, you can forgo the now superfluous "GTFO," and you also get to enjoy giving your garbage refutations. Win/win

No, the only win is a deconverted christian.

[DeistPaladin]

You could have awarded posts. Who would agree on those posts though? To me, Ryfts debate with violet on the supposed contradiction of God being unable to create a rock too heavy for him to lift pretty much destroys that old fallacy, but people would no doubt disagree.

Thank you. I admit that is a good example of a weak argument that should be put to rest. So point for your side that you came up with one example.

As a matter of fact, I did put this argument to rest myself in this video:




I'm all in favor of putting weak arguments on all sides to rest.

EDIT TO ADD: The list on your side is still way longer.

[Rayaan]

That's just a trick to lure you all in Stimbo

Nailed.

[Angrboda]

I don't feel like catching up on this thread, so pardon any duplication.

I see tired old cliched arguments on both sides of the issue, theist or atheist. I think a lot of times, it's people who are learning these things for the first time, or discovering something new. Regardless of who is doing it, it appears to me as that this is the way that many people work through and learn new concepts. And if the person themselves is new to the idea, then discussing it with them gives them an opportunity to learn both what the standard responses are, and maybe a few novel twists they might not have thought of, in addition to personal experiences related to it. It never ceases to amaze me to watch the patience and originality of Rhythm stepping through the logic of an argument with someone. I think that's wonderful, and I don't think it's all for nought. Forums, largely, exist as an outlet for the social impulse. However, it's often said that deconversion is a gradual process, not a sudden, watershed event; that it takes many small discoverings to roll the stone away. If rehashing an old argument with a theist helps move that process along, I'm all for it. And if it frustrates you, then you don't have to participate. (A sampling of the issue from the other side is arguing with a theist and having them resort to the cliched "You won't be ready to understand until you've read X, Q, and R." It's condescending, and it cuts off dialog.) There are some theists who aren't actually listening, and rehashing old arguments with them is generally pointless; those people are pretty obvious. But don't pass up giving someone a learning opportunity just because you've heard it all before.

/soapbox

(ETA: I think, too, that many times, atheists have a non-existent to poorly fleshed out understanding of the issues as well, and it benefits them as well to watch an argument hashed out "live" as it were, and to be able to learn by doing/participating.)

[Zarith]

Perhaps collecting all the most common arguments along with their refutations in a single place on this forum would be a worthwhile endeavor. People might learn something and it might cut down on repetition. Just an idea.

[ReasonableRuben]

No, the only win is a deconverted christian.

You think a Christian converting to atheism is a WIN?! That is so not true and you know it! It's been refuted like a million times here. Man, I'm so sick of this recycled garbage!

[John V]

Even if "caging [religious people] in an encyclopedic sub forum" is the intention here - and that's been the subject of the last baker's dozen pages - that masthead is meant as a bit of a clue.

OTOH, when you google atheist forums, the hit for this site says:

Atheist Forums
atheistforums.org/‎
Atheist Forums is a website aimed at getting atheists and theists talking about various issues including atheism, theism, god, religion, science, and everything in ...

[DeistPaladin]

Atheist Forums
atheistforums.org/‎
Atheist Forums is a website aimed at getting atheists and theists talking about various issues including atheism, theism, god, religion, science, and everything in ...

Nothing in my proposal would have contradicted that mission.

Getting us talking =/= Being gentle and nice and sweet and not telling you we've heard and refuted these exact arguments many times already.

Stop crying and acting like you're being so oppressed already.

[John V]

Nothing in my proposal would have contradicted that mission.

If you do offer these arguments, do not expect anything more than irritated GTFO or STFU retorts.

---

I don't feel like catching up on this thread, so pardon any duplication.

It duplicates a lot of what I said. But since I'm a Christian, I got flak for it. Go figure.