Devil's Advocate
August 28, 2013 at 10:47 am
(This post was last modified: August 28, 2013 at 11:02 am by The Reality Salesman01.)
In this thread, you must argue for the position you normally argue against. Feel free to use any argument that you've ever had presented to you. I will start off by throwing out some claims, assertions, and objections. I will make some fake people for you to direct your arguments to, but feel free to remove the argument I put in, and respond to anything you want! For example, your post would look something like this...
At this point Theists probably think this is some kind of trick, but honestly, you're probably better at this than you think. Just imagine all the reasons you have for not choosing a different religion, and all the things you don't find convincing about their arguments. Apply them to your own.
Theists have it a bit easier here I think. They just have to argue for a different religion other than their own, and not necessarily for Atheism. For Atheists, this may be a bit more difficult.
All too often people tend to think that the other side is ignoring logic, and merely agreeing with people that agree with them. This might be a fun way for everyone to get a chance to put the shoe on the other foot, and try to find a valid objection to raise for themselves. An important part of debate is considering objections that could be raised by your oponent, and ways to resolve them before they're raised. In this experiment, resolving them is not your responsibility. Just object!
If you don't want to create a target argument, you may respond to what somebody else is pretending to defend, and we could have arguments between actual members. The only stipulation is that you MUST argue against the side you would normally defend. You may even argue with me, as I am a Christian defending my faith in Christ... The following is my argument directed at Atheists:
You get the idea. Treat this like any other thread. Use the things I've provided, and attack them! You just can't argue for the side you usually do. Have fun!
Typical Arrogant Atheist Wrote:God is not real because William Lane Craig is a douchebag
Texas Sailor Wrote:William Lane Craig may very well be a douchebag, but that doesn't have any bearing on whether or not God actually exists. Try again.
At this point Theists probably think this is some kind of trick, but honestly, you're probably better at this than you think. Just imagine all the reasons you have for not choosing a different religion, and all the things you don't find convincing about their arguments. Apply them to your own.
Theists have it a bit easier here I think. They just have to argue for a different religion other than their own, and not necessarily for Atheism. For Atheists, this may be a bit more difficult.
All too often people tend to think that the other side is ignoring logic, and merely agreeing with people that agree with them. This might be a fun way for everyone to get a chance to put the shoe on the other foot, and try to find a valid objection to raise for themselves. An important part of debate is considering objections that could be raised by your oponent, and ways to resolve them before they're raised. In this experiment, resolving them is not your responsibility. Just object!
Holier Than Thou Wrote:The profit Mohammed is a liar. Christ is the only way to salvation. All Christians know this is true. If you were more fortunate, you would have been born in a country that supports the right religion. You're in luck however, because all you will have to do is A/S/K and the true God will reveal himself to you and you will realize that your experience of Alah is just a delusion
Alah-Kazaam Wrote:The Koran makes it implicitly clear that Jesus was a false profit, and that anyone following the God he claimed to be true would be damned to eternal suffering. Jesus was just a lying man, and Christians worship him and think he's a God. Mohammed was a true profit of a real God.
Einsteinian Theist Wrote:Presupposing the existence of God is not the same as saying that the existence of God is self evident. It means that it is a necessary condition although not a sufficient one for the truth of Christianity. Because it is a necessary truth and not a sufficient one, two things follow:
1) We need to determine IF it is true, that is, we have to determine if God exists (or if you don't like adding on the name God forget "God" just use the term "ultimate being" or creator)
2) You would then need to establish that this being has revealed certain things. Namely, Christian things
This cannot be done.
Deistic Unity Wrote:Islam and Christianity are two ways of worshipping the same God. I can't believe there are still people that don't recognize this. They are from the same family of Abraham and they worship one God (Alah). I'm a Christian, and we worship Yahwey. Same thing, we just call it different things.
Typical Arrogant Atheist Wrote:There is no God. I don't have to prove that God doesn't exist. I know for a fact it doesn't exist, besides, you not being able to prove it demonstrates my point.
If you don't want to create a target argument, you may respond to what somebody else is pretending to defend, and we could have arguments between actual members. The only stipulation is that you MUST argue against the side you would normally defend. You may even argue with me, as I am a Christian defending my faith in Christ... The following is my argument directed at Atheists:
Texas Sailor Wrote:There is no good argument that proves that Atheism is true. When we look at the world around us, it seems wildly arrogant to assume that we are all that is. Even if I didn't have a profoundly intimate relationship with The Lord, it would be obvious that He is there and impossible to deny his power. Ther have been countless arguments given which lead blindly to the existence of an all powerful being. The Kalam, the TAG are but a few. I ask you, if no God, then what? Atheists have no answer to this question, yet they feel confident in claiming that God is not real. We are complex creatures with the ability to love. Why? Of all the creatures on this planet and the universe in which it sits, why are we the only ones that have the ability to seek a God and desire his love? If there was no God, where would this desire come from?
There is something that satisfies my every humanly instinct and desire:
When I am urged to drink, there is water to satisfy my thirst.
When I am urged to eat, there is food to satisfy my hunger.
When I grow tired, sleep satisfies my...sleepiness?...(You know what I mean.)
I desire a God, there must be a God to fulfill this urge. Do Atheists expect us to believe that this is the one exception for which I desire something, yet there is no earthly fulfillment? Yet, they cannot prove it. There are clearly more good reasons to believe a God exists. I lift my heart and faith to the lord and he has lead me to success and a profound understanding of his neverending love.
You get the idea. Treat this like any other thread. Use the things I've provided, and attack them! You just can't argue for the side you usually do. Have fun!
Typical Arrogant Atheist Wrote:There is no God. I don't have to prove that God doesn't exist. I know for a fact it doesn't exist, besides, you not being able to prove it demonstrates my point.Actually, you have just made a claim that THERE IS NO GOD. You took on a burden of proof there guy. Start trying to move it, and quit trying to shift it on my shoulders.