Matt Dillahunty v. Sye Ten Bruggencate

[Esquilax]

The quote mining was a bit weird.

Yeah, you don't usually see someone bring in a strawman that they'd prepared earlier with forethought and planning. It's just bizarre.

If I had been participating in that debate, my sole point would have been that you don't get to a proof of something by just shooting holes in an alternative view. Sye's entire argument only functions if you allow the conversation to continue under the premise that proving one thing wrong makes the other thing true, which is not only an argument from ignorance, it's also a false dichotomy, and not one that you need to sink to. Sye could speak for the rest of the time, since his argument doesn't allow for evidence or anything that might demonstrate his claim to be true, and so winning a debate on the topic at hand doesn't require a word from the atheist side.

Keep sniping, Sye. It won't change the fact that only one of us is actually in a boat, and that a sinking ship is superior to no ship at all.

[Silver]

I am not going to watch a video. Supply a summary, and I can respond to it.

[Esquilax]

I am not going to watch a video. Supply a summary, and I can respond to it.

And then add two hours of Sye showboating, trying to throw Matt off with gotcha questions and re-asserting his initial claim without ever bothering to consider the counter arguments.

[FreeTony]

The problem is that an idiot could watch a debate think the winner is:

1. The person that professes most certainty in their position.
2. The person that makes the other squirm more with unanswerable questions, or just ones they have to think about.
3. The Christian, no matter what is actually said.

I think this is the type of person Sye is trying to attract.

[Clueless Morgan]

The problem is that an idiot could watch a debate think the winner is:

1. The person that professes most certainty in their position.
2. The person that makes the other squirm more with unanswerable questions, or just ones they have to think about.
3. The Christian, no matter what is actually said.

I think this is the type of person Sye is trying to attract.

I agree, but I don't know that I would say Matt squirmed. Sye definitely didn't, he's too arrogant to think it's even possible he could be wrong, let alone let a question of Matt's make him squirm.

What I found even more aggrivating than the actual debate was the Dogma Debate episode afterwards - Dave Silverman* was on and then they changed guests to Sye and Ken Ham and they threw down some big challenge to for all of three of them to take a polygraph test about their belief in God or something and one of the audience members came up to tell them polygraph tests are no longer admissible in court and are too easy to fool and such and Sye was like "Sure, see how they back out? Dave Silverman probably told him to say that, he's such a coward!"

*Dave wasn't the only guest in that segment, but he's the only one relevant to the anecdote.
What a slimy asshole.

Note to self: I need to stop giving STB the time of day, he's not worth it.

[Angrboda]

I watched five minutes of Sye's smugness and gave up.

[Clueless Morgan]

Note: Eric Hovind was on Dogma Debate, not Ken Ham. The wires in my head got crossed...