-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
I guess I don't see the point
- Thread starter We Never Know
- Start date
PearlSeeker
Well-Known Member
When I was a Christian debates didn't persuade me to leave faith. It was my personal investigation, questioning and consideration of truth... I know what you mean because it was (and still is) tough for me to accept that it was all BS. Now I carry on with debates but sometimes I have the same scruple as you. Maybe I'm doing it because I need confirmation that my conclusion is right (or something to prove me wrong).
PureX
Veteran Member
I don't care what anyone believes. I don't really even see a need to believe in things. I think belief is just internal hubris.
Instead, I'm interested in honest reasoning. Because I think that's the best any of us can do. And especially in relation to the "God" question.
So that's my interest in debate.
Instead, I'm interested in honest reasoning. Because I think that's the best any of us can do. And especially in relation to the "God" question.
So that's my interest in debate.
I see your point works with your religion affiliation: 'It exists'. You don't see the (good) purpose of religion, and therefore you see no point in debates about the meanings of things or why or why something ought or ought not to be in a religion.
Once upon a time, I would have disagreed with a statement like this so hard. It's interesting to think about. While on the one hand I do still see the academic value of such things, I now understand the truth of words like yours in ways I wasn't able to before. I'm too busy actually practicing my religion to be arsed with pedantic questions about it.
Which brings me to one thing I want to flag for @We Never Know - don't forget that for some of us, religion isn't about "belief" and "faith." It's about practice and experience. And granted, it's not really your place to tell others their way of life is BS either, so you still get to the same good place.
Alien826
No religious beliefs
I participate. Belief and faith are never just a random throw a dart at the dartboard decision.
Alien826
No religious beliefs
Perhaps you can explain why the theists here not only start threads, but participate in them enthusiastically? Are they all masochists that enjoy having their beliefs destroyed?
We Never Know
No Slack
Maybe some are a little unsure so are looking for outside input, but I can't speak for them.
Alien826
No religious beliefs
You don't think it might be because they enjoy debating too?
Look, I agree that we shouldn't bully people. What I doubt is that the theists here are shrinking violets that we should treat with kid gloves. Personally, if I detect that someone is getting upset (as opposed to angry) then I immediately back off. That has been so rare though that I can count them on the fingers of one hand, and that's over many years.
Ella S.
Well-Known Member
It's not supposed to be. It's supposed to be about claims, the burden of proof for those claims, and the counter-arguments against that proof.
Debate is supposed to be a collaborative effort made towards discovering the truth. If you have more relevant information and/or the superior argument, then that's your license for winning a debate.
It doesn't have to be, but if it is then they shouldn't debate until they can find a firmer footing for questioning their beliefs.
That's fair. While you technically don't need to believe in a position in order to debate it, I can see why you would be unmotivated to informally defend a position you don't even hold.
Tearing people down should never be the purpose of a debate, in my opinion. Actually, I mostly enter debates that I think might provide novel counter-arguments against my position that I hadn't considered before. I'm trying to remain open-minded about my beliefs and submit them for review so that I can come closer to the truth; I can't do that if I never expose myself to disagreement.
We Never Know
No Slack
A god can neither be proven or disproven.
So debating about what isn't known and can't be shown settles what?
PoetPhilosopher
Veteran Member
I'm thinking that's where debating gets complicated and it pays to understand formal rules of debating....
For example, if you say, "I don't think a God can be proven", a lot of people hopefully won't ask you to prove anything.
But if you say "God exists" or "God doesn't exist", and people are trying to apply formal debate rules when debating, well, such a statement does trigger the Burden of Proof, which means there is a burden of proof for that poster to prove their statement, or it'll likely get dismissed as opinion at best - fallacious thinking at worst.
Sometimes I wish things weren't this way and to this extent, but I feel there are some non-theists here who very much try to work using the rules of debate when speaking in the Debates.
Wildswanderer
Veteran Member
One might ask why you joined a religious forum then?
We Never Know
No Slack
It offers many things besides religion such as science, politics, jokes, music, etc and its well moderated.
There are some "religious debates" that I don't participate in. They cross the border on ridiculous and aren't worth the effort.
That being said, there are many misunderstandings about the love and goodness of God that are in the minds of some people. It also helps sharpen my skills as well as it causes me to dig deeper into the word of God.
Additionally, when people actually do call the Christian faith BS, left unattended will cause others to simply cement the erroneous presentation that is given.
