Comments on: Tired of the Usual Debates http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/ by Hemant Mehta Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:27:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: The Conversation I’d Like to Have with Religious People « The High Inquisitor http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-73060 The Conversation I’d Like to Have with Religious People « The High Inquisitor Sun, 30 Sep 2007 05:34:23 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-73060 [...] I’m inspired by a post from FriendlyAtheist.com, “Tired of the Usual Debates”, where Hemant Mehta quotes Amanda Metskas’s article “Debating a Dead Horse” at [...] [...] I’m inspired by a post from FriendlyAtheist.com, “Tired of the Usual Debates”, where Hemant Mehta quotes Amanda Metskas’s article “Debating a Dead Horse” at [...]

]]> By: Steven Carr http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70983 Steven Carr Sat, 22 Sep 2007 13:03:42 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70983 Dialogue is extremely important to find out what other people think. Never break off dialogue. Always listen to the other person's arguments and try to interact with them. Forgive them when they say that they do not want to dialogue with you. Ask them questions about what they believe, so you can find out why they believe it. Of course, the other person may not want to answer your questions about what they believe, so perseverance in dialogue is very important. Dialogue is extremely important to find out what other people think.

Never break off dialogue.

Always listen to the other person’s arguments and try to interact with them.

Forgive them when they say that they do not want to dialogue with you.

Ask them questions about what they believe, so you can find out why they believe it.

Of course, the other person may not want to answer your questions about what they believe, so perseverance in dialogue is very important.

]]> By: Polly http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70539 Polly Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:54:56 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70539 What? I can refute that claim! Debates are necessary and a sound method for sharpening one's skills and stopping your ideological opponents, and humiliating the enemy and you should always want to debate unless you are a coward. You made a positive assertion with no factual support. It's incumbant on YOU to justify it. I'm not going to buy into this unless you give me at least 15 compelling reasons why we shouldn't debate! Then if you can answer my point by point rebuttals, maybe then I'll acknowledge that dialogue might be OK. But, you can't! I know you can't! Your contention about debating is weak. WEAK I tell you!!!!!! :P What? I can refute that claim!
Debates are necessary and a sound method for sharpening one’s skills and stopping your ideological opponents, and humiliating the enemy and you should always want to debate unless you are a coward.
You made a positive assertion with no factual support. It’s incumbant on YOU to justify it. I’m not going to buy into this unless you give me at least 15 compelling reasons why we shouldn’t debate! Then if you can answer my point by point rebuttals, maybe then I’ll acknowledge that dialogue might be OK. But, you can’t! I know you can’t! Your contention about debating is weak. WEAK I tell you!!!!!!

:P

]]> By: Brendon http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70524 Brendon Thu, 20 Sep 2007 21:17:20 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70524 I'm sure everyone is tired about arguing! I'm more into dialog myself.... Having said that, I don't see anything wrong with a friendly debate now and again. It helps to keep me focused of why I believe what I believe and challenges me in my own faith. I’m sure everyone is tired about arguing! I’m more into dialog myself….

Having said that, I don’t see anything wrong with a friendly debate now and again. It helps to keep me focused of why I believe what I believe and challenges me in my own faith.

]]> By: Karen http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70436 Karen Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:47:55 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70436 Susan: <blockquote>We talk over dinner about various issues relating to religion and spirituality (or lack of them), and I think it’s exactly the kind of thing Amanda is talking about–sharing and thinking about each other’s perspectives, and very rarely slipping into debate.</blockquote> What a wonderful idea, Susan! What school is this? It sounds like a model that other campus ministry groups might want to adopt - if they can put the evangelism agenda on hold for a while. Susan:

We talk over dinner about various issues relating to religion and spirituality (or lack of them), and I think it’s exactly the kind of thing Amanda is talking about–sharing and thinking about each other’s perspectives, and very rarely slipping into debate.

What a wonderful idea, Susan! What school is this? It sounds like a model that other campus ministry groups might want to adopt – if they can put the evangelism agenda on hold for a while.

]]> By: Susan http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70271 Susan Thu, 20 Sep 2007 03:27:56 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70271 She should come to DDD! DDD is a discussion group started by the Campus Protestant Ministry at my school, and it originally stood for "Dinner, Devotion, and Discussion" until so many atheists, agnostics, and people of all religions started coming that they changed the name to "Dinner and Discussion across Differences". We talk over dinner about various issues relating to religion and spirituality (or lack of them), and I think it's exactly the kind of thing Amanda is talking about--sharing and thinking about each other's perspectives, and very rarely slipping into debate. She should come to DDD!

DDD is a discussion group started by the Campus Protestant Ministry at my school, and it originally stood for “Dinner, Devotion, and Discussion” until so many atheists, agnostics, and people of all religions started coming that they changed the name to “Dinner and Discussion across Differences”. We talk over dinner about various issues relating to religion and spirituality (or lack of them), and I think it’s exactly the kind of thing Amanda is talking about–sharing and thinking about each other’s perspectives, and very rarely slipping into debate.

]]> By: Maria http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70256 Maria Thu, 20 Sep 2007 02:03:18 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70256 <blockquote>I can very much relate to Amanda’s experiences of “been there done that” and I definitely agree - dialogue is so much more interesting than debate these days.</blockquote> agreed. good article!

I can very much relate to Amanda’s experiences of “been there done that” and I definitely agree – dialogue is so much more interesting than debate these days.

agreed. good article!

]]> By: Mike C http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70250 Mike C Thu, 20 Sep 2007 01:51:08 +0000 http://friendlyatheist.com/2007/09/19/tired-of-the-usual-debates/#comment-70250 I can very much relate to Amanda's experiences of "been there done that" and I definitely agree - dialogue is so much more interesting than debate these days. I can very much relate to Amanda’s experiences of “been there done that” and I definitely agree – dialogue is so much more interesting than debate these days.

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