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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
 Posted - 02/06/2009 : 14:46:06
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From the good people at the Atheist Experience blog.
Pay attention to the format and the topic before you agree to a debate
How to manage an atheist debate.
Too much to quote, but this stuff should be required reading.
EDIT:
The Atheist Experience people have another relevent post about debating.
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>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
Edited by - the_ignored on 02/07/2009 05:31:07
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Randy
SFN Regular
USA
1990 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2009 : 15:49:13 [Permalink]
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Hey t_i, that's my good guys neighbors, the Austin Atheist Community; which I was a member of for a while.
Check out the Sunday afternoon AAC TV program. Have watched it for years.
Some real religious zombies call in from time to time. Always some good commentary, news of the weird, etc.
Check this link for internet video stream of the program.
Mark your calendar. |
"We are all connected; to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the universe atomically."
"So you're made of detritus [from exploded stars]. Get over it. Or better yet, celebrate it. After all, what nobler thought can one cherish than that the universe lives within us all?"
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2009 : 18:47:22 [Permalink]
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Thank you, ig, for the links. Good stuff there.
I'd want to add to the "why bother" part that there are more reasons to debate than what Kazim mentioned. In fact, to me, the main reason is this: Persuading the undecided. I believe the focus of an atheist's debate should be to bring over the uncommitted to a more critically thinking viewpoint.
It also follows that pre-debate publicity should be focused not just upon one's atheist colleagues, but also upon intelligent members of the general public. Both sides tend to want to "fort up" with their friends, but that tends only to widen separations, while winning over the uncommitted has the potential of actually making progress toward winning the culture war.
Another corollary: Keep insider terminology to a minimum, or define it carefully when you need to use it. For instance: After hearing a profoundly stupid statement from a fundy debater, just guffawing and replying, "Poe's Law!" won't probably be understandable to those in the middle who we are trying to win over.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 02/06/2009 18:49:57 |
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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2009 : 04:24:37 [Permalink]
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I can see what Kazim's talking about...I'm listening to a debate between Dan Barker and John Rankin.
He goes on and on about his family, etc. before he finally gets into the topic of ID, the topic they're supposed to talk about. Doesn't bode all that well. Never waste time in a debate, I figure. I'll see how he does.
EDIT: Rankin keeps going on about how "macroevolution", a made up term by creationists, is just an argument from inference, and is not testable, just like ID. Wrong.
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>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
| Edited by - the_ignored on 02/07/2009 05:06:32 |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
 Posted - 02/07/2009 : 08:34:58 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by the_ignored
EDIT: Rankin keeps going on about how "macroevolution", a made up term by creationists... |
Not true:Antievolutionists argue against macroevolution so loudly that some people think they invented the term in order to dismiss evolution. But this is not true; scientists not only use the terms, they have an elaborate set of models and ideas about it, which of course antievolutionists gloss over or treat as being somehow problems for evolutionary biology.
...
In evolutionary biology today, macroevolution is used to refer to any evolutionary change at or above the level of species. It means at least the splitting of a species into two... or the change of a species over time into another... |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
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the_ignored
SFN Addict
2562 Posts |
Posted - 02/07/2009 : 09:26:07 [Permalink]
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Well, phphph! Ok, so I was wrong on that part. At least I think I'm right on the others.
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>From: enuffenuff@fastmail.fm
(excerpt follows):
> I'm looking to teach these two bastards a lesson they'll never forget.
> Personal visit by mates of mine. No violence, just a wee little chat.
>
> **** has also committed more crimes than you can count with his
> incitement of hatred against a religion. That law came in about 2007
> much to ****'s ignorance. That is fact and his writing will become well
> know as well as him becoming a publicly known icon of hatred.
>
> Good luck with that fuckwit. And Reynold, fucking run, and don't stop.
> Disappear would be best as it was you who dared to attack me on my
> illness knowing nothing of the cause. You disgust me and you are top of
> the list boy. Again, no violence. Just regular reminders of who's there
> and visits to see you are behaving. Nothing scary in reality. But I'd
> still disappear if I was you.
What brought that on? this. Original posting here.
Another example of this guy's lunacy here. |
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Some good debate tips!
