Educated Debate

Pet peeve: People regurgitating what an author or pastor says without actually thinking for themselves.

Whenever I get into a discussion about God and religion with people I start hearing them say things that sound familiar. Yes, I have read Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel, C.S. Lewis, Greg Boyd (I've met him a number of times), and more. I have attended a 'World View' conference, and 'World View' camp. At these camps they teach teens how to debate with people that have different world views. I learned how to debate with Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, New Ageists, Muslims, and of course atheists, and more. I hate to debate. I especially don't like random confrontations on the street or via the Internet (e-mail, Facebook). The type of debate that occurs when two people come together, usually by chance, without the intent of learning anything from one another and try to pull facts out of their butt, twist them, and then are shocked when their 'opponent' doesn't concede. This is when we run into that damn regurgitation.

I was watching a lecture given by Richard Dawkins at a Christian university on television and during the question and answer session one student pulled the "What if your wrong?" question. I almost had to turn off the TV out of pure disgust with the oldest bull shit question in the book. Of course Dawkins had a witty response followed up by a serious one.

If you really want to debate with an atheist why don't YOU read a little from the opposition: Pascal Boyer, Sam Harris, Bertrand Russell, Richard Dawkins... Do the research yourself instead of regurgitating the religious stuff you have been fed by pastors and religious scholars.