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Looking for a 1-on-1 discussion.

Started by redsoxfan77, September 29, 2014, 02:49:57 PM

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Hijiri Byakuren

Wait, shouldn't you at least wait until I've agreed to the topic being debated? :P

QuoteGeneralization: The Catholic Church condoned the holocaust propagated by Germany in World War II.
I have no case to make on that topic. Frankly, I'd like to stick to more basic ones, such as, "Does God exist?" It's kinda central to everything else Catholics believe, and it's our most fundamental point of disagreement. It's also one that I can go on for a long time about without running out of things to say.
Speak when you have something to say, not when you have to say something.

Sargon The Grape - My Youtube Channel

redsoxfan77

Thanks for making this talk happen you two!   

First, I would ask before we get to the topic of "Does God Exist?",  I would like to know what you believe. Are you atheist?  Agnostic?  What is your background?  This will help me in framing my arguments.

To be fair my background is this: I was born into an Irish-American Catholic Family near Boston, MA.  I've always had faith and believed in God as far back as I can remember.  For my family I'm a bit of an oddball in the sense that I'm by far the most religious one in the family and always have been.  I did go through a streak of believing in God, but not really following him starting in college and ending just a few years ago. Then I reverted back.  I have a BA in history, an MA in theology, and a JD from an ABA university. 

PickelledEggs

I still need to know about the tittie sprinkles, Hijiri.....

Hijiri Byakuren

Quote from: redsoxfan77 on September 30, 2014, 07:00:05 PMAre you atheist?  Agnostic?  What is your background?
Atheist, specifically a secular humanist (by virtue of agreement). Raised by a Christian mother and agnostic father. Mostly stopped believing in the supernatural altogether when I stopped believing in Santa Claus, although at age 16 and 17 I had a brief fascination with the Occult, and then looked into Buddhism for a couple years out of highschool. I claim to be a deist around any family members I feel wouldn't accept atheism, and am versed in deistic arguments as a result.

Considered myself an agnostic atheist for most of my life so far. A few months ago I made a hard swing toward a more gnostic stance when I realized that every time science advances, definitions of God expand to provide more knowledge gaps for him to hide in. No god ever described in any scripture behaves consistently with the abilities you'd expect of a being capable of building the visible universe 14 billion light years in radius, and while I maintain that the existence or lack thereof of such a being is indeed an unknowable question, it is not God.

If I go much further I'm going to be tempted to lay out my whole debate platform right here, so I'll stop.
Speak when you have something to say, not when you have to say something.

Sargon The Grape - My Youtube Channel

DunkleSeele

OK people, as of now it looks like we've a slight problem with the database and the 1 to 1 section is a bit messed up. Apart from that, Hijiri is right: first of all you both have to agree on the debate topic and, on second topic, I agree that the topic originally proposed by redsoxfan77 is a bit too limited in scope. In short, no debate thread will be opened until the two issues above are solved.

SGOS

Quote from: Hijiri Byakuren on September 30, 2014, 06:24:13 PM
Wait, shouldn't you at least wait until I've agreed to the topic being debated? :P
I have no case to make on that topic. Frankly, I'd like to stick to more basic ones, such as, "Does God exist?" It's kinda central to everything else Catholics believe, and it's our most fundamental point of disagreement. It's also one that I can go on for a long time about without running out of things to say.
Amen!!!!!!!!  It's a step in religion that is of utmost importance.  Before one can worship the Lord, follow His commandments, or debate what church does it correctly, one must first determine if such an entity exists.  If you fail to do that, the rest is just fabricated nonsense.

redsoxfan77

Quote from: Hijiri Byakuren on September 30, 2014, 07:23:00 PM
Atheist, specifically a secular humanist (by virtue of agreement). Raised by a Christian mother and agnostic father. Mostly stopped believing in the supernatural altogether when I stopped believing in Santa Claus, although at age 16 and 17 I had a brief fascination with the Occult, and then looked into Buddhism for a couple years out of highschool. I claim to be a deist around any family members I feel wouldn't accept atheism, and am versed in deistic arguments as a result.

Considered myself an agnostic atheist for most of my life so far. A few months ago I made a hard swing toward a more gnostic stance when I realized that every time science advances, definitions of God expand to provide more knowledge gaps for him to hide in. No god ever described in any scripture behaves consistently with the abilities you'd expect of a being capable of building the visible universe 14 billion light years in radius, and while I maintain that the existence or lack thereof of such a being is indeed an unknowable question, it is not God.

If I go much further I'm going to be tempted to lay out my whole debate platform right here, so I'll stop.

Ok thank you for telling me this.  When you say agnostic atheist do you mean that you are a person who does not believe that God exists but won't rule out the limited possibility? A few months ago you became more certain that God does not exist, but is there any any agnostic belief you have to God at all, or are you fully atheist?


DunkleSeele

Quote from: redsoxfan77 on October 01, 2014, 07:03:20 AM
Ok thank you for telling me this.  When you say agnostic atheist do you mean that you are a person who does not believe that God exists but won't rule out the limited possibility? A few months ago you became more certain that God does not exist, but is there any any agnostic belief you have to God at all, or are you fully atheist?


There's no such thing as a "fully atheist" or a "partial atheist", for that matter. At most, you can make a distinction between an "agnostic atheist" (doesn't believe in the existence of god(s) but can't be sure) and a "gnostic atheist" (knows that gods don't exist).

GrinningYMIR

"Human history is a litany of blood shed over differing ideals of rulership and afterlife"<br /><br />Governor of the 32nd Province of the New Lunar Republic. Luna Nobis Custodit

Mister Agenda

Quote from: redsoxfan77 on September 29, 2014, 07:02:35 PM
As much as I want to talk to everyone else on here anti_thesis wrote in first so I'm going to respond to him.
Check back in a few.

We may have gotten a little angrier since your last visit. Lots of trolls. But I've a feeling you are not one of those.
Atheists are not anti-Christian. They are anti-stupid.--WitchSabrina

Mister Agenda

Quote from: redsoxfan77 on October 01, 2014, 07:03:20 AM
Ok thank you for telling me this.  When you say agnostic atheist do you mean that you are a person who does not believe that God exists but won't rule out the limited possibility? A few months ago you became more certain that God does not exist, but is there any any agnostic belief you have to God at all, or are you fully atheist?

You're asking instead of telling. I like that!
Atheists are not anti-Christian. They are anti-stupid.--WitchSabrina

Hijiri Byakuren

Quote from: redsoxfan77 on October 01, 2014, 07:03:20 AM
Ok thank you for telling me this.  When you say agnostic atheist do you mean that you are a person who does not believe that God exists but won't rule out the limited possibility? A few months ago you became more certain that God does not exist, but is there any any agnostic belief you have to God at all, or are you fully atheist?
As DunkleSeele said, you are either atheist or you are not, just as you are either theist or you are not. "Gnostic" and "agnostic" are merely stances on what you claim to know or not know with some degree of certainty. So an agnostic atheist would be someone who doesn't know if there is or is not a god, but does not currently have a reason to believe one exists. Being on the more gnostic side of things now, I'd be more likely to say that there probably are no gods.
Speak when you have something to say, not when you have to say something.

Sargon The Grape - My Youtube Channel

redsoxfan77

When it comes to the existence of God, I came willing to debate the possibility that one exists.  As long as that is held to be possible, no matter how improbable, then we are in agreement.  We differ on where we go from that point on. 


Am I correct in saying that you believe that it is most improbable but not definite that God does not exist?

Hijiri Byakuren

Quote from: redsoxfan77 on October 01, 2014, 01:32:57 PMAm I correct in saying that you believe that it is most improbable but not definite that God does not exist?
I approach the subject scientifically, so I will say it is possible. The catch is that something is only possible if it is falsifiable.

So, for the purposes of this debate: if you agree to concede that I can falsify God's existence, then I will concede that you can prove his existence.
Speak when you have something to say, not when you have to say something.

Sargon The Grape - My Youtube Channel

redsoxfan77

I'll concede it.  Though I only really hoped to show what you already concede, a slim, slim possibility of God's existence.

We can continue to debate on this particular topic, but I will be blunt in saying that this is not my area of expertise.  Still I'm up for learning what you have to say.   

Or we can move to another issue.  It's up to you.