Why even bother?

[Guest]

So's your face.

Coffee spew.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

GAUCHE

You beat the drum for 'debt to society' until society suggests you get a job, pay your debt to the grocer, contribute taxes, and shower.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Huh. I'm intrigued. I've known plenty of people who've gone atheist or agnostic or changed faith, but never due to a persuasive argument. How does reasoning get one to shed a belief that's rooted in faith, not intellect?

How you do it is present the believer with irrefutable evidence that creates a paradox for them. The paradox forces the believer to reconcile each paradigm (model) inorder to resolve the conflict.

The trick is to use powerful evidence. The best evidence usually comes from the existing belief.

 

[Stella_Omega]

How you do it is present the believer with irrefutable evidence that creates a paradox for them. The paradox forces the believer to reconcile each paradigm (model) inorder to resolve the conflict.

The trick is to use powerful evidence. The best evidence usually comes from the existing belief.

This works best if you interlace your argument with irrelevant insults, evidently.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

STELLA

Looking for someone to squabble with?

 

[Stella_Omega]

STELLA

Looking for someone to squabble with?

No, I'm laughing at the thought of you trying to be taken seriously.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

STELLA

I guess I dont get why you bother with me at all. Surely to God you must have better things to do.

 

[Stella_Omega]

STELLA

I guess I dont get why you bother with me at all. Surely to God you must have better things to do.

You've used this forum like a punching bag since the day you first showed up, and I'm sure a moment's thought might dredge up a reason or two.

Or three, five, ten, twenty-- lots of little reasons.

But pointing out your disingenuity is no difficult task, and takes hardly any time.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

STELLA

My recollection is slightly different. I recall that the usual suspects were about as hostile as you could want, when I first arrived. And they didnt like it when I hit back. No one gets a free piece of my ass. Over the years I've made some lasting friends once they got tired of getting bloody noses. TIT 4 TAT

 

[Stella_Omega]

Right. You insulted a lot of people right away, that jives with my memory too.

And of course it's all their fault, not poor little yours.

Over the years I've made some lasting friends once they got tired of getting bloody noses.

Are you saying you pummel your friends into submission? Are you sure they're your friends?

 

[rgraham666]

Some work by a good taxidermist and they probably look very life like.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Some work by a good taxidermist and they probably look very life like.

The glass eyeballs keep falling out.

They crunch horribly if you step on them.

 

[rgraham666]

I'm not going to ask how you know that.

 

[DeeZire]

How you do it is present the believer with irrefutable evidence that creates a paradox for them. The paradox forces the believer to reconcile each paradigm (model) inorder to resolve the conflict.

The trick is to use powerful evidence. The best evidence usually comes from the existing belief.

Hey JBJ - nice post. Why can't they all be this erudite and non-confrontational?

I would take issue with the effectiveness of this technique (irrefutable evidence) when dealing with a faith-based belief system, since 'the converted' usually consider facts to be blasphemy. Then they go through life with blinders on, utterly out of touch with the real world. This wouldn't be a problem if they didn't vote, but many of them do.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

DEEZIRE

I'm speaking of confronting the believer with a contrary fact from his own belief. He has to accept it.

Like this: If you believe youre Jesus, you must be a carpenter, too, and should pass a carpenter's exam with no problem. Plus stretch a dollar to get enough groceries for the gang. Or whip up some vino if the brewskies vanish too soon.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm not going to ask how you know that.

I worked at the Field Museum for a while.