cement heads

[hilamobster13]

it's been a while since i was anywhere outside a single thread in fanfic, and it saddens me. but i think i see a sort of logic behind creating this board, as exatreides put it slightly differently, (paraphrased) this serves as iscolation to people who would throw these arguments all over the other boards. now at first, that seems sort of a mean standpoint. but think about it; the point of a debate is to attempt to convince the other side. politics and religion are the two things that people are the most deeply unmoving in. i, as an agnostic, am standing on top of the giant concrete wall you are all reinforcing in place of the pickets and laughing.

how many of you think you will ever change your position on politics or religion? how many of you can honestly say youd be just as content with being proven wrong as if you were correct? the whole point here is to take the arguments of either side to logic, to consider them, not to shrug them off and start a petty flame war. but that is how it allways ends up, isn't it? the religious all refuse to consider any kind of atheists arguments, and the athiests refuse to listen to the religious' arguments. if you people would play devils advocate when you step in here, or at least take into consideration what the other has to say before you try to disprove it, this might just be a productive place. I hope you can try to be more open and wise about this place.

there is no fence up my ass, gob.

[Acriku]

1. You cannot be just an agnostic. Agnosticism/gnosticism is a type of atheist/theist, like I cannot be an arrogant, I have to be an arrogant something - person for example. Just letting you know...

2. Many have changed their beliefs over time, so it isn't impossible to do so here. If I am completely wrong about something, I hope to be corrected - as had happened before. But if I don't think what you said proves me wrong, then I stand by it.

3. Some people just don't get anything, cough empr cough, and no amount of discussion can help those poor creatures. They twist words, put them in other's mouths and then attack what they put in. Bad tactics in debating always leads to nothing, so not using these tactics would be a good step towards a good debate. Don't you think it is funny that empr acts all civilized in a "contest" but in any other thread he acts like a child?

[Egeides]

Yen, it is not because you do not always succeed to convince someone that discussing ideas is useless. Sometimes someone changes his mind just on a little part. The goal of debate is not indoctrination of the entire planet, it may also be lurning things and helping others learning things. If you see a concrete wall, i see none. I only see bricks that each one has and we can sometimes learn of other's mental constructions and help others with their. This world evolved from Paleolithic to something where at least more people are eating, more can live correctly and so on, to a world where ideas evolved. I'll say as hackers: Why do I do it? Because I can. I like it, it may help me, it may help others.

[sneezer3]

Some people will never even cansider some things. But i agree about everthing here seems almost pointless because of the stone wall we have in are brains that says i'm right your wrong. Though there is no vaild explanation of how we got here aside from God.

[Navaros]

it's a very good point

arguing religion and/or anti-religion with someone who has strong religious or anti-religious feelings is absolutely pointless because no one like that is ever gonna change his mind about anything, no matter what is said to him.

they only people who might be swayed are those who are confused and/or wishy-washy weak-minded individuals.

therefore most of the threads on this particular board are pointless 'cause they'll never accomplish anything

[Acriku]

I wouldn't so much as say pointless, as I have learned a lot by debating here - researching hordes of material, and reading about people just like me.

[Egeides]

My goal is not always simply to change people's opinion. By exchanging ideas I understand some other persons more easily and vice versa. And I learn, I get more acute visions of things. Guess others too.

[SurlyPIG]

Well it's naive to think you can change a person. What I post here can be summed up as posting what I think, defending what I think, and questioning what others think.

[TMA_1]

We only learn to strengthen our own biased views. That is what we learn from this forum.

Although I agree with you Yen, I think this thread is on the verge of being self righteous. I have heard some pretty silly discussions and debates from you. Especially how you treat EX and others. You are stating the obvious. We never do listen to eachother, even though we claim to do so. What we really listen to is our own desires and mindsets. Some are just better than others. People here (including me) will grow up and throw away the passion. We all have axes to grind, and that is the problem.

[nemafakei]

I post to educate, not necessarily to convince. Sometimes, there are people who refuse to learn; those with such a closed mind will end up with only hate, and no benefit. Therefore, I do not discuss with them - though I try to help ensure they do not harm others or their learning.

[Davidu]

I like to see what other people think, and I also like to tell them my opinion.