Are you convinced?

I

Itseemstome

Registered Senior Member
I just wondered if anyone has had their views changed, in either a major or a minor way, by the arguments put forward in this category. It seems to me that the majority of posts come under the heading 'I'm right, you're wrong'.
 
lol - of course not - changing one's character, particularly if one is older than one's late teens or early twenties, is dependant on many factors that cannot be housed by something of the callibre of a net discussion on religion - what it does offer however is an oportunity to perceive how others respond to the evidences that refine one's character, which can be of assistance for the presentation of data in more conducive envirnoments (if you have any fault in your presentation it is sure to be picked up here, which can be helpful when you are in the "real world")
 
There has been no one here who has admitted changing their views towards theism, but certainly a number of people have given up theism.
 
I sometimes see/read things taht I hadn't thought about or that I didn't "know" before. But as to changing my mind on something, I've usually gathered enough info on the subject(s) before I made my decisions on it. But for the most part, no, nothing here has really changed my mind.

I am, however, curious about how and what others think on an issue. That's why most, if not all, of my post/responses are in the form of questions about a poster's views or opinions. How did he arrive at his opinion?? How is his opinion so much different to mine? That's a curious thing for me.

Baron Max
 
I have changed my point of view a number of times partly as a result of the discussions here. An encyclopedic article on religious epistemology was my first exposure to rigorous philosophical thought about the existence of God, and my reading it was prompted by a thread on this forum.
 
lightgigantic said:
lol - If they did do you think they would come back to this site to tell you about it?
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ah but they did.
Q said:
There has been no one here who has admitted changing their views towards theism, but certainly a number of people have given up theism.
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you are wrong Q sorry, but you should know that you've been here longer than me.
there are quite a few theist who changed and came back to debate. Southstar and Medicine Women, Yazdajerd, http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=58967
and
usp8riot
http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=57859
Southstars conversion was several years ago as was M*W.
there have been several others on this forum since it began.
 
I've been here since 1/1/2000 and have seen several openly state they have turned away from religion because of this site and the debates here. And I have been personally thanked via private PMs numerous times by others.

I have not witnessed a single instance when a non-believer has openly stated they have a dopted a religious belief because of these debates.
 
Cris said:
I've been here since 1/1/2000 and have seen several openly state they have turned away from religion because of this site and the debates here. And I have been personally thanked via private PMs numerous times by others.
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Warms the heart, that.
I have not witnessed a single instance when a non-believer has openly stated they have a dopted a religious belief because of these debates.
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Not even Flying Spaghetti Monsterism?
 
Itseemstome said:
I just wondered if anyone has had their views changed, in either a major or a minor way, by the arguments put forward in this category. It seems to me that the majority of posts come under the heading 'I'm right, you're wrong'.
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Most come in a manner "I am wrong, you're wrong, we are all wrong"
 
I'm not sure its possible to become 'converted' into a theist as a result of debate in these kind of forums. Seems to be the kind of thing most likely to happen when someone experiances something in their life that affects them? Or maybe not.

I would guess that those who turned away from theism on these forums probably had doubts anyway, and were simply pushed over the edge by the atheists on here. Or maybe not.

PS. draqon is wrong.
 
dragon,

Most come in a manner "I am wrong, you're wrong, we are all wrong"
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For those that make claims: I think it is more that no one can justifiably say they are right.
 
Cris said:
I've been here since 1/1/2000 and have seen several openly state they have turned away from religion because of this site and the debates here. And I have been personally thanked via private PMs numerous times by others.

I have not witnessed a single instance when a non-believer has openly stated they have a dopted a religious belief because of these debates.
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Why would a person who slips out of an atheistic paradigm feel inspired to go back and haggle with a sneering crowd of atheists?

I have met many people (even from the scientific community) who have re-established themselves in religion - usually by the time they are in their late twenties or early thirties - it seems tha t they realize the knee jerk reaction to theism that they strongly advocated as a hot heated youth was mostly not about god but issues with their parents "forcing" them to a particualr faith - once they get a grasp on their own life they can commit themselve s to a level of theistic practice according to their independant inclination for denomination and enthusiasm - and the notion of going back to rub shoulders with their atheistic buddies (particularly in an atheistic forum) is not particularly attractive.
 
LG,

Why would a person who slips out of an atheistic paradigm feel inspired to go back and haggle with a sneering crowd of atheists?
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I dont know, so what's the answer?
 
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