Why engage in religious debate?
Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 6:25 pm
Okay, I was doing a bit of websurfing and came across a site titled Conversational Atheist. It reminded me of a mini-debate that occured on the 2012 board concerning whether or not crackpot theories and belief systems that advocate teachings of hell if you do not convert to the ways of their old book (ie Christianity and Islam) should be treated with ridicule and ruthlessness or if it should be treated with more compassion.
I must say, I am still in the middle on this one and I think it really is a person to person issue. What happens, though, if it is allowed to spread and become a form of government? I understand what both sides were saying and I agree with both sides actually. It depends on the situation. It is hard for me to determine when to speak and when not to speak. This article has some very disturbing news reports and a link to a horrible video clip of a girl being whipped 100 times in public in an Islamic country. The author asks the question of when you are silent and do not debate these backwards ideas, you show more compassion to the three men holding down this girl screaming in pain, more compassion to a politician that says, "Allah will take care of his own" while children die of smallpox, and so forth.
When to speak and when not to speak.... Here's the link:
http://conversationalatheist.com/genera ... s-debates/
I must say, I am still in the middle on this one and I think it really is a person to person issue. What happens, though, if it is allowed to spread and become a form of government? I understand what both sides were saying and I agree with both sides actually. It depends on the situation. It is hard for me to determine when to speak and when not to speak. This article has some very disturbing news reports and a link to a horrible video clip of a girl being whipped 100 times in public in an Islamic country. The author asks the question of when you are silent and do not debate these backwards ideas, you show more compassion to the three men holding down this girl screaming in pain, more compassion to a politician that says, "Allah will take care of his own" while children die of smallpox, and so forth.
When to speak and when not to speak.... Here's the link:
http://conversationalatheist.com/genera ... s-debates/