Popular Christian says you can't win against RRS!
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Please check out this blog: Strong enough to stand
According to Norm MacDonald, author of the above blog, the Rational Response Squad are a bunch to be avoided...
Now check out this blog : Compelled
Again Norm points out his distaste in Atheists by suggesting we be put on a plane to Iran to go up against those who believe in the Koran.
interesting.
-Renee
FROM HIS BLOG: (emphasis RRS)
________________________
Let me make a disclaimer before going any further. I do not write this with intent to give this group credibility or value.
In a recent post “Compelled”, there was mention of a group called the Rational Response Squad. They are basically an “organized” group of atheists. Or rather, an organized gathering of philosophy, logic, and debate masters with a primary premise that religion is an “opiate of the people” (Karl Marx) and “god is dead” (Friedrich Nietzsche).
Since learning about this group, I have occasionally monitored their forums and “listened” to some of their interaction with people who write in. They are very well coached and very well informed. In fact, they run circles around most inquirers. The same is true, if you look at any of the so-called “debates” they have had on national television. Why? They come armed with facts, “we” come armed with notions.
Is what they say true and accurate? I can’t say for certain. They very seldom quote sources - and I am certain, like most preachers and Christians in general, they use “proof text” just like anyone else. Nevertheless, here is what they say that is very accurate:
- They know the content of the Bible better than many Christians
- They know basic history - biblical, US, and constitutional - better than most Christians
- They can prove their position with scientific evidence and we cannot (apparently)
- Most Christian’s belief system is not strong enough to stand against their assault (based on facts)
Is what they do new - of course not. The fact that they have the Internet as a forum has helped them a great deal. The fact that they are as brash as they are, with their “blasphemy challenge” is similar to the man who garnered all the publicity by urinating on the American flag. The only difference is, these people are marketing their “product” on other Web sites.
As of yet, I have not seem them debate anyone with any credentials. At least not yet. Perhaps one day they will. Until then…
Here’s a warning. If you encounter these folks. Leave them alone. You will not, cannot, “win”.
Just look into their eyes - you will see the emptiness and what it might be like to look into the canyon of the damned.
Slowly building a blog at ~
Isn't having "deep" eyes sexy?
So, basically he said to avoid the RRS because they're right. Somehow, the way that he worded it makes the RRS sound kind of...dangerous...and empty...?
You can't rationally argue out something that was not rationally argued in.
Aww, how sweet of him. That's so very Christian. So much for love thy neighbor and all that crap. How typical.
If god takes life he's an indian giver
Very strange, very very strange.
Its like he has muliple personas or multiple disconnected compartments in his mind where he picks pieces of meaning (like a jigsaw puzzle) from and fit them together in order to simulate a rational observation.
We're right, but we're wrong.
People who think there is something they refer to as god don't ask enough questions.
so they can see that there is a problem with the belief in those that follow the koran but it doesn't occur to them that maybe their belief should be challenged too?
Isn't that one of the core beliefs of xianity? "Our faith is right, but everyone else's faith is wrong"?
You can't rationally argue out something that was not rationally argued in.
I posted the following comment on his blog. It says "awaiting moderation." Shall we see if he posts it?
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
That was awesome.
Slowly building a blog at ~
http://obsidianwords.wordpress.com/
That's so unfortunate. I really liked him when he was on Saturday Night Live.
/obligatory
Norm has posted my comment, and has responded very politely. His biggest beef seems to be that he perceives us as avoiding debate with "qualified" apologists.
I'm doing my best to encourage him to help us set up a print debate so that we can disabuse him of that notion.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Well, that being the case (from your word, Hamby) he seems to be an order of magnitude more intelligent than most Christian apologists already. Tell him to come here in print, that we may discuss with him, or perhaps if I wishes anyone (you and I and anyone else who wishes?) to go over there. It is online, I trust, so you and I do not have to go anywhere physically.
"Physical reality” isn’t some arbitrary demarcation. It is defined in terms of what we can systematically investigate, directly or not, by means of our senses. It is preposterous to assert that the process of systematic scientific reasoning arbitrarily excludes “non-physical explanations” because the very notion of “non-physical explanation” is contradictory.
-Me
Books about atheism
What's up with the Frank Walton comment that Norm left? I didn't see anything that Frank posted.
If god takes life he's an indian giver
I don't know if he will approve it but we shall see.
“Just look into their eyes - you will see the emptiness and what it might be like to look into the canyon of the damned.”
I defy you to line up 100 men and try to pick out the Atheists just on the basis of “looking into their eyes”. I mean your statement doesn’t really surprise me, it’s a mix of typical Christian scare tactics and ignorance. Obviously this is a claim you would never be able to prove with factual evidence, but then again thats something Christians specialize in.
Co-Founder of the Atheist/Freethought website Pathofreason.com
www.pathofreason.com
Check it out
"They are very well coached and very well informed."
Who did the coaching? As I recall it's only the religious who have schools and courses to teach apologetics. Atheists have to rely on common sense.
It has always appeared to me that the vast, vast majority of xians and very paranoid. They are paranoid because they think that we operate in the same way the we do. They meet at least once per week to discuss the best way to interpret their superstitions and how best to convice the rest of the world to follow the same superstitions that they do. It seems apparent to me that they assume the same thing...that we meet in person on a regular basis to discuss how to spread the glory of Almight Atheism. "Atheism is grand, let us praise Atheism is all It's glory!"
The idea is really absurd. While you can find groups of atheists that you can lean on for support (i.e. the RRS), we aren't nearly as organized as any religion in the world. Also, the greates portion of atheists find out their answers the old fashioned way: through their own research and knowledge of science! And xians wonder why we call ourselve "free thinkers". The reason (and I know I'm, forgive the expression, preaching to the choir) is that we examine the evidence both for and against our argument. If they have a question we can't answer, we hit the books and FIND the answer...not some bullshit post hoc rationalization.
The reason that atheists appear so well organized (and it is true that we are becoming more organized) is that most of us know how and where to find the answers to the questions that we seek. We know how to debate and we know how to win without making false claims about other side, or putting words in their mouths.
Damn, people piss me off sometimes.
You can't rationally argue out something that was not rationally argued in.
When I told my mother (theist) that I was going to the AAI conference, her response told me that she thinks it's like that. Apparently, most Christians think that when atheists get together, we spend all of our time discussing whether or not god exists.
Right. The coaching we got is called "Good Education."
Not necessarily from school. One can be an autodidact and have a very good education.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
His response to my offer of a print debate in a heavily moderated thread here, or a neutral site, like livejournal:
I have no interest in debating biblical text or the bible specifically. Rook would obviously be the person for that. But if they want to talk about proving their god logically, philosophically, or scientifically, I'm all in.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Wow, Christian actually saying that the RRS is to be avoided. If they don't want their beliefs shattered, i guess they should stay away.