Local Counter Evangelism
Posted on: October 18, 2007 - 8:49am
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Local Counter Evangelism
I am curious as to how one can organize a counter evangelist movement in their own home town. I live in a conservative area in the south and I don't know many local atheists but I would like to see a movement, outside of the internet to try and get more people doubting. The internet is great and all but one third of americans do not have internet access in their home and a good number of the ones that do are either not tech savy enough to make full use of it byond email or do not really explore the internet as a pastime and are not likely to see the or even concern themselves with the arguments againt theism. What are some tactics one can use locally to counter the church?
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I've got a couple of ideas, but I've never really tried them myself. I think my best idea is what I call the "AASes Go To Sunday School." (You pronounce that first word "Asses."
AAS is short for Atheist Assassination Squad. Not real assassination, of course, but figurative assassination of beliefs. The deal is, you get two or three people together who are really, really good at debate, and really know their logic. Then, over the course of a couple of months, so it doesn't look suspicious, you have each of them separately join the same sunday school class. They can't seem as if they know each other.
After each member of the squad has successfully infiltrated and been accepted, they wait for just the right moment to make their move. One of the squad questions a logical fallacy. The others resist, arguing against it! (That's the trick to the whole thing working. You need to make sure they don't just dismiss it. The others are there to ensure that it turns into a debate!) Pretty soon, the whole class gets involved in the debate.
This is where it gets really fun. Now, the other squad members get to acknowledge that the logic IS flawed! They get to say, "Wow. I'd really never thought of it that way, but I see what you mean!" So, you get a two for one benefit. First, everyone in the class gets to hear a real debate. Second, when someone openly admits to asking questions and acknowledging logic, it gives social permission for others to do the same!
The real question is how the rest of the class will react to the defectors (squad members who changed their minds). It would be a very interesting experiment, to say the least.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
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That is a sick, twisted idea...I LoVe IT!!
I would never have the balls to try this myself, but kudos to anyone who does!
You can't rationally argue out something that was not rationally argued in.
What are they going to do to you? Its not illegal.
Only thing I need are real life friends who are atheists. I feel so isolated.
Hamby, that is an awesome idea. I would totally do it if I could find a couple local atheists to join me.
We watch "Way of the Master" so you don't have to.
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Lol! Not something I'd do myself, I'm not really into the whole acting/pretending. But if someone does do this then I'd love to hear the story.
The only danger might be is that once you join the group is that these guys might want to make friends with you, get to know you better. You'd have to play along to keep cover, and then you'd possibly end up really bonding. You'd spend the whole charade feeling bad, not for disagreeing with these guys but lying to them, and when they eventually found out they'd feel really betrayed rather than enlightened. Or maybe they'd be intruiged by your crazy attempts to start dialogue? Who knows?
What keeps them from doing that to us? I think we need to instate a form of the Inquisition on RRS. I would be happy to be the Torquemada of the group. "The auto de fe, what the auto de fe? It's what you oughtn't do but do anyway!"
"Tis better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven." -Lucifer