One of the things that I've seen consistently from theists is a deficiency in "Question Asking Skills." As any old sage at the top of a mountain will tell you, asking the right question is essential to getting the right answer. Particularly when asking questions such as, "Does God Exist?" there are many pitfalls along the way. This question, which looks deceptively simple, is actually very complicated. I'll start with the basics.

1) Define your terms!

The question, "Do glimmerwidgets drink humbug juice before capawomping?" is meaningless unless I tell you what a glimmerwidget and humbug happen to be, and how I might go about capawomping. Similarly, before asking if God exists, we must define god.

a) Definitions are POSITIVE!

To have any meaning, a definition must include what a thing IS. To say what a thing isn't does almost nothing to help us understand what it is. For example, if I say that a glimmerwidget is unlike anything you've ever seen, what do you know about it? Nothing.

b) Eliminate ambiguity

If you have a choice of words, where one of the words is ambiguous or has multiple meanings, and another has a very specific meaning, use the precise word.

2) Start from the Beginning. Ask One Question at a time.

Asking, "Do glimmerwidgets like their tea with milk?" presumes that glimmerwidgets exist, that they drink tea, and that they have tried milk in their tea. If we don't know that any of this is true, we shouldn't be asking the question yet.

Before asking a question, check for implied facts. Don't presume things that haven't been established.

More specifically, avoid the complex question fallacy. If you're really after the truth, don't ask questions like "So, has Edgar stopped beating his children yet?" unless you've established that Edgar has, in fact, beaten his children in the past. This question is properly worded like this:

"Have we proven that Edgar has beaten his children in the past? If so, has he stopped yet?"

3) Do Your Homework First!

Now we're getting into a little more complicated territory. Part of knowing what you're asking is knowing what you know. If someone told me that I was going to have ten minutes to interview Stephen Hawking about the current theories on black holes, you better believe I would read his book before I even started to formulate questions.

Asking the question, "How can you believe evolution when it's just a theory?" displays ignorance of the definition of a theory, ignorance of the scientific method, and ignorance of the nature of evolution. If you don't know anything about science, start by asking simple questions like, "What exactly is a theory? What is it that has convinced so many scientists that evolution exists?"

There's nothing to get a scientist's panties in a wad faster than asking a question that was dealt with in the FAQ. Always read the FAQ first.

4) Avoid the Fallacy Traps!

There are a number of very common logical fallacies that pop up in questions. Check yours to see if you've committed them.

a) Appeal to ....

Appeal to authority, appeal to masses, appeal to ignorance, appeal to emotion. These are all extremely common. Remember, you're capable of using the same logic that everyone else uses. Don't quote someone else to make your case. Make it yourself. Don't assume that because you can't think of alternatives that there aren't any. Leave the preaching in the pulpit. Answers come from the brain, not the heart.

b) Circle, circle, dot, dot...

A = A is logically valid, but the truth of A is completely independent of this. Check your question to see if you're making a circular argument.

c) It must follow! Don't beg the question.

Make sure everything in your question belongs together. Just because two things are mentioned together, it doesn't mean they're really connected.

5) Occam was on to something.

In exactly the same way that answers without extraneous details are better than answers with extra baggage, questions should be as simple as possible. Extra details just divert attention.

6) Remember, questions have real answers, and the answers have nothing to do with what you want them to be.

Asking a question often means facing answers that you don't like. Don't ask the question if you don't want the answer, or are unprepared to deal with it.

The simplest example? If you are asking, "Does my ass look big?" the presumption is that you are prepared for the possibility that you have a fat ass.

Ok, that's a bit flippant. Seriously, though, if you're on a forum called The Rational Response Squad Forums, and you ask the question, "Why don't you believe in God?" be prepared for the fact that some extremely intelligent people are atheists, and they have very good reasons for not believing. Real knowledge comes from uncertainty. Assume nothing. Presume nothing.

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