How to Talk to a Christian

[Naberius]

Hey guys. 

I want to share this video I made based on an excerpt from Sam Harris' debate with WLC. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKXZ8KuvY7E

I got the idea awhile ago from his website.  Apparently he personally encourages this sort of thing, so I decided to give it a go.  The song is Zach Hemsey - Vengeance in case you're wondering.

[Poison Tree]

I often hear (or, at least, have heard) people call Harris "soft" or "kind" compared to "strident" or "militant" atheists like Dawkins and Hitchens. I've heard the same thing about Bertrand Russell. I simply assume that they mean that Harris speaks in an even, almost soft, tone and that Russell looks like someone's doting grandfather because--as evidenced by this video and any other number of quotes--they certainly weren't soft on religion and the contents of their attacks against it are every bit as scathing as anything composed by Dawkins or Hitchens.

[PickelledEggs]

Great video

[Hydra009]

Excellent work on the video.  Though naturally, Harris's laundry list of criticisms against Christianity (problem of evil, problem of hell, morality utterly divorced from actually doing good, God's injustice, first-world "miracles" compared to third-world horror, evil in the Bible, etc) will fall upon deaf ears.  Christians will trot out the same ol' apologetics arguments.  Blah blah blah.

And to be fair, there are Christians who legitimately do have some defense against these sorts of criticisms.  Universalists don't believe that Hindus go to hell, for example.  But for the most part, these argument do cut to the core of typical Christian beliefs about the world.  This is a way of viewing the world that is both intellectually bankrupt and morally reprehensible.  This is the kind of ideology that has even otherwise very peace-loving people applaud genocide and fervently wish for the end of the world.   This is not the kind of belief system that produces stable, well-adjusted people.  Ironically, the "transformative" power of Christianity touted as one of its key advantages would be more accurately classified as one of its biggest disadvantages.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Think it's bad now wait till the zombie apocalypse!

[josephpalazzo]

Excellent video. It should be part of every school curriculum.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Excellent video. It should be part of every school curriculum.

Should and will are two entirely different concepts. 

[josephpalazzo]

One cannot derive an “ought” from an “is” but  we need to dissolve the irrational beliefs that legitimize religion in our society. I'm not suggesting a witch hunt, but after 500 years of scientific progress, we're still at the mercy of the lunatics and their irrational beliefs.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

And that's not going to change. It's a fools errand to  believe this shits going away.  It's not as much as we might like it to.

[josephpalazzo]

Imagine if those who pioneered science in the 16th century had had that attitude, where would we be today? Certainly not with computers and satellite communication.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Imagine if those who pioneered science in the 16th century had had that attitude, where would we be today? Certainly not with computers and satellite communication.

Most of them did. Most scientific advances came from warfare..not all, but most. Guess who's behind most wars..

[josephpalazzo]

Most of them did. Most scientific advances came from warfare..not all, but most. Guess who's behind most wars..

I wasn't referring to those wars but what's going on in the bible belt region right now, today, where the christian right has put all of its energy into the school curriculum to get creationism/Id taught on an equal basis with evolution. The school is the most important of our institutions. It's the only place we have a chance to get the young ones to open up their minds against their parents/guardians/ministers brainwashing them with religion hocus pocus. If we lose that battle, we lose the war.

[Hydra009]

And that's not going to change. It's a fools errand to  believe this shits going away.  It's not as much as we might like it to.

But that has been changing.  Centuries ago, this sort of talk would have had the inquisition at our doorsteps and deference to these sorts of beliefs was very much the norm.  Now, criticism of this stuff it is typical and begrudgingly tolerated.  That's progress.  Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

I agree with Josephpalazzo here.  Adopting a fatalistic stance towards this stuff is not only counterproductive, but factually incorrect.

[stromboli]

Talking to religious people in any confrontational way is a waste of time. Remember Eve? the reason the internet works is because people encounter evidence in a non confrontational way.

Good video, btw.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Onward, Atheist soldiers, marching as to war,    with the box of spaghetti going on before.    FSM, the royal Master, leads against the foe;    forward into battle see his banners go! Refrain:    Onward, Atheist soldiers, marching as to war,    with the box of spaghrtti going on before.    At the sign of triumph God's host doth flee;    on then, Atheist soldiers, on to victory!    Hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise;    brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.    (Refrain)    Like a mighty army moves the church of FSM;    brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.    We are not divided, all one body we,    one in hope and doctrine, one in charity.    (Refrain)    Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,    but the church of FSM constant will remain.    Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail;    we have FSM's own promise, and that cannot fail.    (Refrain)    Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,    blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.    Glory, laud, and honor unto FSM the King,    this through countless ages men and angels sing.    (Refrain)