The decline of atheism. -

daap-umop-bnp · 09-08-2010, 07:59 PM

I will debate him with a 12 word limit per post. Ha.

TestyCalibrate · 09-08-2010, 08:00 PM

I will debate on any terms you like.

sanshou · 09-08-2010, 10:14 PM

:

thanks raven. sometimes this forum needs a little muscle to keep ingrates like lion in line.

that's where i come in

Sorry sanshou and ravenscape

just watch your step. i don't want to have this conversation again

Lion IRC · 09-09-2010, 06:18 AM

Hi TestyCalibrate,

Yes I have decided.

That atheism is currently in a stage of decline.

In favor - me

Against - Add your name. I can only debate 5 people at a time. (See Boba123? A really arrogant person would have said 50 people at a time)

So far its 3 versus 1.

You and gandalf and daap-umop-bnp versus me.

Lion (IRC)

Lion IRC · 09-09-2010, 06:23 AM

daap-umop-bnp asked for a 12 word limit so you can have his quota so it doesnt go to waste

Lion IRC · 09-09-2010, 06:31 AM

Atheism will have won when atheists can look at this image and see nothing but two pieces of wood in the neighbors front yard. No recoiling in horror like some vampire. Just total indifference.

http://www.news.com.au/national/neig...-1225916138671

gandalf · 09-09-2010, 06:40 AM

im not doing a joint debate lion is obviously scared

borealis · 09-09-2010, 01:54 PM

:

Atheism will have won when atheists can look at this image and see nothing but two pieces of wood in the neighbors front yard. No recoiling in horror like some vampire. Just total indifference.

http://www.news.com.au/national/neig...-1225916138671

I'm guessing most of the complaining neighbours are more concerned about the ugly lawn ornament effect and would be just as distressed by a two metre tall concrete garden gnome.

rigorist · 09-09-2010, 02:14 PM

:

http://www.news.com.au/national/neig...-1225916138671

"Crockett and Tubbs: The Later Years. Coming this Fall on NBC"

sanshou · 09-09-2010, 10:17 PM

:

Atheism will have won when atheists can look at this image and see nothing but two pieces of wood in the neighbors front yard. No recoiling in horror like some vampire. Just total indifference.

http://www.news.com.au/national/neig...-1225916138671

jesus fuck could a mod please put some hide tags around this abomination before my eyeballs melt?

ravenok · 09-09-2010, 11:43 PM

those guys aren't exactly easy on the eyes.

Old Dan · 09-10-2010, 04:08 AM

:

That atheism is currently in a stage of decline.
In favor - me
Against - Add your name.

Son, I'd take ya up on this here debate resolution, if'n ya added a little note about whatcha mean when ya say "atheism."

Like, when ya say "atheism is in a stage of decline," do ya mean "The number of atheists has declined," or "the number of books published by atheists about atheism has declined," or "the number of websites and blogs about atheism has declined"?

Ya'd hafta define yer time period, too, "has declined since ______ (last year, last decade, last century)."

Whichever one yer thinkin, I bet anybody with a Google can debate yer ass with a single screenshot and win. I'm rip-rarin ta go on that.

But I'm curious whatcha mean, son.

Lion IRC · 09-10-2010, 05:46 AM

:

im not doing a joint debate lion is obviously scared

TestyCalibrate - says yes.

daap-umop-bnp - says yes with the proviso that the debate be done in 12 word sentences.

Old Dan - says yes but seems nervous in case the word "atheism" might be used against him in some Jedi mind trick. Strange since he claims anyone could beat me in a debate.

gandalf - is out but at least was able to throw in one last jibe. (now why would I start this thread if I was scared?)

I dont have any "terms" on which I agree to debate. If someone wants to restrict the scope of the debate let them speak up.

I was happy with a general free wheeling discussion thread like the one initiated by Parture but plagiarism accusations got in the way and derailed it. The only reason I am offering a formal debate is in response to the allegation that somehow ran away from it the first instance.

ravenok · 09-10-2010, 05:51 AM

1) Topic/resolution: Is atheism declining [in some described manner]?
(2) Participants, positions and sequence: Lion IRC (affirmative), testy, ??? (negative) (3) Scope: ??
(4) Length in rounds: ??
(5) Maximum statement length: ?, ?, ? (not including quotes of the other participant, anything else excluded?)
(6) Time limit between statements: One week?
(7) Start date: ??
(8) Additional criteria: ??

~~Bartholomew Roberts~~ · 09-10-2010, 06:14 AM

I'd debate you but I never lose debates ever so it wouldn't be fair

Lion IRC · 09-10-2010, 06:45 AM

:

I'd debate you but I never lose debates ever so it wouldn't be fair

Me either.
Wanna call it a nil-all draw?

TestyCalibrate · 09-11-2010, 03:12 AM

:

1) Topic/resolution: Is atheism declining [in some described manner]?
(2) Participants, positions and sequence: Lion IRC (affirmative), testy, ??? (negative) (3) Scope: ??
(4) Length in rounds: 3.
(5) Maximum statement length: 2000 words. (not including quotes of the other participant, anything else excluded?)
(6) Time limit between statements: One week
(7) Start date: When Lion submits the opening post
(8) Additional criteria: ??

hows this?

Old Dan · 09-13-2010, 02:52 AM

:

Old Dan - says yes but seems nervous in case the word "atheism" might be used against him in some Jedi mind trick. Strange since he claims anyone could beat me in a debate.

Son, I aint nervous. Define yer terms.

Lion IRC · 09-13-2010, 04:24 AM

:

Old Dan - says yes but seems nervous in case the word "atheism" might be used against him in some Jedi mind trick. Strange since he claims anyone could beat me in a debate.

Son, I aint nervous. Define yer terms.

They arent "my" terms. I am not putting any restrictions or limitations on "the terms".

If someone wants to make an argument that atheism is nothing more than "non-stamp collecting" for the purpose of steering the debate in the direction they want it to go - let them.

If you want me to agree to your terms before the debate I am happy to do so. Speak up.

Otherwise, it seems what you really want is for me to show you my hand before the debate.

You want me to say ...."the decline commenced in 1956"
Then you ask me to define my term "commenced" and specifiy what event in 1956.

So I say..."post-enlightment response to the philosophical ramifications of quantum physics"

Then you say...define "post enlightenment" and "philosophical" and ask what I know of quantum mechanics. You might seek to limit my use of the word quantum in any metaphysical sense.

I say the decline is manifest in the the public's disenchantment with science's lack of satisfying explanations of the transcendant - hence the return to non-atheistic world views.

You ask me to define what that means - I say New Ageism, Fundamentalism, Anti-Communism, Technophobia, Anti-globalism, Environmentalism, Spiritualism,

You say atheism is defined very narrowly and has nothing to say by way of atheology for or against science, politics and is not opposed to any "woo" except and unless Divine Beings are invoked.

I seek to clarify whether the "terms" extend to the decline in atheistic skepticism of the existence of discarnate consciousness (the soul) and you say no atheism has nothing to say about the existence of the soul. So presumably I would be prevented from making any argument about atheism declining in prefence to some soul/afterlife religion.

Pretty soon, before you know it, the debate is a complete waste of time because "atheism" is watered down to mere luke warm agnosticism about God and indifference about the soul, the afterlife, UFO's, extra terrestrial dimensions of reality. In other words, "what decline?" it never amounted to anything in the first place.

My argument is that New Atheism is a last gasp in the face of an expansion in the religious "zeitgeist" - islamist, post-communist, evangelical right, New Age spiritualism

Old Dan · 09-13-2010, 04:31 AM

Damn, son, all I want ta know is what ya mean when ya say "atheism" is in decline. I aint gonna agree to debatin somethin that aint been stated.

How do ya define "atheism" in yer sentence, there?

Debate resolutions gotta assert somethin... if all yer sayin is "atheism, the absence of theism, is less prevalent now than it was in the past" then that's yer assertion. Is that yer assertion?

Old Dan · 09-13-2010, 04:33 AM

:

My argument is that New Atheism is a last gasp in the face of an expansion in the religious "zeitgeist" - islamist, post-communist, evangelical right, New Age spiritualism

Oh, son, is this yer assertion? This aint "atheism is in decline," I reckon.

TestyCalibrate · 09-13-2010, 04:33 AM

hahhahhahhahaaha. You'll be happy to know that I don't consider myself an atheist.

Old Dan · 09-13-2010, 04:40 AM

:

hahhahhahhahaaha. You'll be happy to know that I don't consider myself an atheist.

Congratulations, son, now you jest sit here and pray for a spell while we're waitin fer Lyin IRC to state his terms.

TestyCalibrate · 09-13-2010, 04:41 AM

I go second. I don't care what terms he chooses or how he defines his words.

Lion IRC · 09-13-2010, 05:30 AM

Hi Old Dan,
Let me make this easier for you.
Suppose you wanted to debate me on the contrary proposition that atheism is NOT in decline.
And suppose I said to you all the same things you did about defining terms.
Would you outline any "terms" for me?
Lets say you did outline your terms and I agreed to all of them.
Now - are you ready to debate?
Lion (IRC)

09-08-2010, 07:59 PM	#1088879 / #26
daap-umop-bnp murder by chair : Apr 2009 : a white state : 25,431	I will debate him with a 12 word limit per post. Ha. __________________ Please clap.

09-08-2010, 08:00 PM	#1088883 / #27
TestyCalibrate Someone oughta fix the door dummy : Sep 2008 : I've mistaken blueberries for blueberries! : 20,320	I will debate on any terms you like. __________________ Cabin fever.

09-09-2010, 06:40 AM	#1089885 / #32
gandalf teh r3t4rd teh pplz champi0n : Feb 2010 : 13,784	im not doing a joint debate lion is obviously scared __________________ el guapo: gandalf, you are god's gift to mafia; i can be a little aspie rmacfarl: Febble you should listen to Gandalf DeanM: Yes I acknowledge you were right. laughing dog: gandalf has it right rednoise: gandalf is right. AwfulCrawler: I don't blame you for being a complete, utter retard gandalf. You were probably born that way. Mattshizzle: Advice # 1 - post in English instead of Retarded. Schneibster: Do you have any idea how many people have arrogantly told me I was full of shit on the Internet?

09-09-2010, 11:43 PM	#1091462 / #36
ravenok trigger warning Into the West : Mar 2008 : Norton's Empire : 81,531	those guys aren't exactly easy on the eyes. __________________ It's all good fun until somebody loses an eye.

09-10-2010, 05:51 AM	#1091938 / #39
ravenok trigger warning Into the West : Mar 2008 : Norton's Empire : 81,531	1) Topic/resolution: Is atheism declining [in some described manner]? (2) Participants, positions and sequence: Lion IRC (affirmative), testy, ??? (negative) (3) Scope: ?? (4) Length in rounds: ?? (5) Maximum statement length: ?, ?, ? (not including quotes of the other participant, anything else excluded?) (6) Time limit between statements: One week? (7) Start date: ?? (8) Additional criteria: ?? __________________ It's all good fun until somebody loses an eye.

09-09-2010, 06:18 AM	#1089866 / #29
Lion IRC Senior Member : Aug 2010 : 1,750	Hi TestyCalibrate, Yes I have decided. That atheism is currently in a stage of decline. In favor - me Against - Add your name. I can only debate 5 people at a time. (See Boba123? A really arrogant person would have said 50 people at a time) So far its 3 versus 1. You and gandalf and daap-umop-bnp versus me. Lion (IRC)

09-09-2010, 06:23 AM	#1089872 / #30
Lion IRC Senior Member : Aug 2010 : 1,750	daap-umop-bnp asked for a 12 word limit so you can have his quota so it doesnt go to waste

09-09-2010, 06:31 AM	#1089875 / #31
Lion IRC Senior Member : Aug 2010 : 1,750	Atheism will have won when atheists can look at this image and see nothing but two pieces of wood in the neighbors front yard. No recoiling in horror like some vampire. Just total indifference. http://www.news.com.au/national/neig...-1225916138671

09-10-2010, 06:14 AM	#1091947 / #40
~~Bartholomew Roberts~~ Banned : Mar 2008 : 44,650	I'd debate you but I never lose debates ever so it wouldn't be fair

09-13-2010, 04:31 AM	#1095859 / #45
Old Dan Senior Member : Apr 2008 : the holla mohalla : 10,303	Damn, son, all I want ta know is what ya mean when ya say "atheism" is in decline. I aint gonna agree to debatin somethin that aint been stated. How do ya define "atheism" in yer sentence, there? Debate resolutions gotta assert somethin... if all yer sayin is "atheism, the absence of theism, is less prevalent now than it was in the past" then that's yer assertion. Is that yer assertion?

09-13-2010, 04:33 AM	#1095861 / #47
TestyCalibrate Someone oughta fix the door dummy : Sep 2008 : I've mistaken blueberries for blueberries! : 20,320	hahhahhahhahaaha. You'll be happy to know that I don't consider myself an atheist. __________________ Cabin fever.

09-13-2010, 04:41 AM	#1095869 / #49
TestyCalibrate Someone oughta fix the door dummy : Sep 2008 : I've mistaken blueberries for blueberries! : 20,320	I go second. I don't care what terms he chooses or how he defines his words. __________________ Cabin fever.

09-13-2010, 05:30 AM	#1095878 / #50
Lion IRC Senior Member : Aug 2010 : 1,750	Hi Old Dan, Let me make this easier for you. Suppose you wanted to debate me on the contrary proposition that atheism is NOT in decline. And suppose I said to you all the same things you did about defining terms. Would you outline any "terms" for me? Lets say you did outline your terms and I agreed to all of them. Now - are you ready to debate? Lion (IRC)

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