To atheists and agnostics

[The Lorax]

your statement is rather vague and certainly misinformed.

These two ideas are mutually exclusive. If it is vague, that means you can't understand it, i.e. you can't draw any conclusions from it (such as it's misinformed). If you understand it to be able to make judgments about it, then it is not vague.

Either way, this is addressed to Atheists and Agnostics. You are neither. Thus, if you'd kindly back out of the thread, it would be greatly appreciated.

Apothanein kerdos, you just earned the key to the city.

[Kabowd]

your statement is rather vague and certainly misinformed.

These two ideas are mutually exclusive. If it is vague, that means you can't understand it, i.e. you can't draw any conclusions from it (such as it's misinformed). If you understand it to be able to make judgments about it, then it is not vague.

Either way, this is addressed to Atheists and Agnostics. You are neither. Thus, if you'd kindly back out of the thread, it would be greatly appreciated.

Apothanein kerdos, you just earned the key to the city.

Then you also maintain this thread is not an

[Kabowd]

your statement is rather vague and certainly misinformed.

These two ideas are mutually exclusive. If it is vague, that means you can't understand it, i.e. you can't draw any conclusions from it (such as it's misinformed). If you understand it to be able to make judgments about it, then it is not vague.

Either way, this is addressed to Atheists and Agnostics. You are neither. Thus, if you'd kindly back out of the thread, it would be greatly appreciated.

Apothanein kerdos, you just earned the key to the city.

Then you also maintain this thread is not an

[secondeve]

My next question is, how would you handle someone like Marcus Ross? He's a 6 day creationist, but understands the evolutionary theory so well that he can make arguments for it and operate within it?

This is an interesting example, and I think it would be fair to say that we're discussing a minority category. In complete honesty, I think my ability to converse with such a person would be largely contingent upon their attitude. I understand the rudiments of evolution and science, but will cheerfully admit that neither is my area of expertise. Despite my lack of knowledge, however, I think I would remain skeptical to a certain extent because of my views on six-day creationism. That being said, I think I would ultimately be interested by such a person, and much more likely to listen to them - particularly if they were articulate and courteous - than another literalist who couldn't explain the theory they'd discarded.

Something which always frustrates me is seeing people say things like, "if birds evolved from reptiles, then why do we still have lizards," because it's the kind of question you can only assume is an obvious debunk of evolution if you actually have no understanding of how the theory works. But if this is then explained, and the person doesn't think, "hmm, I still don't have to believe in evolution, but perhaps I should know what I'm talking about when I mention it," then I find that very, very worrying - because not only are you ignorant, but you're actively choosing to be ignorant. It makes me wonder whether or not some of these people are afraid to give the area serious study in case it might start to make sense - because, clearly, if it's been intelligently pointed out to them that their understanding is flawed, then how are they in a position to judge the validity of the theory? Sigh.

As for the attitudes of posters on the Boards, I find that, in the main, there's about a 50/50 split of politeness and aggro between the Christians and the athiests. Athiest posters who annoy me are those who drop in for a bare moment and ask the most stupidly obvious, unoriginal questions designed to ellicit a certain response, but who, when that answer isn't forthcoming - because the query is so obviously bait - resort to all-out, snide or childish attacks on whoever answers; they also tend to "recant" and claim that "they only want to learn," which is plainly untrue. Christian posters who annoy me are those who seem to think that every religious view they hold is the one and only correct interpretation of Christianity; these people tend to be snide, patronising and condescending to Christians who disagree, and even worse so to athiests, often feeling no need to justify their views or attempt to comprehend anyone else's on the grounds that "it's the Devil talking."

[ted]

Thank you, secondeve, for keeping the thread in focus.

(A gentle hint for all...)

t.

[Ovedya]

Closed for review.