What are Theists attempting to accomplish by debating here?

[Zzyzx]

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What are Theists attempting to accomplish by debating here?

[historia]

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]

Little to nothing is accomplished on Internet message boards. They exist merely to entertain the participants.

[Elijah John]

...His love transcends the boundaries of one's favored theology.

This reads to me as if hes ok with people believing in other gods. Is that what you meant? If so, isnt that very much at odds with the first commandment? Just wanting to clarify.

Not OK with worshiping other gods, there is only one, "Living God", known to Christians and Jews as YHVH, and to others by other names, (Allah, Ahura Mazda, etc.)

But mostly I take issue with the notion that Jesus is the "only way" to the Living God (YHVH, the Father). I realize that is at variance with the Gospel of John. So be it.

[Zzyzx]

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What are Theists attempting to accomplish by debating here?

Most likely conversions and the saving of souls.

It seems as though that objective would not be well served when readers are presented with these debates.

In fact, I would favor having these debates be 'required reading' for Sunday school attendees and divinity school students -- to demonstrate to them the error in believing claims and stories that cannot be shown to be truthful and accurate (or anything more than products of human imagination).

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]

Little to nothing is accomplished on Internet message boards. They exist merely to entertain the participants.

I'm not sure I agree entirely. I've gone to boards because I've wanted to learn something about a partiulcer topic. They are usually frequented by folk very passionate and sometimes knowledgeable about a subject and threads will often provide the general consensus without all the verbiage of academia.

It might be that I am not alone,

JW

[1213]

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What are Theists attempting to accomplish by debating here?

I think atheist often make false claims. I try to show what is wrong in those claims so that atheists could not mislead other people too easily.

[benchwarmer]

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What are Theists attempting to accomplish by debating here?

I think atheist often make false claims. I try to show what is wrong in those claims so that atheists could not mislead other people too easily.

This is interesting. Could you provide us an example of an atheist making a false claim recently that you were refuting?

I ask, because in general (though not always) in these threads, it is the theists making claims about their religion that spark most of the debates. Most of the atheists/non-theists usually are simply asking for evidence of claims and/or refuting the religious claims.

Given that the atheist position is "I don't believe in any proposed god concepts", it's usually rare to see them make a religion based claim.

No doubt many of us have probably made poor arguments that are ripe for questioning, but usually the 'false claim' department is not part of the atheist play book when debating religion.

[Clownboat]

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What are Theists attempting to accomplish by debating here?

I was a theist when I joined 12 years ago.
(Granted, not the Bible worshipper I was for the first 2 decades of life).

I joined in an attempt to maintain the beliefs I still had at the time. Instead I received further education and eventually was totally set free from my beliefs!

Gotta love the irony.

Much like going out on the streets to evangelize will kindle the god fire in the hearts of believers (first hand), coming on to sites like this pretending to evangelize to non-Christians probably does provide some with the same self-serving effect.
(Not my reason for joining as I was already done with street evangelizing, but the effect is still the same).

[Clownboat]

[Replying to post 1 by Zzyzx]

Little to nothing is accomplished on Internet message boards. They exist merely to entertain the participants.

This site helped to set me free from the beliefs that still had a hold on me over 12 years ago.
I owe many of those on this site much for making me think outside my Christian mindset I was indoctrinated in to.

I would think I'm not alone.

Much entertainment has been had as well though...

[Jagella]

What are Theists attempting to accomplish by debating here?

I think that they're trying to convert people to their brand of religion and complaining about those of us who don't bite. So for them "debating" Christianity is evangelizing Christianity.

[Jagella]

Little to nothing is accomplished on Internet message boards. They exist merely to entertain the participants.

My main reason to debate here isn't to be entertained but to warn people of how they can be harmed by Christianity.