Religious debate

[Kadagar_AV]

I think I'll pass.

Although for whoever does debate, I think the deism/theism issue should be cleared up. As I understand it, deism means a God that sets everything in motion, but then does not/cannot intervene in the workings of the universe after that. A sort of 'universe making factory' as I heard it somewhere.

On the other hand, theism tends to mean a god that does interact with the universe and maybe also people to varying degrees.

Sad to hear you wont pick up the gauntlet... I do however hope you will help strenghten the religious side, I know you have a thing or two to say about faith from previous threads.

Nice idea to set up parameters in advance. When and if a debate is begun, please do so in a new thread and I can than close this "information" thread and let the debate start clean.

Yepp yepp, intended that. How do we keep the discussion therad free of other posters though? Maybe both partys could PM their reply to you or some other mod, and you post it on the forum. So thread can stay locked for others?

In a time before Wikipedia, I held to the meaning of Deism as religion without revelation. A religion with closed books and no figure head who can say: Thus saith the Lord.
Judasim of old was not Deist as they had prophets who spoke the will of God and claimed directly intervention from God, but nowadays only Mormonism and Roman Catholics claim to know the will of God through his mouth piece. (I am not counting the short lived sects who usually ends in a local doomsday).
But they are all Theists as they believe in a supreme being, the creator of our world or universe.

I think the belief in "god" could well be enough as marker for the religious side. I dont intend the debate to steer into catholic priests fiddling young boys, nor Muhammeds pedophile tendencies. So the exact variation of faith is not really important, it is the bigger question of a "god" that is at hand. So does not really matter if you are theist, deist or basicly whatever.

I think I'll pass as well. I don't have the energy, and it's not a topic that interests me a great deal.



Well, you are technically correct. However, all Christians believe in a Present and Active God, and in Revelation. Bear in mind that most forms of Protestantism allow for "minor" or "unofficial" Revelation direct from God. So Christians are not Deistic.

Same as to Rhyfelwyr, I hope you strenghten the religious team :)

Kad. Just start a thread with a title like "Atheism is humble, religion is arrogant". And then argue reasonably with the people who reply.

It's the backroom way.

Those threads often lose focus fast. Might be fun with something new for a change, no? Dont mind me, I enjoy drunken bashing as much as the next one ;)

No one can win the debate, because you got tons of religions who mostly say they are the correct one, and the others are false. So you will have masses of "religious infighting" then you got others who think religion is a bunch of crook for deluded people.

End of the day, it would ultimately be pointless.

I dont think you are correct doing that assumption. Anyone remember Zain? He came here all creationist, and upon having spent some weeks here he started to seriosly question his own belief. People do listen to reason. Occasionaly. I know I would, with no doubt in my mind, be religious if someone could make it clear to me as to why I should be.

So no, I do not think this debate must be pointless. If for nothing else, next time a hardcore atheist or creationist (or whatever) comes we could point them there, just so we dont have to repeat ourselves ad infinitum.

And heck, if absolutely nothing else, it would give anyone interested a chance to stretch their brain muscles a little bit :)