How did I do?

• Malogg wrote on 2012-07-31 06:44
  So, I was on Omegle, and I met a very confused agnostic. I want to know what everybody thinks of the advice I gave him. I know religion is a touchy subject, but I hope everyone can be mature and express whether you think I helped him, or screwed him over. I'm not very good at discussing religion.
  
  If people can't handle this discussion without acting like children, then by all means lock this thread.
  
  [SPOILER="Spoiler"]

  [Image: http://l.omegle.com/6002172.png]

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• Lolicon wrote on 2012-07-31 07:00
  I can say I respect your opinions. Can't say I agree with them, but I'll leave it at that. If I talked more I'd get this thread locked instantly.
• RebeccaBlack wrote on 2012-07-31 07:16
  He seems like a person who's just looking for a proper answer. I like him. He'll question what he grew up with, but won't blindly accept the condescending anti-religious crap that doesn't actually say anything other than "well these people are dumb and we're right!" He'll probably end up taking a reasonable, moderate approach to everything regardless of what he ends up believing in. He'll also soon learn that taking a balanced approach to anything just gets hate from both sides because people are ridiculous and basically do the same thing as each other, just for different causes.
  
  As for whether you were helpful or hurtful? I'd like to say although I don't agree with a decent bit of stuff you said, it was probably overall helpful and gave him another perspective he may or may not have heard/seen before. That's always good.
  
  And yeah, religion threads are basically doomed from what I've seen. I've never seen it end well.
  
  Oh, I figure I should say that when I mention "condescending anti-religious crap", I'm not talking about what you said. It was a bit pushy, but meh, it's not necessarily a bad thing to be pushy about what you believe in.
• NomadTrooper wrote on 2012-07-31 07:35
  Lol, Pennsylvania is so fucked up, sorry Dani.
  
  Anyway, he came to you looking for what he wanted to hear and got it. Did this really deserve a thread?
• Rin wrote on 2012-07-31 07:48
  At least you gave reasons. He'll think deeper, and that's probably the best thing to do: thinking what he wants for himself.
  
  You did make some "all/none of them" assumptions (and with a biased tone too) but I believe in your intentions above all that.
• Hiccup wrote on 2012-07-31 08:57

  Quote from NomadTrooper;922845:

  Lol, Pennsylvania is so fucked up, sorry Dani.
  

  
  
  OH HELL NA!
  
  It's hard to read sometimes but it was basically what most religious conversations are. This is my opinion, and this is their opinion. Seems like his mom's giving em a lot of pressure but that's to be expected of course. He just needs to come up with what's best for him.
• Malogg wrote on 2012-07-31 17:39

  Quote from Rin;922851:

  At least you gave reasons. He'll think deeper, and that's probably the best thing to do: thinking what he wants for himself.
  
  You did make some "all/none of them" assumptions (and with a biased tone too) but I believe in your intentions above all that.

  
  
  Yeah, reading back through it now, I did generalize Christians quite a bit. I'll try not to do that if I ever have a conversation like this again.
  By the way, the reason I made this thread is because I'm really not used to discussing religion/atheism with people and I feel like could have done a lot better.
• Sumpfkraut wrote on 2012-08-01 20:59
  You did do quite well actually. Not everyone can be a rhetorician laureate, and doesn't need to. Also, practise makes perfect.
• Osayidan wrote on 2012-08-02 03:18
  Logically, all sides can be wrong and probably are wrong, and likely no one will ever find all the answers. The reality of the universe is that it's a colossal mindfuck.
• Juno wrote on 2012-08-02 04:15
  It's clear that your knowledge of Christianity is severely limited, but working with what you knew, I think you gave him sound advice.
  
  Personally, it's kind of annoying to read. Objectively, you could have presented the information in more neutral manner and stuck to absolutes rather than generalizations.
• Episkey wrote on 2012-08-02 04:33
  All I read was a myriad of the most biased and generalized statements towards Christianity I've ever seen.
  
  I can't ... honestly say you've helped this person at all. You told him to ask questions and to think for himself, yet from what I'm reading - I see a severe lack of that.
  
  So while your advice of asking questions and finding your own answers was sound, the way you presented it - was not. While I was reading, there was a flood of counter-statements emerging from my mind with each statement you made against Christianity.
  
  Any Christian worth their salt can refute most of the arguments you presented against the Bible and Christianity.
  
  
  
  "There are millions of religions in the world"
  
  Millions of classified religious belief systems or individual spiritual beliefs? I think there's a key difference. Also - like you stated, the amount of people following a particular belief is irrelevant. If so, why even state something like this?
  
  
  
  "Have you ever read the Bible? It's awful. It's racist, sexist, and barbaric."
  
  This really irked me. What Bible are you reading, is what I wish to ask.
  
  RACIST? Oh sure - statements such as "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)" and the fact that Jesus was of colored skin, yeah the Bible is reeeeeeaallly racist.
  
  SEXIST? Right. Sure. Please ignore all the influential and important women of the Bible. Eve, Mary, Ruth, Lydia just come to my mind. Biblical Patriarchy isn't discriminatory against women.
  
  BARBARIC? Oh no! There's a war in a series of books that record historical events and people died! How awful.
  
  
  However, my point is not to analyze every statement you made. But perhaps merely offer you a glimpse that maybe, just maybe, there is more to Christian beliefs and the Bible than you originally would have known. If you wish, I would be more than happy to talk about what you said in this conversation via a PM.
  
  
  

  Quote from Malogg;923077:

  Yeah, reading back through it now, I did generalize Christians quite a bit. I'll try not to do that if I ever have a conversation like this again.

  
  
  Indeed you did. So, I just further wanted to exemplify that issue. I'm glad to read that such generalization is unlikely to happen again.
• Lolicon wrote on 2012-08-05 19:46
  ^
  This. You're creating arguments with no proof or backup. Do some research before you argue. You really can't say jackshit about religion when you don't know jackshit about it, right?
  (I cuss a lot. I'm not insulting you, it's just me.)
• Malogg wrote on 2012-08-05 20:37

  Quote from Jerain;927289:

  ^
  This. You're creating arguments with no proof or backup. Do some research before you argue. You really can't say jackshit about religion when you don't know jackshit about it, right?
  (I cuss a lot. I'm not insulting you, it's just me.)

  
  
  I've actually been pming with Episkey, trying to learn more about it, so I don't make the same mistakes again. :)
• Fabian wrote on 2012-08-06 04:53
  You forgot to mention how annoying Christians are man. They are like cockroaches, no matter how many times you get rid of them, they keep coming back. You are never safe either...I've had them come to my house every week for like 3 months, I've ran into them in the street (and they start a one hour conversation), heck, even at work (boss had to tell him to go away).
  
  Other than that, you did great. :XD:
• Lolicon wrote on 2012-08-06 05:05

  Quote from Fabian;927598:

  You forgot to mention how annoying Christians are man. They are like cockroaches, no matter how many times you get rid of them, they keep coming back. You are never safe either...I've had them come to my house every week for like 3 months, I've ran into them in the street (and they start a one hour conversation), heck, even at work (boss had to tell him to go away).
  
  Other than that, you did great. :XD:

  
  
  If you're really having that many troubles with a group of people this large, its your own problem, not theirs. Ever thought of saying "lol I'm atheist I don't really care"?
  
  The amount of disrespect in your post is >9000.