Agnostic.com

For the Sake of Debate

By DangerDave 3 years ago

For the (Pete's) Sake of Debate

This is an opinion piece of my mind. Getting this out of the way first will add to my peace of mind. Opinions presented as facts either are or have been arrived at after at after lengthy observations of dozens of individual...case studies.

As you may have guessed, get ready for a satirical editorial so, using a popular site phrase, if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the fire. That's a good place to start.

1-There are many on this site who are tremendously hostile towards newcomers. Sometimes it may be warranted (theist trolls, for instance) but usually it isn't. Newbies may have some very limited understanding of agnosticism. Therefore you can expect many uneducated statements or questions repeated ad nauseum.

If you see someone level 5 or lower doing so give them a break. Don't waste your time berating them for having asked. If you're feeling particularly nice, not that said tormentor commentors often do, post a link from an earlier post well answered of the same question.

2-Remember this is an agnostic site, even if by name only. Attacking people for presenting ideas uncomfortable for you, shakes your reality or quakes your ideology is to be expected and should be invited.

If all you can say is "BS" or take an ad hominem poke at the poster, you're just being a <insert an appropriate expletive here> Let the people interested discuss the topic. By not commenting or meeting the post at all, you're limiting the poster's points on it and decreasing the chance more like minded people will do the same.

3-Presenting any statement as fact requires PROOF. (Do you see where this is going?) If you're submitting as fact say, there are no gods, then have something really concise and complete that empirically proves your point, which doesn't sound like an evangelical sermon.

Just post it elsewhere and tag the writer of the original if you want. Just not me. I've read more than enough of these no where near conclusive monotonous monologues to last me several lifetimes.

4-You should pass over posts which trigger cognitive dissonance or Dunning-Krueger. These will very greatly with each individual. Put a like on those you think are worthy additions to the site. There is no need to comment if you feel the level of the subject is above your head. Contrary to some, no one knows everything.

If you are in complete disagreement with the post, move on if you have nothing productive to add, referring first to 3.

5-Remember terminology (ie, LABELS) are an essential aspect of discussing...ANYTHING. Sometimes specific, other times not so, ideas are expressed by words. Ideas are what allow us to learn. This should not be a difficult concept.

People who don't like labels usually don't like the labels which apply to them. Oh well. You have the option of changing. The label doesn't.

6-"Gnostic atheist" is now vernacular. When the two words appear together, it has nothing to do with a religious movement. Google it. This seems to be the most detested label of members of the site...who are gnostic atheists.

It should be obvious as well when the term gnostic is used here, unless context proves otherwise, it refers to both gnostic atheists and theists. They have similarities which are worthy of another detailed article.

7-Being in a majority does not make you "right". While debatable because many agnostics identify as agnostic atheists, some feel their trump card in any argument is "there are more of us on this site" or even some variation of "the owners of this site promote gnostic atheism".

Really? Well, its just not working. Many newcomers flee the site after asking a question or even stating their own ideology because of a flurry of negative comments. While I don't wish to contribute to this insanity, the solution is simple but the average gnostic atheist won't get it or simply can't do it: you can attract more flies with sugar than salt. Which brings us to...

8-Generally speaking, the more rigid the ideology, the angrier the individual. While difficult to quantify, this is just another of those self evident truths. There have even been gnostic atheists appear on the site recruiting for church burnings. Many approach others as fundamentalist evangelicals, proselytizing their own version of knowing everything, resorting to ad hominem attacks when they fail.

They can't understand an agnostic has no ideology to defend and definitely doesn't want one. The newcomer might see this as terrible a mind set as the religion they've left. If you're looking for anyone to preach to perhaps you should go back to your previous religion.

Conclusion:

Regardless of what others think or say, I'll continue to post content I think is of interest to agnostics. At least for the time being, I'll check newcomers' posts and offer them a warm welcome, advice when appropriate and defence from the angry atheists when warranted.

Many have blocked me for my above assertions and I'm fine with that. Perhaps I've caused some to leave the site and I'd be fine with that. Turnabout is fair play after all.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of this website or its members.

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2 comments

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0

I’ll have a debate

0

To 'borrow my favourite line from "Mrs. Browns Boys," "That's NIce."