Help in Debate

[Mainframes]

I'm just wondering, why are you debating Creationism and Evolution in an ENGLISH class? I dunno, it just seems like something that you'd be talking about in Ancient Civilizations or Biology, not English.

I think the whole idea is that they are learning to debate properly. That is a subject covered in english. I imagine someone came up with a topic that would spark a great deal of interest.

 

[WithHisBloodWentOurSin]

Well he is teaching us how to debate, and this was one of the Topics, there were many (Ex, Driving age limit should be lowered, debating just random things) i was lucky that this topic was there. Even if i fail, it was fun!

 

[Taffsadar]

I want to have an evolution vs creation debate. But it's kinda hard to find any creationists around here...

It would be fun, I love the shotgun tactic and they wouldn't ban me when I got nasty

 

[Gormless]

I want to have an evolution vs creation debate. But it's kinda hard to find any creationists around here...

It would be fun, I love the shotgun tactic and they wouldn't ban me when I got nasty

I suppose someone could pretend to be a creationist...

 

[Meatros]

My suggestion is to just flat out lie and confuse the issue.

If you are going to try to argue the actual evidence you are going to lose-so you should just make it up or provide a slant about it.

A good example of how to do this is Kent Hovind's Dr. Dino site.

 

[Jet Black]

I am listening to one of hovind's seminars at the moment, I can see why he is so convincing.

 

[Vance]

The first thing you do is NEVER use Hovind's stuff. It will simply make you look foolish.

Second, check out this website, it has all the Creationist arguments, as well as some of the standard responses:

http://home.earthlink.net/~misaak/guide/list.html

Third, check out the "arguments Creationists should NOT use" list put out by the leading Creationist group, AIG. This list can be found here:

http://www.answersingenesis.org/hom...aq/dont_use.asp

Lastly, for the sake of Christianity, NEVER say that if evolution is true, or the earth is billions of years old, the Bible must be incorrect and thus we can not trust any of it. This will create more atheists than the theory of evolution every could.

 

[Jet Black]

The first thing you do is NEVER use Hovind's stuff. It will simply make you look foolish.

that depends on the audience hovind's audience in this seminar seem to be lapping up his bovine excreta.

 

[Pete Harcoff]

that depends on the audience hovind's audience in this seminar seem to be lapping up his bovine excreta.
[/size][/color][/font]

Pretty much. Hovind's target audience are Christians who simply want to have someone confirm their belief. In that respect, he's really just a preacher.

If it was really a matter of science, Hovind would not be afraid to engage scientists in proper venues (namely, written research which can be carefully analyzed). But he won't, because his goals have nothing to do with science.

 

[Taffsadar]

It's amusing how everyone tells you the same thing, lie and make strawmen.

Do you really want to be that sort of person? I suggest you either change subject or start arguing for theistic evolution.

 

[theomnifish]

Hmm...I dunno, but I think that this topic might generate more negativity between different people in the class, and that would outweigh any potential benefits that debating this topic could create. Is it really good to debate such a controversial topic and one that a lot of people might feel strongly about if the only aim is to try and improve people's debating skills?

I had a debate of a similar nature in my grade 11 Ancient Civilizations class. There was one super fundamentalist Christian creationist and also one atheistic evolutionist who took every oppourtunity he could during class to try and put down creationism and anyone who believed in it. The teacher, by chance I guess, happened to put both of these people in the same debating group, on different teams. Let me just say that their debate wasn't pretty. =(

 

[foolsparade]

hmmm, if one does not anything about the "enemy", then why jump into the war? why would someone jump to defend creationism without knowing what evolution is all about.? oh wait, thats the christian way.

 

[WithHisBloodWentOurSin]

well accually alot of Christians, I for one, know about Evolution, probally not as much as Dr. So and so with a phd in Biology, but i do have a basic understanding.

 

[Bushido216]

Did it ever occur to anyone that Hovind is interested in making money? And that honest scientists living off of grants have a hard time doing that?

 

[Arikay]

But is it real evolution or strawman evolution?
Most creationists know about strawman evolution. (A false version of evolution that was made up by creationist organizations).

The quickest question to this, How does the Theory of Evolution say the universe began?

well accually alot of Christians, I for one, know about Evolution, probally not as much as Dr. So and so with a phd in Biology, but i do have a basic understanding.

 

[the_malevolent_milk_man]

Taff, what happened to your "Heil mein Furor Bush" avatar? Viking kitties are cool (that movie is trippy at 3 AM in the morning and when you start singing with it...) but Bush was win.

 

[troodon]

oh wait, thats the christian way.

There's no need for that.

 

[Pete Harcoff]

Did it ever occur to anyone that Hovind is interested in making money? And that honest scientists living off of grants have a hard time doing that?

For sure. But he gets extremely defensive if you accuse him of that, though.

There's a nice little break down of what Hovind probably takes in per year at this site: http://www.geocities.com/kenthovind/revenue.htm

He always emphatically states he does not draw a salary from his ministry, probably because he'd have to pay taxes if he did.