What happened to General Apologetics?

[brightlights]

Am I looking at it?

 

[Elioenai26]

Am I looking at it?

I have no idea. I wish there was a general apologetics forum or somewhere more conducive to formal debate.

 

[brightlights]

I have no idea. I wish there was a general apologetics forum or somewhere more conducive to formal debate.

There used to be. It was like spending a pleasant evening at the public house.

 

[brightlights]

Or sometimes like watching a Nascar event.

 

[servant of Merciful Love]

.

 

[pgp_protector]

Or sometimes like watching a Nascar event.

Or a drunken brawl

 

[Elioenai26]

Or sometimes like watching a Nascar event.

Hehehehehehe......

 

[ToddNotTodd]

Am I looking at it?

Sheesshhh, where have you been...

They nixed GA quite a while ago. Because the Christians kept losing.

 

[brightlights]

Sheesshhh, where have you been...

They nixed GA quite a while ago. Because the Christians kept losing.

Probably because I took a leave of absence.

 

[Lord Emsworth]

But you are kinda right. You are looking at the ersatz apologetics forum.

 

[Gadarene]

But you are kinda right. You are looking at the ersatz apologetics forum.

Given the number of "this-is-not-GA" shutdowns threads get, the demand for discussions of this kind is evidently still present and will still go on regardless.

 

[brightlights]

What qualifies something as GA material?

 

[Elioenai26]

What qualifies something as GA material?

I was not here when the GA was active, but I am guessing it is like the apologetics forum that is for Christians Only, except that it was open to everyone????

 

[Gadarene]

What qualifies something as GA material?

I get the impression it's debates on the existence of God and the morality of God, at a minimum.

Honestly, you'd think the philosophy subforum would be a place for them, given that those aren't uncommon topics within that field -_-

 

[Hawisher]

Sheesshhh, where have you been...

They nixed GA quite a while ago. Because the Christians kept losing.

There are either too many stupid theists who like debating, or too many smart atheists. I'm inclined to believe it's the former, despite the troubling conclusion that it leads to, which is we should restrict the debate forums to people who are demonstrably capable of forming a coherent thought. The latter leads to an even more troubling conclusion, however, which is that we should ban atheists entirely from the board, with which I have two problems: the first is that it's censorship. Christianity is consistently represented (with a few exceptions) by the dregs of this forum, both because those who actually have a theological background are busy answering questions for the new believers, doing actual research, and other assorted activities or are staying far away from this forum because nobody's going to convince anybody of anything on the internet, and because the atheists who are members of this forum cannot conceivably be here for any reason other than to engage in debates against Christianity (other than the very few who were Christians, made friends here, and wish to not sever ties with them) and therefore, by and large, are far better-prepared and better-suited to debate than the average Christian member.

tl;dr we have all sorts of Christians, and only the smart atheists.

 

[Davian]

There are either too many stupid theists who like debating, or too many smart atheists. I'm inclined to believe it's the former, despite the troubling conclusion that it leads to, which is we should restrict the debate forums to people who are demonstrably capable of forming a coherent thought. The latter leads to an even more troubling conclusion, however, which is that we should ban atheists entirely from the board, with which I have two problems: the first is that it's censorship. Christianity is consistently represented (with a few exceptions) by the dregs of this forum, both because those who actually have a theological background are busy answering questions for the new believers, doing actual research, and other assorted activities or are staying far away from this forum because nobody's going to convince anybody of anything on the internet, and because the atheists who are members of this forum cannot conceivably be here for any reason other than to engage in debates against Christianity (other than the very few who were Christians, made friends here, and wish to not sever ties with them) and therefore, by and large, are far better-prepared and better-suited to debate than the average Christian member.

tl;dr we have all sorts of Christians, and only the smart atheists.

A belated welcome to the board.

Have you followed any threads in the Christian Apologetics forum? I find it amazing where a thread can go in what is effectively an echo chamber. There have been exceptions, of course.

 

[Hawisher]

A belated welcome to the board.

Have you followed any threads in the Christian Apologetics forum? I find it amazing where a thread can go in what is effectively an echo chamber. There have been exceptions, of course.

Yes.

The worst part is that I was converted by apologetics. Real apologetics don't sound like that.

 

[Gadarene]

Yes.

The worst part is that I was converted by apologetics. Real apologetics don't sound like that.

I'd be curious to know what you mean by 'real apologetics' - unless you mean a presentation of something like the moral argument by a more competent apologist than Craig/Zacharias.

 

[Hawisher]

I'd be curious to know what you mean by 'real apologetics' - unless you mean a presentation of something like the moral argument by a more competent apologist than Craig/Zacharias.

That's certainly one example; however, it's not my favorite. I think you could certainly include things like historical evidence of the resurrection (which converted me), the ontological argument (with which I have no real experience), and any of the host of other arguments I'm sure exist, so long as they're argued competently.

 

[Gadarene]

That's certainly one example; however, it's not my favorite. I think you could certainly include things like historical evidence of the resurrection (which converted me), the ontological argument (with which I have no real experience), and any of the host of other arguments I'm sure exist, so long as they're argued competently.

Fair enough. Don't buy any of them, but that's for another time.