How to debate a religious person on Facebook

[SecularMotion]

Or how not to.

Over the course of a few days, a friend forwarded me a bunch of screen caps from Facebook, where she had gotten tangled in a disagreement with a bible-head. It started with gay rights and wandered around from there. Over the course of the next few posts, I’m going to post those screenshots, anonymized for the protection of the parties involved, and add my comments – not only about the christian arguments being proposed, but also some comments on how the debate itself was conducted, and why Facebook is a poor venue for such things.

http://www.dwasifar.com/?p=1915

[DailyGrind51]

1. If they are fellow Progressives, leave them alone and share common objectives!

The only thing worse than an intolerant "Believer" is an intolerant "Non-believer", respect each others' right to believe as he or she chooses without judgment or insult.

[WillParkinson]

3. Perhaps you should read the interaction...

This person finds gays abhorrent. Pretty sure they're not 'progressive'.

[LAGC]

4. Most religious people aren't progressive.

As the link in the OP confirms.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. Excuse me?

:shrug:

[iris27]

17. I would not find it surprising if a majority of all the people who profess religious belief,

taken as a single group, were found to hold non-progressive political beliefs. However, the prevalence of religion in general means that more progressives are religious than non-religious.

I think that first sentence was all that LAGC was referring to.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/124649/religious-intensity-remains-powerful-predictor-politics.aspx

[LeftishBrit]

16. There are plenty of religious progressive people...

However, political anti-secularists, and especially those who are obsessed with gays, are not progressive.

[cleanhippie]

7. Or IOW, tolerate the intoloerance.

:wtf:

[NMMNG]

10. Ms Fundagelical wants to use her Bible as a weapon against others

and it's the non-believers who are intolerant? How typical

[Goblinmonger]

13. So fighting with conservative religious people is fine?

Why is their religion open for discussion but not that of "progressives"?

[Humanist_Activist]

18. Why is the nonbeliever worse? Isn't that statement a sign of your own intolerance? n/t

[Scuba]

2. Try this (from another DU member)...

"Prayer is you telling God what's wrong with his divine plan."


By the way, how's that 'prayin' for peace' thing working for ya?


"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to pray for fish and he will starve."

[brewens]

5. No debate. My first amendment freedom FROM religion rights

give you the right to STFU and keep your superstition out of my face! That's the way I'd like to handle it anyway.

[Thats my opinion]

14. The first amendment

does not protect you from having religion around. It is part of free speech, "... nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Freedom of religion is not the same as freedom from religion. Where we are free of religion is when anyone attempts to enshrine it in law. Many of us have long fought against the breaching of that wall of separation.

[safeinOhio]

6. I just quote some words

from the Sermon On The Mount.

[rug]

8. I hope everyone takes your advice and spends hours on facebook arguing with fundamentalists.

And you say praying is a waste of time.

[LAGC]

9. Hey, there would be no such thing as ex-fundies if no one ever bothered engaging them!

People's religious beliefs aren't set in stone. While many are closed-minded and won't budge, others just need that seed of doubt planted so it can grow.

[ChandlerJr]

11. Sounds like FaceBook and such has replaced the freshman college

dorm room drunken debates at 2 in the morning.

That's a bit of a shame.

[edhopper]

15. My policy is

No religious or political debates on Facebook.Period! It is a good way to lose friends and it's public nature means your words can come back at you. I come here for that sort of thing.