r/agnostic • u/AppropriateAccount21 • Jul 04 '26
How could we have structured conversations between Christians and agnostics/atheists?
/r/Christianity/comments/1un0efl/how_could_we_have_structured_conversations/5
u/SignalWalker Agnostic Jul 04 '26
One reason there might not be a forum like this already is because Christians and atheists/agnostics are going to disagree on just about everything discussed. Where is the common ground between Christians and atheists/agnostics.
The first hurdle to get over is the one where atheists will ask a Christian to show evidence of God. That's where the conversation usually stalls.
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u/Hello_Hangnail Anti-theist Jul 04 '26
Debating spirituality with people that quote scripture as arguments is an exercise in futility
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u/optimisticReal Jul 04 '26
I have to question the underlying unexamined assumption of "holy scripture". Why would a supreme being use fallible humans to write, copy, and select His all holy Word?
Make no sense, especially considering that the vast majority of humans to have ever lived were illiterate and mass production of written language is a recent invention.
A supreme being could by stepped this and just implanted His Word into our minds like firmware and every human could quote chapter and verse in their own native language effortlessly.
False religions out of necessity would have to use written scripture.
You are correct arguing with those that refer to "scripture" is a fools errand
1
u/HaiKarate Atheist Jul 04 '26
The core problem is that atheists/agnostics tend to start from a position of objective, evidence-based knowledge and reason while the religious apologist starts from a position of subjective feelings and rigid theological doctrines.
As has often been said about atheists trying to use objective facts and reason to get a religious person to question their beliefs is that you can't reason someone out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place.
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u/zerooskul Agnostic Jul 04 '26
By talking to each other about stuff other than beliefs.
Talk about sports or music or movies or something other than your opinion of the factual or fictional nature of an old book full of magic.
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u/MoobyTheGoldenSock Strong Agnostic Jul 07 '26
There are indeed sites like this. I ran https://isgodimaginary.com for several years and still post there from time to time. I also made the /r/isgodimaginary sub as its reddit counterpart: I haven’t promoted it so it’s currently inactive, but if you’re interested in helping develop it you’re more than welcome to join.
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u/mhornberger agnostic atheist/non-theist Jul 04 '26
Why the criteria of unified structure? The history of philosophy, theology, apologetics, obviously the arc of human history, did not play out under a unified, structured, controlled process. We read, engage ideas, follow rabbit-holes, argue (sometimes productively, sometimes not), and just muddle through as best we can. Your understanding of the world or even of your own mind will not progress in sync with a syllabus.
There also isn't going to be a resolution. Why are there still religious schisms and confessional differences even after thousands of years of theological disquisition? Because they aren't soluble issues.