Is it right in responding to an atheism/religious question..?

Question

..to use scripture?

When considering the other side of someone's arguement in a religious debate:

Christians require Atheists to consider their arguement, with the assumption that a god exists.

Atheists require Christians to listen to their arguement, with the assumption that a god doesn't - i.e. The scriptures are wrong too.

So surely it's bad practise to respond (if you're a religious person) using scripture, because the entirety of one's religion needs to be suspended, considered and questioned (if a reasonable answer is to be formed).

You can't pick and choose which bits to analyse and leave other bits as true? In which case any arguement can be proved by only suspending bits at a time:

It would be similar to having two imaginary friends (A and B) and saying A exists because B says he does and vice versa. Surely both A and B need to be suspended and looked at to draw a fair conclusion?

Answer 1

Well, the problem here is that what one side considers valid argument (citing the bible) the other doesn't think is valid argument at all. So while it's not 'wrong' to answer with Bible quotes, it is very ineffective.

Answer 2

Actually all scripture is does not have to be taken as "thus saith the Lord." There is much philosophical reasoning in scripture. Very often you hear motivational speakers re-hashing ideas that are in scripture.

Scripture explores the nature of perfection, faith, love, goodness, evil, wisdom, etc. The reason why scripture still has purpose today, is because it breaks down complex questions into their basic components.

Personally I believe all of philosophy branches off one question: Is there a God? I don't think there should be any problem in debating say Paul vs. Nietsche.

Do you think there is a problem when atheists post ideas or quotes from Nietsche, Russell, etc? In a debate how do you limit the resources of the other side?

Answer 3

I agree with what you say too, but you're assuming that both sides want an actual "debate", and not just to smack each other about the head. As the closest thing I have to "scripture" has it:

M: I came here for a good argument.
A: No you didn't; no, you came here for an argument.
M: An argument isn't just contradiction.
A: It can be.
M: No it can't. An argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.
A: No it isn't.
M: Yes it is! It's not just contradiction.
A: Look, if I argue with you, I must take up a contrary position.
M: Yes, but that's not just saying 'No it isn't.'
A: Yes it is!
M: No it isn't!
A: Yes it is!
M: Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just the automatic gainsaying of any statement the other person makes.
(short pause)
A: No it isn't.
M: It is.
A: Not at all.
M: Now look.
A: (Rings bell) Good Morning.

Answer 4

The logic is without a fallacy. But a religious person has no other course to take in support of his arguments. The listener can not insist to put away the scriptures. In such a debate, this is expected, that an atheist shall not and a religious shall depend on scriptures. The only escape is in not initiating and joining such a debate.

Answer 5

I asked a question earlier and asked everyone not to use scripture.

Here is my reasoning. Christians and Atheists (which was my debate question) both use bits and peices of scripture to pinpoint the exact message they want to get across.

For example. A Christian will use a "Saving Grace" notation from scripture, while an Athiest will use a "God hath Fury" notation. You can bend most of it to your own will if you want.

My question was posed for people to help tolerate each other, and if you read the responses, both Christians and Atheists used the Scripture to make their points

Answer 6

Which is why you could say that Agnostics are the balancers between the Fundamentalist/Evangelicals on both sides of the fence. I don't mind when people use scriptures once in awhile as long as they are used in moderation and have something to do with the subject. But to use them all of the time and to use tons of them is annoying especially when a majority of the time it has nothing to do with the topic.

Answer 7

I think you make a good point. Christians tend to argue points by basing their arguments about their own religion on scripture, since that is regarded as the common authoritative source on the religion. For people who don't find the scripture authoritative, the quotations just sound silly.

Answer 8

The problem is that Atheists think their logic and generalizations universally apply while Christians don't. So if we leave out all the scriptures and we leave out all the logic and generalizations, it doesn't leave anybody anything to talk about.

Answer 9

Atheists use logic and reason in any argument and they expect the same from their counterparts. If the other party does not provide these, the argument will not be productive and the result will be a crossfire of insults and derogatory comments.

Answer 10

You can cite a few lines of scripture to support your argument but pasting large chunks of text is not acceptable.