Why do people come to R&S to do this (details within)?

Question

They ask a question directed towards atheists, something like "oh yeah, atheists, if you're so smart answer THIS", proceed to demand a 5 hour university quality dissertation on evolutionary biology or the Big Bang or why atheists obviously hate Christians so very very much, and then wind up picking an answer from a fellow Christian who validates their own views and dismisses the atheists as lost or pathetic or closed minded, etc.

WHY???

Are people THAT desperate for someone to pat them on the head and say "you're right about everything, kiddo, and they're just big stupid-head losers"?

*sigh* I was using this as an example. I know it goes both ways. Yes, atheists do it too. There's no need to remind me anymore.

Answer 1

Do you mean like this atheist has done here?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsnEjtQlaXabWCIkyBhjNwzty6IX?qid=20070421155022AA4JExR&show=7#profile-info-ebc5fdfac8f50e088056beb5d5d6f767aa

Argumentative people do not want to know the truth, they already have their own opinion and they just want to hear others say that they agree with them. They are not saying, "I have a question that I would like to know the answer to," but, "I have an opinion that I want to express in the form of a question so that I can get reassurance that others agree with me."
I think the medical profession has a name for people like this.

Answer 2

They don't want an answer, because they're not really asking a question. They' re only being sarcastic, and to me it's not a acceptable why of showing true Christianity. But some people believe they will be forgiven for every sin they make as long as they believe or think they're Christians.
It's what I call a Religious consious. Some don't have any, because all will be forgiven..
So, so, sad!

Answer 3

This is something I agree with you on. I don't believe a question that is directed at a specific group should be answered by others and even if they are, how can someone else give a better answer to the question? If I ask an atheist a question, it is something that can only be answered from their perspective. Why ask someone a question then ignore their answer?

Answer 4

Simple Zero Cool. Because the fact that these questions demand 5 hour dissertations demonstrates the point. Your own Occam's Razer says that the simplest answer is the best one. So, when addressing the question, "Why do the stars stay in the sky?", you would offer a long, university-quality dissertation on your so-called gravity and your so-called physics.

I, on the other hand, can offer a Bible-quality explanation, elegant in its simplicity: God did it.

Is that Occam's Razer burn? Try some Biblical Aloe.

Answer 5

Sadly, this is a common occurance on both sides of the faith issue. I've seen Christians pick a fellow Christian's answer when there is clearly a better reply by an atheist. And there are plenty of atheists who would give "gaznorsenplatz" a best answer if it came from an atheist, rather than award the points to a Christian for a Ph.D thesis.

What I don't understand are atheists who give me "Best Answer" solely for the purpose of being able to argue and harange me about my reply. They use the comment feature to completely disagree with my Christian answer.

Someone want to explain that one to me? If it's the "Best Answer," why are they arguing? If they don't agree, why are they giving me the points for best?

Makes no sense to me.

Answer 6

I have good news for you, ZC. If the godidiots had any GOOD arguments, they'd use them. That's how we can be sure that they don't have any good arguments.

I'm a woman. If I had three dresses in my closet - a pretty one, a so-so one, and a hideous one, you know which one would be worn and which ones would be shoved to the back of the closet.

If the believers can choose from a good argument, a dubious argument, and a piece of idiocy like Pascal's Wager or a rotten scrap of mendacity like Evolution Jest Ain't So, then they'd pick the good one. So why don't they?

Answer 7

Jeff Smith ("The Frugal Gourmet") was a minister. He once received a bit of advise to never give a sermon that he couldn't write in Classical Hebrew, since it was a concrete language with very little abstraction. We are dealing with several mentalities.

1) Those who want simple answers.
2) Those who are trying to appeal to those who want simple answers.
3) Those who are baffled by involved reasoning relying on several sets of observational data.
4) Those who assume that if they are baffled by the data, others will be.
5) Those who assume that if they are baffled by the data,
that it cannot be true.
6) Those who use the reasoning that if you cannot show all the evidence on Y!A, it can't be true.

Answer 8

Because they can?

I try to answer all questions honestly and keep it short. I don't like paging through lots of stuff. I just want to get to the point.

Some people do in fact want validation that they are OK...they really aren't looking for an answer with perspective.

Answer 9

Hi Zero
I find the same happens with Atheists who ask questions of bible scholars.
PS
I don't dismiss any of you as close minded. Some people on both sides of the coin, however, unfortunately show their true colours..

blessings :)

Answer 10

They are to thick in the head to know that the question requires a full size book to build up the foundation information to the answer, or a university course in History.
Its called prerequisites.