Question for atheists only.?

Question

Check it out. A theist that knows how to spell it.

My question is, don't you think all this publicity and exposure generated by the Kirk Cameron Nightline debate is wonderful exposure for atheism?

I am not saying that it will necessarily change the mind of a believer, but maybe it will open the minds of some more open minded people who just have never met an atheist. Some of us have a preconceived notion about what an atheist is. I know I did a year ago before I started to participate here.

Seeing someone try to prove God exists using a banana will never hold up in a debate with logic. What does that show me about the person who thinks the banana is proof?

As a believer, I see the Grand Canyon and see a picture painted by God. As a person I know it was formed by the Colorado river over millions, or billions, of years.

Answer 1

Congrats on the spelling.

I think that Kirk Cameron is an idiot and so is that other guy with him. I didn't think the atheists they had on the show did a great job of defending atheism, but that might be how they cut up the debate for television. Still, they managed to trounce the Christians there.

The banana video reminded me of all the bawdy jokes told about cucumbers, which featured women using them certain ways because the shape is convenient. Hmm, if God made the banana specifically for holding and eating, then the cucumber... LOL...

When I see the Grand Canyon, I see a great illustration of the passage of time, more time than it is possible to really get your mind around. The layers cut through the rock by a relatively tiny river really drive home the point that my existence here is just a flash compared to the age of the world. To me, I can enjoy the beauty of it without having to attribute it to fictional characters.

Answer 2

Oh, Cameron was a wonderful own-goal by the theists, and seeing those two being whipped like that was immensely good for morale.

But morale's actually been rather good in heathen circles for a while now. 9/11 opened the eyes of the West to the dangers of religion, and the books by Harris, Dawkins, Hitchens and others have made huge strides.

This place is a great example: here we see the worst of the believers - people with no clue at all how the universe works - together with the rising breed of New Atheist. They're mighty peeved, they've had enough, and they're no longer going to sit buy and listen to the adoring talk about the emperor's wonderful fashion sense. The sort of unstretrained religious scepticism demonstrated here, and so many other discussion forums, would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

Excelsior!

CD

@Scott M.: Those response mails on the RRS site are wonderful - especially the all-caps primal scream from [e-mail] . I think we should all write to him and express our appreciation.

Answer 3

It was a mixed bag. I thought that the Rational Response Squad was a little too polite in the face of Cameron and Comfort's spout of nonsense, but that's just me. The responses to the debate have been a mixed bag too, although the majority I've read generally think the RRS trounced Cameron and Comfort pretty throughly. Sadly, quite a few theists have been extremely sore losers:

http://www.rationalresponders.com/forum/the_rational_response_squad_radio_show/you_respond_rationally_mailbag/6713

Time will tell if the exposure was a good thing.

Answer 4

I'm an agnostic from the UK and here it's pretty much a melting pot of all religions, most of my friends only have very loose ideas about God or religion, I am one of the more 'religious' of my friends in the sense that I actively philosophise and ponder over the existence of God and what religions have to offer. As such most of my friends don't actually care who is what religion, and I don't actually know who Kirk Cameron is apart from some scant information I have heard on R&S about him being a dimwitted fundamentalist.

I suppose I agree with you, but I think its more likely that most Christians will just roll their eyes at such a fool, because most Christians have slightly more sensible reasons to believe in God other than the shape of fruit.

Answer 5

Even though I am no longer an atheist, and once I found the real God of the Bible, the Father and Creator of all others and of our king Jesus Christ, His only begotten son, and got the privilege to taste and truly benefit from the fruits of His spirit quoted at Galatians 5:21, 22, it became increasingly impossible not to have Him in my daily life and have loved Him steady now for quite some time and wouldn't dream of going back to a life without Him in it for a second! I still read and appreciated the wisdom of the words you lovingly address here to all who have yet to see the wonderous glory of the true God and of His holy ways of love, wisdom, power and justice... Thank you!!!

Answer 6

Let me get this directly,you are asking questions of atheists and complaining after we reply? Would a while no longer be higher spent complaining approximately the devout no longer answering whilst you ask questions of them? Religion is backwards. I consider eighteen is your lot kind of

Answer 7

As a believer, look at Benny Hinn, that should make you think again. There is no logical argument that would support the idea of an imaginary man.

Answer 8

Kirk Cameron is an excellent spokesperson for Christianity because he shows just how ludicrous some of it's beliefs are. Bananas, crocoducks, coke cans....pure comic gold.

So the answer is yes.

Answer 9

Not really. I do see it as a monumental embarrassment for those who put their faith in those 2 twits. Unfortunately, those that truly need their minds expanded will not see it nor accept it as specious - they will rationalize it or ignore the facts and wholeheartedly endorse it.

Answer 10

I don't think that any atheists are excited by revelations from the debate. The only point is that this "representative" of christians was so obviously stupid that christians must wonder if they can't find an intelligent spokesperson.