Do you think atheists and theists can have a productive conversation about religion?

Question

It seems to me that it is pretty much pointless for atheists and theists to debate about religion because they aren't thinking on the same plane. Atheists demand facts and theists rely on faith, a concept that means nothing to atheists. The conversation just ends up going in circles and everyone ends up pissed off. So what's the point?

No 'Jim L' you are wrong, I am an atheist and had worded it that way for emphasis, but didn't really think about it. You are right. What I meant was they prefer to believe theories than can be explained, rather than ones that require faith

Answer 1

I don't quite agree with your assessment. I'm an atheist, but I'd be fine if this were about believers having faith. The thing that gets in the way of productive conversation, I think, is that the believers do NOT have faith - instead, most of them falsely claim to have evidence or even proof.

Keep your eyes on the believers' comments here - you'll see that faith plays a remarkably minor role in how they talk about religion. Granted, there are some who seem to understand faith, and center their beliefs on it, but the (vast?) majority are simply not that honest. Instead, we constantly get comments like "How can you not believe, with all of the evidence?" and "The fools says in his heart 'there is no God'". Faith isn't completely dead among believers, but it's in critical condition.

Answer 2

Of course they can. My boyfriend is a staunch atheist. I am a practicing witch: a practitioner of Wicca (a theistic religion). While some of the debates can become very heated, there are exploitable holes in both sides which makes for an interesting conversation. For example, all of the pantheons utilized in Wicca are not provable, but from a different standpoint, there are things inexplicable by solid atheism. Both parties need be open-minded about the other, but as long as intelligent, reasonable debate is in play, there is rarely a problem.

Answer 3

It depends on the people involved. Some theists are open minded enough to realize that their beliefs may not be the only answer. Was it the Dalai Lama who said that all paths that lead a man to live a righteous life will take him to God? I've known a LOT of atheists who may not believe in a higher power but respect your right to do so.

Answer 4

I've been involved in lots of conversations like this with no one ending up "pissed off" and a whole lot of understanding going on. If your point is to understand and not to try and convert, you can have some pretty great discussions and come away with a little more human insight. If all you want to do is come away with someone being "right" and someone being "wrong" then there is absolutely no point whatsoever...

Answer 5

Yes, I do actually. I'm a theist (mind you an entirely nondenominational one who doesn't follow doctrine of any kind), but I still demand facts when it comes to science and the like. I am an open-minded theist, most of my close friends are agnostic/atheist (well, and now, Muslims too, but they're more open-minded than Christians most of the time!)

Answer 6

It's obvious from your question that you are a theist, because you've misrepresented atheists. We don't demand "facts". We just ask for evidence to support your claims. Also, we do understand faith. Many of us were raised religiously, and remain close to people who do have strong faiths.

I don't hope to convince theists to become atheists. I just want theists to be more tolerant of views others than their own, and to be willing to support secular governments with separation of church and state.

Answer 7

If theists would not try to use the bible as evidence for itself there could be a productive debate. The problem is theists are just delusional. So no matter what it's impossible to have an intelligent debate.

Answer 8

Unfortunately, civil discourse is a thing of the past in this country, and possibly also in the world at large.
It takes an intelligent, informed, and basically good person to understand and agree to disagree with someone who is fundamentally different from himself. That sort of person is rare indeed.
So yes, it is possible to have such discussions, but it will be rare.

Answer 9

i'm no longer an atheist yet I definitely have some strategies on the situation. Of the few atheists I definitely have spoken to, their atheistic ideals have been without delay stimulated by way of prepared faith. i be attentive to that's cliche at this evaluate spite of the undeniable fact that it is likewise authentic, human beings will some distance too in many circumstances confuse faith with God. So spectacular human beings like Dawkins, Hitchens and bill, as clever as they are, have stated faith for the time of refutations of God. My lifestyles is information of God. My lifestyles isn't information of the legitimacy of catholicism, or judaism, or islam. i like my author and that i be attentive to i'm no longer something without my author. some call it faith, I call it logic, I call it undemanding experience.

Answer 10

The point is to understand the other side. If you're not trying to convert the other person, the conversation can be very productive.

Though it is pretty much pointless on yahoo answers.