Have you ever lost a religious debate?

Question

Did you change your mind about your original position afterward?

Answer 1

Maybe it is just me. But, when I debate I am not looking for winning the dabate. I am looking for understanding and communication. I want to understand others, as much as I would like them to understand me.

If it has to be winning or losing. Very well, then Yes. I have changed my mind, and very likely will change it again if I learned something new.

Answer 2

I have never debated religion, I have had discussions where I ans even others have learned things that they were not aware of before; it was and continues to be a mind opening experience, but I see no reason why religion is a topic that should be argued. It is an unwritten rule that everyone is allowed to have their own viewpoint, religious position, opinions, and such, but so does the other person have the same and equal rights. Some people know how to have civilized discussions, some don't, it doesn't matter what the topic is.

Answer 3

You can not win or lose a debate that has no facts to back it up. Man made religion is about opinions there is no win or lose just draw. If a person truly has an open mind and is not afraid of an honest debate I believe both/either side can come out ahead. It is when bull headiness gets in the way that's where one loses

Answer 4

Yes, and not really.

There used to be an atheist poster named JP on here and we had an email discussion about abortion. He is pro-Life with no exceptions and I am pro-Choice. He made the point that our guage is often fetal viability, and since our ability to keep a fetus alive changes with our technology, we should assume that it is alive from conception. His argument was much better than I have stated it. I re-thought my belief, and although I am still pro-Choice, I had to refine my belief to explain WHY I don't believe it is immoral to destroy a cluster of cells that could otherwise become a human being. My belief is that it lacks a nervous system, and thus a brain and therefore it lacks the electronic actions required for it to be alive.

Answer 5

Yes, I've changed my mind after religious debates before. It's always been a minor point that got changed, rather than the big picture though.

Answer 6

There's no win or lose, there's only a chance to gain a little more of the truth. I have rethought some things, but it's usually in an exploratory discussion rather than a debate with opposing sides.

Answer 7

Yes and yes.

I was raised Christian and I lost several debates with one specific atheist friend that contributed to my becoming atheist. There are simply no logical counters to arguments like, "If God is omnipotent and loving, then why is there pain in the world?" and "Why would God set you out on a path towards sin, give you a limited brain, hide behind a veil, and then burn you in Hell when you fail to overcome the serious handicaps he gave you? Does that sound like a God of grace?" and "Why should I believe the Bible is infallible?" and "If the apostles fell asleep when Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane, how do they know what he prayed?" and so on.

I later came to understand that my view of God and the Bible and all sorts of things was just too immature and my expectation that there was a logical justification for those beliefs was just plain wrong. Escaping the Cartesian cages allowed me to see my way to let God grow up with me, and so I find myself Christian again thruogh no argument, per se.

Answer 8

One day a couple of Jehovah's Witness came to my door. We had a civil exchange of words, lasting at least a half hour. After I shared with them the Gospel, one of the ladies started crying. It seemed to me that she was touched, and her position was changed. Well, I mean to tell you, a week later, four men came out of a jeep wearing suits, walked up my driveway, carrying Bibles, I knew it was JW. Yikes, I said, I wasn't going to carry on a a chat session with them. That was a weird experience. I think Jesus said, "Chicken."

Answer 9

It is often like that scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where the Black Knight has his arms and legs severed, inflicting no damage on King Arthur, but claims victory and taunts his opponent as he walks away unscathed.

Answer 10

Never, because before I enter into one , I come prepared, It is Like playing Chess.
I research the other persons position, and find a refutation against it, but..Knowing that My oponent will do the same , I will have to find a refutation against his refutation, and I continue this over and over and over again, until I find a refutation against His refutation that he cannot refute , and I usually, go right to it all simutaneously, This usually causes him to become outraged, and insults and the like comes out, at that time it is realized that his arguements have run out.