Featured Does Anyone EVER Win a BB Debate?

Yes, yes, yes and no. Really the only productive threads I've seen since becoming a member here are threads started by brothers/sisters who have an earnest question or want an opinion, but there is still usually some name calling/slander. However I suppose this is to be expected as personalities clash and we are all wretches saved by grace.:godisgood:

 

For those who realize the point usually isn't to "win," but to learn new things, expand your knowledge and understand where other people are coming from, yes, it is worth the discussion.

 

It is not so much a win or lose situation.

It is a place for scripture to be discussed and our understanding to be improved upon when done correctly.

It is a time to post your view and see if it is faithful to scripture.

Everyone should be open to biblical correction as they will be strengthened in the faith.

Some seem to only disrupt the threads.They are contentious.

Some think they have a handle on things , and resist those who offer something different to them. In time some of them after searching the scriptures do change.

Some are overly concerned about those who view the forum.They can see the arguments but they can also see when persons fail to offer a biblically coherant defense of their position

If anyone wants to learn they can....if they ignore those who only disrupt.

 

For me its the enjoyment of talking about the bible and theology and the deep discussion. You know that I do not get this often on FB as many treat doctrine like a "dirty diaper" and at the same time profess to be saved. Only God knows but it does give water to the Lordship debate. How can a saved believer not care or give a rat about studying doctrine,theology, and such?

I have been challenged in my thinking and have grown closer in Reformed theology since coming here so that is a positive.

 

There are a variety of types of Baptists and other christians on here. People will clash its expected.

 

Yes since coming here I have grown closer in Reformed theology as when I first came here I was Arminian. Also I have gained a bigger defense of what the Bible says about wine and alcoholic beverages. The IFB treat it like its the ultimate sin, but mostly from pure emotionalism, traditionalism, experience, and the culture. Their argument does not mostly come from the Bible.

 

No one every changes their minds, they get bitter, angry, resentful and at times downright ugly.

I'm one of the worst offenders.

 

I read a LOT more than I post. Part of that is that I want to learn. Part of it is that I don't post unless I feel I have something to offer, either in instruction or defense. I have had some of my views challenged, and some reinforced. At the very minimum, I've gained insights into the arguments of those that oppose my viewpoints.

 

No you aren't, you moron!

 

Do not over react! Ask your best questions first and allow the person to clarify what they mean before you resort to violence......I am OK you are okay...or was it.....I am OKbut you are bent?

 

I will agree with those who want to test their own thoughts and learn from others.

If one only deals with those who agree completely, one never questions one's assumptions. When I am confronted by someone of another belief, I must examine what I believe - primarily to see if what I believe is defensible from Scripture AND holds logically to Scripture in total; or I may find my view is valid and can possibly demonstrate that to one who disagrees with me.

I learn either way. Hopefully, so do those with whom I disagree.

Finally, God works with me about disagreeing politely and constructively. And I understand what He meant about 'stiff-necked'.

 

I wouldn't say there are any winners in a debate...or rather that isn't the point. Also if someone is opinionated (there's a better word somewhere) enough to participate in a real debate, then usually their minds are not going to change...at least in my experience. I don't think changing the other person's mind should be the point, anyway.

I used to participate in (very heated) internet debates a lot a few years ago and I think I actually learned some practical things from it. The debates back then were mostly dog-related (dog care, training, nutrition, etc), but still. Over time I began to learn how to debate properly, from practice and observing others. (I learned some thinks from my dad, too, him being a pretty good critical thinker. He was a staunch IFB (which I no longer am), but questioned things that at the time I just thought were unquestionable.)
And debates have at times forced me to research my own position a little better!

Insults and taunting are thrown around quite a lot on here. Some threads I'm just sitting there and feel like banging my head into the wall after reading it.
But then I used to be horrible about that a few years ago. Hoo boy. But it was kinda fun, too, even though getting back what I dished out at others made me pretty angry sometimes.:laugh:
These days I try my best to avoid that, I try to show others the same respect I'd like to be shown. That, and attacking the person instead of the argument is a logical fallacy and does nothing to win the argument. In fact it can mean that they've just run out of counter-arguments.:tongue3:
I also try my best to completely ignore any insults thrown at me and address only the argument presented. But...that's still a little hard to do sometimes.

Most of the time I try to avoid the...what's the word...serious debates, I guess. I prefer to observe those rather than participate in them. I'm capable of good debate, but I find it stressful at the same time and just need to drop out at some point. (At the same time, I think I might run away from those too much and as a result my mind doesn't stay as sharp as it would if I didn't avoid debating.)
Overall I prefer light debate, where you can disagree and bring up points, but you're not necessarily expected to defend your position to the same extent. Which may be more accurately described as a discussion.

And if I'm going to be perfectly honest, there are a few topics that I prefer to avoid to some degree or another or even altogether due to some personal hang-ups. When I do engage in these debates, I have to watch myself and my attitude very closely.

 

Of all the available poll answer options, I couldn't find one that I would agree with. When I look to the right of the three title, I see how many people replied, and how many people viewed. Are most debaters aware that the views typically outnumber the replies by 10- or 15- to 1 ?

I think the end result is that many people happen by, and are drawn by the thread title. Then they open it and learn something. What they learn may or may not be accurate, but....

Maybe they learn about the topic through well-reasoned replies.
Or that certain people just want to argue
Or that there might be biblical support for opposing views
Or that Christians are backbiters
Or that people can disagree peacefully

Whatever they learn, they got it from us first.

 

What debating (arguing actually) does is to cause hard feelings and anger, and it causes people like me who don't care to argue about trivial matters that have whatsoever to do with being born again to leave and not return. I've left a lot of forums for that reason--including this one. I had forgotten my reason for leaving, but now I'm thinking I shouldn't have returned.

Another thing disagreeing and arguing (disguised by calling it debating) do is to give non-Christians who might be looking for answers to think that we don't have any answers either since we can't seem to agree.

I will state my opinions, thought, personal beliefs, and what I believe to be the truth about God's word, but I refuse to argue--which is all debating really is.

 

I contend that debating and arguing are two different things. The sad thing is, most debates degenerate into arguments.

Debating is putting forth a case, receiving an argument (not arguing) from the opposing viewpoint, and then offering a counter-argument (again, not arguing). Arguing is much more heated, with straw men, red herrings, and neither side addressing the other side's actual viewpoints.

 

Most "debates" on the internet are arguments or quickly become them. Hey, it's the internet, everyone thinks they can sit there and be a total badbutt under the shield of anonymity.

I think debate can be a good tool...the problem is that a lot of people either don't know or don't care to use it properly.

 

Which is the problem many have on this board. It drives me crazy to see all the personal attacks, and pretend attacks on a false position (straw man). Or a simple denial of one's position without a proper counter-point. Another thing I hate is when someone posts scripture without explanation as if that's supposed to settle the issue, when in reality it IS the issue.

 

I know. Reading through some of the doctrinal threads I'm constantly going like this: :BangHead: Sometimes I want to leave a post saying something along the lines of everyone sounding like a bunch of five year olds, but I know that would just make the problem worse and wouldn't be very edifying. Neither would it reflect well on me.

I'm at least somewhat familiar with logical fallacies and learned to avoid the most common ones before I even knew they had names. (Not to say I still don't commit some from time to time, though.) If someone as scatterbrained as I am can do it, surely others can.

 

see, that's the thing with this board.
you can't leave it.
there's no way to terminate membership, except to be banned by the admins or whoever, and even then, you can still post, except you got this small banner that says banned.
now I don't know if that's no longer true today, but it was back then when I tried to terminate my membership.
and pm'ing the admins or posting a request for termination on membership makes me feel like, you know, "trying to be important" or something. :smilewinkgrin:
you may decide you don't want to be part no more of this thingamajig but you can sign up, but you can't sign "off".
so, thinking it's the admins that can take off my name AND ability to sign back in pernanently I tried the "cop suicide" thing.
You know, pull out a gun and threaten everybody so the cops shoot you down.
I became very argumentative, sarcastic, insulting, snide, mean, and downright ornery in some of my answers and most of my "attitude".
didn't work.
I got infractions, but didn't get kicked out.
unless, of course, I missed how to completely dissociate myself from this "christian" board.
does anyone know how ?