When arguing with a faither (a deeply religious person), against the precepts of their religion, what are the best techniques to use to expose reality. For example, the other day Jehovah's witnesses argued that Noah's arc was real because it was only 2 of each species that was needed to fit on it?
If I wish to spend the time trying to dislodge a believer from the apple tree I use a line of questioning designed specifically to keep the ball in their court while simultaneously leading them to answers they don't want to give. This won't work on those who are firmly locked in. They will just get frustrated and walk away, but not without some parting shot. The ones who are uncertain can be shaken enough as they trip through the mindfield to deepen their questioning of their faith, and I've had a couple actually come around. If you attempt to use argument and reason you can forget even the uncertain because you've lost from the beginning.
It's easy to dispute the Arc fantasy.
Just pick animals that are native to other continents, and ask how they got to where Noah was
supposed to be loading them?
Penguins, and Australian marsupials, are excellent examples.
As far as everything else, just stick with reason, logic, and known facts.
Everything believers believe is based in delusion. Picking apart their "arguments" is
fairly easy.
Thanks for your responses, I am interested in the different techniques as when you look at dangerous fact denialists, like human affected climate change, we all need to convince the politicians that only evidence based scientific methods are the way we know of determining the facts, and the policies that are needed for our prosperity.
Thanks for your responses, I am interested in the different techniques as when you look at dangerous fact denialists, like human affected climate change, we all need to convince the politicians that only evidence based scientific methods are the way we know of determining the facts, and the policies that are needed for our prosperity.
You can never go wrong, from an argumentation and debate perspective, in pointing out the lack of evidence for outrageous assertions. I simply ask for verifiable proof and just leave it at that. Getting caught in spurious self referential bullshit is playing their game. I don't do it.
So you could ask him, if Noah was so holy and pure that only he was chosen to survive the great flood. Then who was the host for public lice that allowed that species to survive? Or Syphilis? Or Chlamydia?
Or Herpes?
Leaving aside the venereal diseases that might cast doubt on Noah's as a paragon of old testament virtues - there any number of other host specific parasites that can only survive if they have a host of a specific species? It's a wonder that any of these pairs survived to breed considering the number of diseases they'd have to be carrying.