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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 07/04/2010 : 03:44:47
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Although it seems a boon for the smart-phone (whatever that might be) manufactures.
Picture this, if you will: An atheist and a YEC go to some event or other and happen to meet. A friendly discussion and some reasonable discourse ensues. Suddenly, both go for a pocket and pull out a Machine, and the discussion turns into an argument, both participants punching buttons like mad and reading words from the screens of their Machines; neither hearing a scintilla of what the other says no matter how loudly it is put forth.
Scenario II: Atheist & YEC sit before their computers, beady, little eyes shifting from monitor to Machine at only slightly under the speed of light, and their fingers bringing up and passing on their Machine's arguments.
I ask: is this debate? Or merely a couple of parrots mindlessly squawking out whatever the Machine tells them to squawk.
You Say God Is Dead? There’s an App for That
By PAUL VITELLO
Published: July 2, 2010
An explosion of smart-phone software has placed an arsenal of trivia at the fingertips of every corner-bar debater, with talking points on sports, politics and how to kill a zombie. Now it is taking on the least trivial topic of all: God.
Publishers of Christian material have begun producing iPhone applications that can cough up quick comebacks and rhetorical strategies for believers who want to fight back against what they view as a new strain of strident atheism. And a competing crop of apps is arming nonbelievers for battle.
“Say someone calls you narrow-minded because you think Jesus is the only way to God,” says one top-selling application introduced in March by a Christian publishing company. “Your first answer should be: ‘What do you mean by narrow-minded?’ ”
For religious skeptics, the “BibleThumper” iPhone app boasts that it “allows the atheist to keep the most funny and irrational Bible verses right in their pocket” to be “always ready to confront fundamentalist Christians or have a little fun among friends.”
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I curse the foul Machine and spit in the face of it's mother!
Oh, and God is the most trivial topic of all simply because neither the atheist nor the believer can produce the fellow nor any evidence of his/her/it's existence, or lack thereof.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
 Posted - 07/05/2010 : 09:01:48 [Permalink]
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I think this is good Filthy. You ask "is this debate?", I would say yes. When utilized in this manner it's a tool! Just like pen and paper. If one comes prepared for a debate, is it wrong to have notes on some speaking points? I wouldn't say so. It seems to me that if it's used to it's fullest value, theist will loose all debates. Any attempt to use the bible as any basis of authority can be easily neutralized by conflicting and contrary bible teachings and facts. Because the Bible is in fact written by man alone and not the inspired word of a God, as claimed, it is chuck full errors, and contradictions. If it is the inspired word of God, God would have the power to make sure His transcribers got His words right. Being all knowing, why would He venture to inspire a book of His words and teachings, to end up with such an imperfect book. A theist could reply "God works in mysterious ways", bullshit I say. This leaves theists only one final reply, "I have faith". Which is the only thing a believer of anything has in the absence of any supporting evidence.
I'm not trying to be insulting to anyone here but I use to believe in the boogeyman when I was 4, I really did. I had faith that he was real because my older sibling thought it was funny to scare the shit out of me with my ignorance and gullibility to his perceived superior knowledge. At that age I had no ability to reason it out with facts or even verify the claims. At that time he was very real to me. If I had this tool and could have used it effectively, I might not have been at risk of going gray by 5 and certainly gotten more sleep.
Can tools be use inappropriately? Absolutely. However I think the overall value can be very positive. SS |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 07/05/2010 : 13:18:40 [Permalink]
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I find myself reminded of that master debater & ratchet-jaw; Duane Gish, although he didn't need a Machine to make an ass of himself.
In an oral debate, you would have two guys, not checking meticulous notes from time to time, but constantly trying to punch up rebuttals on a Machine that might or might not make his point, as he didn't program it in there. And, in a written debate, a Machine is not needed as any and all info is easily and accurately researched.
But there's a bright side: I would really like to see someone, be they a strong supporter of the ToE or an ardent flogger of Scripture (either will do), actually try to use one; preferably in here. It would be fun!. I think they'd go from one non sequitur to another throughout the whole thing, to the hilarity of all.
The Machine is probably a really neat kiddie toy, but that's about it. Being sticky with spent bubblegum and spilt soda pop is good enough for the wretched contraption.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2010 : 13:42:43 [Permalink]
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| Is it the machine, the smart phone, your see as a problem or the Bible application? SS |
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
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Now it's getting just plain silly!
