How do you reason with religious people?

[Semi-Human]

Address the inconsistencies between there behavior and what they say to believe.
Address inconsistencies and contradictions in the claims they believe.
Remember that not knowing a answer to something doesn't mean you should accept the claims of another if they don't have proof to support it.
When making claims about scients, morals etc. stick to logic and facts. they might not get through and the other guy might repeat him self. If he does address it and remind him you'v already debunkt that point so he should know its not true and that clinging to it is just a sign of dishonesty.

 

[flamingjimmy]

Generally speaking, you cannot reason with religious people.

Much more effective on people like that would be an appeal to authority or perhaps emotion.

As sad as it is, logic and reason are not actually very good argument tools. They're great for finding the truth out, but not for convincing people.

 

[Marik2]

Snip.

I see people quote that type of thing and others like it, especially my friends who took philosophy, and they all say that it disproves God. It doesn't, though, it simply questions what we think we know about a greater being. Maybe it doesn't even do that though. Maybe it questions what we think we know about love and evil; through the evil maybe God intends to bring us closer meaning he is loving, maybe he tries to create a better future through the evil acts like he did with Noah's Arc.

I am agnostic by the way. I find I can see things much more clearly if I choose to believe and not believe at the same time.

Exactly, thank you.

I am tired of people wanking all over that stupid quote like its an answer to end all questions.

Holy shit, people take the Epicurus thing seriously?

Oh! We're in off topic, not R & P.

LOL even in the R&P section people make threads around the epicurus quote thinking that its a whole new thing thats never been discussed.

 

[Phoenix09215]

Well the majority of religious people aren;t fanatics so there is no need to reason with them. They are entitled to believe what thye want and as long as they don't try to change my own beliefs I have no problem with them (thats means YOU johavahs witnesses!).

 

[DSK-]

I tell them that I'm not religious, but I respect their beliefs. I do act surprised whenever I meet someone religious (like when I found out two of my uni friends go to church - I've not had friends who did that).

However, when it comes to Jehovas Witnesses, it's a whole different ball game/

 

[Shadie777]

Imagine a man in the street who yelled he could see an invisible magic pink unicorn, and it told him how to live his life. He implores you to also see the unicorn, some people in teh street go and join him staring at this magical pink unicorn that is invisible. I have about as much respect for religious people as i do this crazy old man. There is no observable difference between the two. I dont really see why i should have to respect religion but not teh crazy old unicorn man? They are both equally moronic. I kinda just put up with religious people. About half our population can see invisible pink unicorns. Good for them.

I would respect the crazy old guy if he tried to teach people how to be be good towards each other. Thats the whole point of any religion. Not sure how it is moronic, it is completey natural for a human being to think their is a higher power beyond themselves.

 

[binvjoh]

I don't.

If I disagree with someone on such a fundamental level I can hardly see myself reasoning with them.

They're not gonna change my mind and I'm not gonna change theirs.

 

[Wapox]

I try to tell them, that I do not believe, but I know. IE: I trust evidence, and if they can come with hard evidence that what they believe is true, then I can change my views, however, religious people hardly want to find evidence, since that would make them knowers and not believers... so yea... I can't reason with them, only tell them what I think.

 

[TheDarkestDerp]

Well, spirituality is mostly a matter of belief, not so much one based on fact as faith in something intangible, so arguing with someone of a differing belief system is a tricky matter, requiring benevolence and patience, respect on both sides of the fence.

If you've approached a person of very strong, or insecure, beliefs in a calm friendly manner and offered open discussion and they respond in such an aggressive manner, I'm afraid the best you can do is back away with hands up and simply diffuse the situation. It sounds like your friend has some issues he/she either isn't comfortable with discussing or is very insecure about and this line of conversation isn't going to be going anywhere for either of you until he/she figured out where they really stand on matters and how best to express things from their own P.O.V.

 

[Thespian]

Usually it goes like this:

Me: *logical argument*
Religious person: *logical retort*
Me: *logical retort*
Religious Person: *logical retort*
Me: *Logical Retort*
Religious Person: Yes well, I have faith I don't need proof!
Me: ... >_>

And then I realize it's a losing battle.

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able, and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God."
- Epicurus, 33 A.D

Funny story. I had the demotivational picture of this quote as my desktop background in school, causing a group of people to come over and complain about how I had to respect other people's beliefs.

You'd think I e-mailed the damn thing to everyone else and demanded they put it up. It was a cool quote and I liked it, so I put it up in my personal space, people come over to me telling me to take it down and I am the one who needs to respect the beliefs of others? =/

 

[crudus]

So.. I guess for a lack of better word, Subject "How do you reason with religious people?" and simple (non-stupid) answers?

The simple missionaries I just say "You have to listen to my religion if I listen to yours"

Spoiler: At which point I show them the cover.

Doing that solves 99% of my problems. However, there is the rare persistent one that seems, to quote Yahtzee, "scientifically designed to get on my tits" by telling me I should repent, I am going to burn in hell, etc. Now threatening me with eternal damnation is where I draw the line. At which point I use Socratic irony. After they start to trip up and see what I am doing I go about my day.

 

[orangebandguy]

Well you can't really.

Religion is always that one magic exception that can never be questioned. I just avoid all discussion around it.

 

[Vhite]

Everyone knows that Escapist is strongly anti-relligious.

Im Christian but I keep my beliefs for myself so basicly no one IRL knows about it until they ask.

I respect most of religions and beliefs and especially those people who can question their beliefs. WBC is an extreme case and their interests have hardly anything to do with religion, they only use it as a weapon.

 

[V TheSystem V]

There was this religious preacher in my town centre before. Me and my friends were walking past him, and he shouted 'JESUS IS YOUR SAVIOUR!' to which I replied 'NO, BEELZEBUB IS!'. My friends laughed and told me to not say anything else as the guy looked capable of stabbing me.

So I deal with them by telling them I am a Satanist.

 

[Eldan]

The only religious people I know are "I think there's a church in this town *somewhere*, but I've never been there" catholics and "I respect your opinion, god is a nice dude, now let's clap our hands and sing a song" protestants.

So, I doubt those count.

 

[Terminate421]

Ask them if their religion will prevent them from saving someone from bleeding to death.

If they say "Yes" tell them that religion is nice but letting get in the way of certain positives is a bad idea. I know he worships X but why should his religion say no to Y medicine.

Im catholic but I firmly believe God is a very loose person. If he was strict, then more people would be going to hell than to heaven.

It is fun to mess with religious people though, Jehovahs witnesses in general. If they knock on my door, I open it, count down to 10 seconds while they talk, once it hits 10 seconds, point out behind them and shout at the top of my lungs, "Release the Kraken!" and shut the door on them.

 

[Mcupobob]

Well, your friend's just an idiot, that doesn't have anything to do with him being religious.

This is the best answer and truest. Anyways good luck.

 

[Popido]

Kidnap their kids. Sell them to porn industry's black market. Direct the videos to the parents every month.

Extremely religious folks are usually:
1. afraid of death = afterlife.
2. afraid of life = peace in death.

Break their safe haven. Make sure that there is no escape in death and no hope in life while [del]torturing[/del] having a intelligent conversation with them. Otherwise you'll just have to sit there and listen, till you end it with compromisation how everything is just an opinion.

 

[Delta2501]

Saw quite a nice article on reconciliation, see here:
http://www.cracked.com/article_15759_10-things-christians-atheists-can-and-must-agree-on.html