i would love to debate (page 2)

new hope and happiness

Thanks for all the replies.

Another good point about debating i think is always be prepared to be wrong. And always appreciate the other debators point of view.

Adam Believed

Hey, new hope and happiness... I'm sure with a little practice you will become a master debater.

Julia Orwell

Yes! Humility and empathy. Being able to consider more than one side of an argument will make you a better debater, and better prepared for rebuttals.

lost

Newhope - why do you need style and structure ?

Just be yourself, talk about the things you ponder, the things you want answers for, the things you like. even the 'deeper' things if you want.

Don't worry so much bout what others think, you owe nobody nothing friend.

Just having 'conversations' with other like minded people I find to be so rewarding and helpful

Don't live your life trying to please other people, worrying bout what they think. Be your true self.

you are free.

ps I love Julia's 'voice' also.

new hope and happiness

Thanks lost i get ya, But i wasnt refering to debating with like minded people, but those that push there agendas and get all the attention, when they are talking .....

Anyway i think i got it...this is how i figure it. If you debate on a internet forum and you are a reasonable person you have a life. And reasonable people kwow they can just ignore a post as easily as changing a T.V channel and thats good . But lost its that insane minority that puzh thete point and scant you off with out any humun dignity. Well that really doesnt bother me at al...but i just think poster that have survived 1000 plus posts maybe able to reflect on and share how they survived, stayed and contributed when so many gave up.

Adam Belived ...welcome to the board.

Honesty

NH&H, what would you like to debate?

Band on the Run

If you are new, I will explain that I am a lawyer. Most of me can't believe many times b/c of the Witness upbringing and my lack of resemblance to Perry Mason, a famous TV lawyer.

We were taught how to draft briefs. The main information, though, is from a field called Rhetoric. Colleges used to teach this subject. B/c of a class conflict, I did not take the course as an undergrad. First, I think you are too impressed. Debating is a skill that is honed. There are different forms of arguments in my work and life. One is an informational presentation. You research the law and report the results. Basically, you summarize the facts. Ask a legal question. You answer it briefly. Next, you write what you found doing research.

It only takes a week to learn how to do this in the broadest strokes. What I found, though, is that any trained dog can do the above. People want to hear your analysis, too. Your personal perspective. This is my life experience and I feel x. Only you have to be very careful and state that it is your opinion or feeling.

Personally, I don't find the debates here that intellectually stimulating. I have found out very important information and insight here, though. My own view is that the Internet exists, books are now published for a public audience rather than a few scholars, professors can be called. My purpose in this forum is to get feedback from other people traumatized by JWs. I greatly value the emotional postings.

There is a great body of anthropolical, social, and psychiatric literature that analyses why people believe certain doctrines. There are correlations with class and geographical area. Lawyers who do trial work and professional political campaign staff are convinced that people make up their minds based on personal interaction, subtle body cues. I can go elsewhere for much better debate in intellectual terms. Heck, my own work is sloppy and off the cuff. I never prepare a statement and it shows. Sometimes, though, first impressions are worth more than studied analysis.

I studied NT in college and continued reading the topics. What I never found was a way to integrate the knowledge I learned with my gut experiences from the Jehovah's Witnesses. Part of me is super confident. The other part is a terrified JW kid. After decades of reading and discussions, this forum provides validation. Friends and professionals can hear me expound about Witness belief, culture, etc. They are sympathetic but they never walked the walk.

Through this forum, I form friendships with others who had to flee or go insane. Most of the time we laugh so hard. Often, it is the nervous laughter of release b/c the experiences are so sad. I could never confide in other Witness kids. Now I can. It is a precious resource to me.

Research, write but be yourself.

new hope and happiness

Honesty lets debate smoking the fall of communism, being rich or being happy, as long as we all find new hope and happiness here.

Band on the Run....wow you wrote all that. Normally i dont read long posts. See i guess i will learn something when i digest your post tonight,i hope of your inner journey and i will take the time to read it tonight.

But debating here is a way for some to heal from feelings of guilt which should never exist in there mind anyway.So F...k you W.T. you are a reality God did not create and does not exist. But then neither do you God. ( honesty) lets deate that.....my point is some people debate here to awaken people and educate them and some have a different agenda.So how do we get real self awareness of our debating skills and why are so many gentle voices that could be heard here only lurking?

I was a lurker, then a member, and now a debater. Actually its a big deal when you see how many people read a post. Wow this post is viewed so far 236 times. Maybe i should have called it how to keep a post alive?

jgnat

Finding someone to debate, especially a cultist, is hard. They don't really want their faith challenged so they'd rather fling a few insults and run. Their alternative is to take a good, hard look at what they believe.

I debated in school and I am grateful for that exercise in teaching me critical thinking skills. Eye-opening was learning to take both sides of an argument. This taught me to find weaknesses in my pet beliefs, and personally challenging them before opening them up to public scrutiny, lol!

Another help was chess. In chess it pays to consider the moves of your opponent, several moves ahead. Keeps you from getting trapped in your own argument so to speak.

You will notice that when a JW apologist does stumble on to the board, they tend to get swarmed. Many of us want to hone our debating skills in the faint hope that argument alone could empty the Kingdom Halls.

Then there's the athiest versus the faithful debates, going 'round and 'round and 'round. I've summed up that failure of resolution to a fundamental misunderstanding of basic terms. Like science and evidence.

Or you could try debating a fanatic. We have a few of those. They typically don't end well either.

turtleturtle

+1 on learning logical fallacies and NOT using them. The WT is famous for using fallacies.

i would love to debate

Share this