Is this a discussion forum or a debating forum , which is it ? (page 2)

Honesty

Simon
Just a reminder: if there is ever any discussion or debate that is too intense which you don't like then you can visit any one of millions of other web pages instead. Shock horror.
And what is so bad about debate?

Anyone who thinks this forum lacks professionalism and manners needs to visit the JW forum on Topix where they'll see see some real knock-down, drag-out fights.

This forum is mild compared to a lot of others.

Besides that, the Jehubbah's Witness moderators on a lot of JW forums delete any post that faintly criticizes the Watchtower Society/Jehubbah's Witlesses.

eyeuse2badub

Smiddy,

Do you get confused sometimes whether this site is a discussion forum or a debating forum ?

Really? Are you going soft on us? You have a lot of interesting, intelligent posts on this site so keep up the good work and don't worry about "debaters". Debate-discuss, What's the difference, it's just a word.

just saying!

eyeuse2badub

OrphanCrow

lol, Robert's Rules ...... I doubt if anyone reading this ever even heard of them.

Lol.

I would never have expected Robert's Rules to be applied to an informal discussion/debate forum.

Generally, Robert's Rules applies to formally conducted meetings and parliamentary procedure.

adjusted knowledge

How the heck would you be able to impose Robert's Rules on a forum like this? Not needed here anyway.

Simon

talesin: your post was just a copy and paste of some badly formatted hard to read dictionary definitions. It was barely on topic but certainly didn't contribute to the discussion and was difficult to read.

Hardly of sufficient value to start being as insulting as you are but I can't say I'll be particularly disappointed if you leave over such a trivial issue. The fact that you can go from 'thank you' to 'fuck you' in one post says a lot about your mentality and black / white thinking.

Your attitude and words remind us why completely free debate on the internet is impossible: there is always some obnoxious, bad mannered, potty-mouthed idiot who refuses to abide by any reasonable guidelines of civility.

People can discuss things as though it's a more serious debate with point and counter-point but there is no moderator who can allocate time and force people to take turns and no vote from the audience to decide who was most convincing. We rely on people to e reasonable and make a reasonable attempt to follow forum etiquette and decide for themselves if they have been convincing or not (although in future I may add feedback to the like / dislike buttons).

Most of the time something like a more informal chat conversation is sufficient and still informative or entertaining.

Decided

Debates just give the opinions of different peoples look at life. I have just come to realize that I don't understand any of life's reasons for being here. God just doesn't seem to have the same emotions and feelings that humans experience each day. How do we get ourselves in line with his requirements for life? I look at nature and see so many things that don't seem to connect to a loving God.

JWs don't brother me anymore or any other religion. People just hook up to something that gives them some hope of a future.

All I see is death in the future, as everyone who was ever born has experienced sometime in their future.

Ken P.

Honesty

talesin11 hours agowow, very cool to have my definitions of debate vs.discuss deleted.
What, about that post, broke the rules, SIMON!
NOTHING.
So you just DELETE anything that makes you look wrong? Well, I am sure you will delete THIS.
Really shocked and disgusted by this. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF.
FUCK YOU and the HORSE YOU RODE IN ON.
So, now I am sure to be deleted. That's fine, I am DONE.

Your obnoxious behavior mirrors my ex who is a super pioneer dub who looks down on everyone.

Have a nice day, if you can.

TerryWalstrom

There can be an art to any and everything.

Manners at a dinner table, for example.

Pouring tea.

Disagreeing without being disagreeable.

These are things which require an intelligent determination to be gracious.

In other words, you have to care beyond mere utility.

If you wish to be persuasive, you must be diplomatic. But--if you only want

to be heard and obeyed--well, giving offense is a price you're willing to pay.

I find manners very beautiful. To possess manners you have to care enough

to learn them. I think this may be the real problem.

Marvin Shilmer

I visit this web forum somewhat out of habit and sometimes to engage a topic.

Responsible and productive discussion and debate both require at least two essential things: presenting precise and challenging questions and answering precise challenging questions.

My experience here is that precise challenging questions often go unanswered, which makes responsible discussion and debate impossible. Very frustrating.

Accordingly, for me JWN seems to be more a gauge of sentiments than either a place to hold discussion or debate.

Marvin Shilmer

"If you wish to be persuasive, you must be diplomatic."

I don't think that's always true. Learned readers are not persuaded to accept conclusions of arguments based on diplomacy. Learned readers are persuaded to accept conclusions of an argument based on the veracity of premises in that argument, the level of inference of those premises and, finally, whether the form of argument is valid. If you have solid premises inferring what they are proposed to infer, and if those premises are composed in a known valid logical form of argument then diplomatically presented or not the learned reader will be persuaded.

That said, on forums like this worrying about persuading is a waste of time. I think at most we can hope to share good information and learn along they way. Sometimes what we learn is not what folks think was there to be learned, but it is learning nevertheless.

Is this a discussion forum or a debating forum , which is it ?

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