Why I engage and debate Christians on Facebook and anywhere else I can.

     I have heard many times that debating christians is a waste of time. Don't do it. You only elevate their position. I'm sure you have all heard that debating a christian is like playing chess with a pigeon. No matter how well you play the pigeon will just shit all over the board and strut around like it won. I have been told "why bother" you will never change anyones mind.

  The problem with Christianity is it doesn't want equality. It doesn't want to peacefully coexist. It wants supremacy. It wants domination. Its clear with every fight they chose. Its not enough to be a nation of Christians they want an official Christian nation. Its not enough that their marriage be Godly but yours must be Godly to their standards too. Its not enough to let a child pray in school if they chose and to whom they chose, it must be instructed and forced upon all, and of course Christian.

   Debate is important especially in a public forum like Facebook and not just about religion but certainly not excluding religion. I may not change the mind of my opponent but others will read. Much of what I say will be preaching to the choir but as they say, thats how you get the choir to sing. I am not out to change the mind of my opponent but others who may not be as solid in their beliefs may read my debate and it may help shape their beliefs. I have definitely read debates by Hitchens and Harris, read papers by Russell and Dennett, books by Dawkins and they shaped my outlook. 

  For the record I also read the Bible and material from christian authors for the the same following reason I find debating important.

   It keeps me sharp. its important to be able to tell the important things from the bullshit. I enjoy debating christians because I think its important to be able to defend my beliefs with actual weighty arguments. It makes me understand better why I hold the beliefs if do. And the better I understand logical fallacies that are so often used against me the less likely I am to fall to them myself. I need to be able to filter and identify the bullshit and know why it is bullshit.

    But mostly, It is important to be the voice of opposition. As many of you know, atheism isn't exactly highly regarded in the US. We are not trusted by most.  But thats a step up, It wasn't long ago that we would just be killed. I have heard people in this day and age say that atheists are the cause of the problems in the world and we should all be killed. Recently. 

    When I debate on Facebook I try to be polite. I try to be respectful to the people, but when people say stupid things they should be called on it. And they should hear a voice of opposition. I try not to be a dick about it but the more informed rational opinions out there the better. The more they hear the voice of opposition, the less afraid of it they may become. I may never change their mind but they will know my point of view exists. and others will know it exists.

  Also I guess I am optimistic but I still want to believe that people are rational, that when confronted with strong evidence and sound logic they will eventually change their mind as I hope that I would. Sadly this has not been the case and people tend to chose to believe things that best support the things they already believe. But I want to live in a world in which facts matter, where believing in something in spite of direct evidence to the contrary is not a virtue. Where what is true is more important than what is comfortable.