Apologetics 090
When a college student has to take a course that is 'remedial', or a course that a college student should not have to take (i.e. basic math or english), it is usually put at a number below 100. So, while a typical student might start college with a Math 101, those with math skills below the standard may have to take Math 093 or Math 097 first.
I clearly needed an Apologetic 090 class. When some one would swing by and say something like, "The Genesis creation account was taken from the Enuma Elish of the Babylonians", I typically just ignored it. After all, I try to keep to the simple pretext that I can talk about anything I want, but if I don't know what I'm talking about, I should say nothing.
What I should have said was, "Have you read the Enuma Elish? How is it similar to the creation account?" Now that I have seen it, it is entirely dissimilar. We're talking not in the same sport, much less the ballpark.
So, if you can learn from my experience, when confronted with that sort of argument, just ask - "Have you read that? Tell me about it."
They haven't read it. They don't come up with that on their own - they just swing by christiansarestupid.com and regurgitate whatever they find.
However, when you are discussing religion and politics, it is very difficult to get liberals or atheists to actually talk about one point and focus on the facts and logic around it. They cannot resist using 12 incarnations of "Bush Lied!" or "Christianity is bad!" Perhaps your luck will be better than mine.
I clearly needed an Apologetic 090 class. When some one would swing by and say something like, "The Genesis creation account was taken from the Enuma Elish of the Babylonians", I typically just ignored it. After all, I try to keep to the simple pretext that I can talk about anything I want, but if I don't know what I'm talking about, I should say nothing.
What I should have said was, "Have you read the Enuma Elish? How is it similar to the creation account?" Now that I have seen it, it is entirely dissimilar. We're talking not in the same sport, much less the ballpark.
So, if you can learn from my experience, when confronted with that sort of argument, just ask - "Have you read that? Tell me about it."
They haven't read it. They don't come up with that on their own - they just swing by christiansarestupid.com and regurgitate whatever they find.
However, when you are discussing religion and politics, it is very difficult to get liberals or atheists to actually talk about one point and focus on the facts and logic around it. They cannot resist using 12 incarnations of "Bush Lied!" or "Christianity is bad!" Perhaps your luck will be better than mine.
posted by Hammertime at
8/22/2005 09:42:00 AM
2 Comments:
Too true. But let's be fair - you'll get the same reaction from the Religious Right trying to show how their politics come from a Christian faith! Too often, people don't know why they think the way they do, and there can be the most dreadful contradictions between what someone believes and what they think they believe. The important thing is to try and engage on the facts and sound reasoning on firm premises. What we must under all circumstances try and avoid are ad hominem attacks and straw-man arguments.
pax et bonum
By
Solidus, at 8/22/2005 11:52:00 AM
You're right, John. I was listening to a talk radio show the other day where the person from the "right" was disrespectful and illogical compared to their counterpart on the "left" - of course it was a church-state issue they were discussing!
By
Hammertime, at 8/22/2005 01:00:00 PM
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