#11: Avoid debates over matters of fact. Focus the debate on matters of epistemology. Do not simply assert that X is false. Show why the justification for X is poor in the first place. Force them to answer the question "how do you know that?"
Dann858 #13 take notes. These people have been trained since childhood to spit bullshit, argue like an angry child, dish insults, talk in circles, assert feelings as facts, change the subject, misrepresent everything that contradicts them, talk as though an authority on subjects that they are not qualified in, pretty much invented every logical fallacy there is, and oh yeah.....flat out lie and accuse their opponents of being untruthful.
***** A seemingly normal gentleman told me, this last Friday that: 1) Atheists hate Christians 2) Atheists are on AL Qaeda's side 3) Atheists hate America 4) Atheist are always on the extreme opposite side of everything. I tried to be civil, but when I said I didn't think those claims were correct, he ran off. I'm not 100% sure if he knows I am an Atheist, but I don't see any of us who hold these 4 ridiculous positions. See what I mean?
Daniel Dennett Wow those are really are dumb assumptions. Things that I would have said to those claims: 1) I love my family and on good terms with them, and they're almost all Christian. 2) Seriously? I think they're radical extremists carrying out horrific acts of violence against the innocent for no good reason other than that it says to do so in their Holy Book. Now, doesn't that sound familiar (hmm)? The problem lies with a lack of education. 3) It's true that I think America is getting dumber and heading in the wrong direction, but I still love it, nonetheless. 4) That is a huge generalization you've made there. Your claim holds the same value as, for example, looking at a 2x2-m area of ocean water, finding no fish, and claiming "there are no fish living in the ocean." Now, does that make any sense to you? You've taken one thing (maybe two) we disagree with in particular and created a mountainous claim that I am against everyone and everything, which is simply untrue.
K3wlG33k I work with this guy and he is (usually) one of the most sane people I can think of, but he just flew off the deep end and then we got interupted by another manager when I was getting ready to argue against his first point, he ran off. On his first point, I would have stuck to my honest position that "hate" (for me) really, has to be earned. When I think of people I hate...I think of people who are predatory and parasite off of other humans example: pedophiles, CEO's like that jerk that runs Walmart (not Bill Gates). Those are the types who I reserve my hate for, because they earn it.
As a Christian, I'll be the first to say I like Hemant Mehta. I've been watching his channel for a little while now just trying to get a grasp on the Atheistic worldview. He is honest and a great communicator. He is right about this approach. As a Christian myself for a lot of years I have avoided Atheists because of the negative stereotype of being rude, but coming across the friendly atheist I don't get that vibe. He talks to you like you are a real person and doesn't demonize you like The Amazing Atheist, Essence of Thought, and Jaclyn Glen do. Atheists need to take notes from this guy. Seriously. I'm now questing my faith and doing more research into science (evolution and intelligent design) and history of my faith because of this approach. Hemant Mehta's approach is very effective so please take his approach. It does work. Yes I do know there are a lot of Christian zealots out there and I would be the first to apologize. I'm not like that. I know Christians have been hypocritical in America. I do know Atheists who have had there family excommunicate them because of their Christian beliefs. That isn't right. Even if your child becomes an atheist, as a Christian we should love them unconditionally anyways. Same for homosexuality. As a Christian I'll be the first to admit I don't understand everything about my faith, especially the God of the Old Testament and Hell. I'm not a fundamentalist that doesn't think critically about the Bible. I'll admit I don't have all the answers but thanks to Hemant Mehta I am really starting to think critically about my faith. Thanks for the challenging questions and I will take these to heart in the future and treat atheists with more respect.
Michael Jonas You are great. As an atheist myself who lives in country where religion is slowly dying(there is only around 15% of religious people in Czech Republic)I never had the need to be rude or aggresive toward other people believing in anything different than myself. Since I found Hemant I had chance to think more about how to communicate with religious people and what not to tell and stuff....if there were more people like you the world would be better place. People just need to accept other people ..with their religion, race and so on..... if that would happen no one would need to be rude or obssesive.
1:32 "Speak to the audience like you're having a conversation at a restaurant"... So, you mean i should say "shut up and just pass the salad" or something like that? ;-)
+Dax Corsiar (Weeaboo) I died because I couldn't handle how suborn and ignorant my 11 year old christian/creationist sister is, I died of depression, I felt I couldn't save her from the void of suborn ignorance that is creationism... Lol, but really it gets on my nerves.
1)Throw out mined quotations and cherry picked data 2)scare them with an untestable punishment if they do not side with you 3)attack a straw man of the opponents position 4)compare your opponent to Hitler 5)Claim your confirmation bias is correct no matter what 6) Lie 7) Manipulate your audiences emotions 8)Attack your opponents faults instead of his arguments 9)Tell your audience it is our side or theirs, there is no middle ground 10)plug your books and dvds Did I forget any?
Attack a strawman? Compare your opponent to Hitler? What weak tips. Great for high school debates but for the search for the truth, this is Non sequitur and debaters who use these must be filthy liberals or ignorant buffoons whose only goal is to win instead of finding the truth.
Not sure if this is describing atheists or Christian’s.. lol both unfortunately. If we just had respect for one another without the condition of similar beliefs.. it’d be great
RonZombie91 That wasn't really a debate she was more like a cat pawing at a glass window trying to get in but not realizing there is something in the way.
You can never truly "win" debates with people these days. They'll just twist your words and pull whatever fallacy and tangential argument they can to keep things going. Just look at the amount of people who know nothing about evolution constantly trying to discredit evolution. It's maddening. Winning a debate on social networks is a war of exhaustion, whoemever quits first, loses.
Richard Stoltzfoos I'm atheist, I'm up for a debate. I see no reason to believe a god of any sort exists due to the lack of evidence. All I ever get in a debate with theists is fallacy after fallacy. If you feel you can construct good, valid arguments, feel free to do so.
+Tesla Nick The first argument I will raise is the Kalam Cosmological Argument. 1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. 2. The universe began to exist. 3) Therefore, the universe began to exist. This is a deductive argument. This means that if the two premises are true, the conclusion follows logically and inescapably. Hence, to deny the conclusion, one must deny one of the premises. This makes for nice debating format. But are these premises true? Well, let's examine them. 1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. Is this true? Well, think about it. In our experience, we do not experience things popping into being from nothing. Raging tigers don't appear in one's bathroom from absolutely nothing. While you look at your computer screen right now, vampires don't appear behind you uncaused from nothing(you hope not). So it is true that we don't experience this happening. At all. But then, why would the universe? What makes nothingness so discriminatory? I think we can then rely on this principle, that for every effect, there is a cause. For every egg, there is a hen. Premise Two I like to summarize as follows: 2a. Either the universe is eternal in the past, or it began to exist. 2b. The universe is not eternal in the past. 2) Therefore, the universe began to exist. 2a is logical. 2b can be supported using numerous philosophical arguments against an infinite series of events, as well as (drumroll, please) the second law of thermodynamics. If the universe had been eternal in the past, the stars(including our sun) would have burned out by now. The universe would have run out of usable energy. So it seems to me the second premise is undeniable. Now what does this argument leave us with? Well, it leaves us with a cause of the universe. This cause must be immaterial, spaceless, and timeless, because it created matter & energy, space, and time. It must be transcendent, because it transcended matter & energy, space, and time. It must be uncaused because an infinite regress of causes is impossible. Some would also argue this cause must be a personal being as well. So this leaves us with a tremendously powerful, immaterial, spaceless, timeless, uncaused, transcendent, personal cause of the universe, who created the universe and everything in it. Much like...God.
Richard Stoltzfoos The Kalam argument fails for a number of reasons. Premise one commits the argument from ignorance fallacy. We have no way of studying what may or may not have caused the universe to exist. Premise two also makes assumptions. We've yet to demonstrate the universe had a beginning. We only know that the universe expanded from a prior state to what we observe today.
I must say, as a Christian, I was first put off by the channel title and the intro. However, this video is probably one of the most helpful ones i could find on general debate. So, thank you very much, and have a wonderful day!
This video was immensely comforting. When you're disagreeing with someone in a roomful (or townful) of people who think you're going to hell, it can be hard to keep a cool head. Good tips!
The smiling tip is no joke. I used to be a conservative christian, and then I watched the Bill Nye v. Ken Ham debate and bill always had a smile on his face when explaining his points. Also he could dumb it down so even I could understand his views, and after months of research I became an atheist. Great tips. 😀😀
To be honest, I'm watching this because I'm a recent atheist. I want to have intellectual discussions with people from my church without them trying to kill me.
Recently an atheist? Did you evolve into an atheist. lol It was a choice, right? I'm interested in knowing why you became an atheist. What is the attraction; the appeal.
@ BlakeMcTavishe - You actually have it wrong by making two words out of one - what you should have written is masturbating - and who really want to talk about that?
I agree with every point except #4 Smile. This can come off to the opponent as a know-it-all cocky superiority complex smirk. Not only that but a debate is suppose to be serious so if I was debating someone who is constantly smiling I would find it annoying and disrespectful. I would rather have a serious look on my face to give an impression that I'm here and I mean business. No fucking around. William Lane Craig does his fake smile routine a lot which makes me want to smack the smirk off his face.
These are great points on debating. I think a person who applies these ten principles fairly well is Dan Barker, a former evangelist and Christian musician, turned atheist who is a leader in the movement to protect Church/State separation. He has such an affable and down to earth style about him that he disarms even the most antagonistic of audiences. Anyone who wants to see how these principles, which Hemant so skillfully articulated, is effective in a debate setting, needs to watch one of Dan Barker's debates. You can find a few of them here on RUclips.
Thank you for posting this video. You could not be more right. I was actually involved in a debate that my debate club hosted when I was in high school, pertaining to Mormonism and Polygamy. I'd never been in or watched a debate before, I was just some 17 year old kid who had kind of a reputation for being an out-of-the-box thinker, so they asked me if I would like to join in the debate. I was talking to one of my then and now friends, my science teacher, a fellow Atheist. Living in a rural town in Utah, Atheist friends were hard to come by. He told me basically everything you said in this video, except with a high emphasis on admitting when I'm wrong and arguing opinions instead of facts. I went into the debate feeling confident and came out of it having learned quite a bit about Mormonism and Polygamy, and also an unshakeable feeling of victory. Almost every person in that room that day would tell you that I lost the debate, but there's a good reason that I feel like I won... By the end of the debate, one which I barely was able to withstand without losing my composure because of the incredible ignorance, I had one person asking me questions that I simply couldn't answer. I told him if he wanted answers to those questions that he should add me on facebook and send me a message. For the next month or so, we sent thousands of messages back and forth pondering life's questions and things in the bible, things in science, etc. I answered his questions to the best of my ability, and when I couldn't answer them, I talked to my science teacher. When he couldn't answer them, I went to google and gave him reliable sources of information, and he actually read them with intent to learn. I created an Atheist, but more than that, I created a best friend. I've had some of the deepest conversations with this guy, we've laughed ourselves to tears, we've considered getting baptized, and we laughed ourselves to more tears. I reached one person in that audience, and it was a victory for both of us. On paper, points-wise, I lost the debate horribly. I blame the Mormon judges, but whatever. Never pass up an opportunity to debate a Christian, because you CAN change lives.
I am a high school debater and I enjoy the thrill of dismantling arguments immensely, but I wish they would take your advice of being more conversational and admitting a good point. That's actually how I won some of my rounds, contrary to popular belief.
I'm an atheist and when the atheism vs Christianity debate comes up I am rather good at it and back my argument with facts. I may join the debate team in the future
+Serquss its true. this is the way we to interract with others we minister to. or have discussions with. I've heard it before in training for ministry.
I think that knowing and relating to your audience and staying calm are key. I agree that earning the audience's trust and conveying the argument in a relatable manner are essential, and it is very important to consider when choosing how to frame or state your argument. You don't them to feel like their intelligence is being insulted by making things too simple or completely lose them by getting too complicated. As for arguments like "the Bible is literally true", "homosexuality is a sin", or Pascal's wager, I'd welcome them, not get angry. As you said, they are easily refuted. Just quote some unsavory Bible verse (like Numbers 31:17-18), point out that Jesus said nothing on homosexuality and point out all of the other Leviticus sins modern Christians ignore, and deconstruct Pascal's weak argument.
I am of the mind to think approaching a debate with the intent of "winning" is counter-productive. I believe the aim of a debate should be for each side to alleviate disparity, collectively approach the most correct conclusion(s) given what knowledge they have. No matter how dumb/misguided you think your opponent(s) is, you should never automatically assume they are wrong until you understand their argument from an unbiased, rational point of view. Thoughts?
I think a debate can very much be won if a person is not stubborn. 99% of people on both sides are though. Half the time I'll be beating someone in an argument and they'll just go all out on the ad-hominen fallacy (insulting me unrelatedly to the argument) and ignore my points no matter how good the argument is.
you raised some good points but here is where I dont agree Ive played mortal combat an seen Raiden the thunder God kill a shit load of people using fatalities so how dare you say he is not real you blasphemers
Words of wisdom. I rarely argue with christians in particular, mostly other religious groups.. but I have argued a lot, and he knows what it's like and gets it spot on, couldn't have said it better myself. Everyone wishing to post a message on the internet in general such watch this. But.. just to be bitch I would like to say that "winning" a debate brings a sour taste to my mouth though, it's nothing about winning, it's about helping brain washed people realize that things aren't necessarily how they were taught when growing up, and all that religious zeal their entire life has been a complete waste.. so I think it's very important to at the same time be supportive of the person as a human being (not their religious views), and not fall into the trap of feeling cocky and rubbing salt into the open wound if you feel you have the advantage in a debate.
For no. 8 telling the audience what you agree with about your opponents argument also helps your audience focus on what your main argument is and shows them what your most focused on informing them about.
There's a difference between trusting in a man-made religion and having a rich spiritual life; and relationship with God. I don't follow man-made religion, nor do I trust its devices. However, I do value the spiritual principles of Jesus Christ. The two in particular I value the most are "Love thy neighbor as thyself"; also "What ye measure to others the same shall be measured to you." Can you imagine if everyone in the world thought like that? Can you imagine what this world would be like if everyone thought that way on a collective scale; through collective consciousness? There would be no war, no one starving, no murder, no adultery, no theft, no duplicity, no envy; just love.
A Christian, a Jew, and a Muslim walk into a bar. They order some drinks, have a conversation, and enjoy each other's company because they're not total assholes.
My own tips: 1) Look at the judge. that's who you want to convince 2) speak fast but clearly 3) have an opening line and conclusion 4) be organised in your speech- bring notes 5) note your arguments 6) remember to rebutt the other side
You want to win the debate, but do you know what I'm looking for? You. I want you. I want to win you. That should be every christians aspiration. As your brother, I love you and everyone just like I love myself that I just want WHAT I believe is the best for all of us. God bless you all.
From my vast experience ... the best way to win a debate is to avoid it , some people are full of shit,you can't fill them with an ounce of knowledge or wisdom....
Top ten tips on argument . 1.Know your audience 2.Don't insult your Co participants. 3.Deep conversation like talking to audience like mumbikrr nikhil. 4. Smile . 5. Work the audience ( give them something to thing about ) 6. Stay calm 7. Don't be afraid to praise their argument . 8. Appreciate opponents point .( It's a sign of strength in debate ) 9. U can say I don't know ( like I have no answer to this ) , but I will even respond you might not immediately but absolutely .
1. Don’t be unlikable 2. Be respectful 3. Dumb it down / make me feel smart 4. Smile 5. Don’t win over the opponent 6. Stay calm 7. Don’t be afraid to praise other authors and works 8. Don’t be afraid to admit when you’re opponent makes a good point 9. Be honest if you don’t know it all 10. Be patient
Mr. Mehta, I want to thank you for this video. I appreciate the tips you put in here to create a better debate environment (especially smiling, it's the little things). I'm a Christian who enjoys talking about these things with other people and to do so in an environment that isn't full of personal attacks but solid dialogue is the best way to discuss ideas, even ones we disagree with. Thanks again, Adam Stake
Allen Tolentino the creature that trown rapist in hell? Humans are the most dangereus creature they are using the free wil GOD gave them for evil and ate being punished for it
Jesus Has the Keys Here are the words of Jesus in Revelation 1:18: “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Keys are a sign of authority. If you have the keys to my house, you can open it and go in anytime you want. It is often said that the devil owns the gates of hell-that is, he has the power of death. But that’s okay. The devil has the gates, but Jesus has the keys. We have nothing to fear in the moment of death for when the time comes, Jesus will personally unlock the gate and usher us into his presence. “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25). If you believe in Jesus, you will never die. What an amazing promise. But believers die every day. Yes, but for the believer, death is merely the passing from this life with all its sorrows into life eternal in the presence of our Lord. The question is not: What happens when we die? But rather: What will happen when you die? Death is not the end of the road, it is only a bend in the road. For the believer, death is the doorway to heaven. For the unbeliever, it is a passageway into unimaginable suffering. These things are true even if we do not fully understand them. They are true even if we don’t believe them. What happens when you die depends on what happens before you die. Here is my final word to you: Make sure you’re ready to die so that when the time comes, you won’t be surprised by what happens next. A Truth to Remember: What happens when you die depends on what happens before you die. I love you my Lord and SAVIOUR, Jesus Christ...
Suppose I’m wrong about atheism. I’m standing outside the pearly gates and St. Peter, or God Himself, gives me one chance to explain myself. What would I say except “I’m sorry - I got it wrong. I really tried. But I got it wrong. I saw all the different religions, each saying different things, all changing over time. It seemed just a part of human culture, not ultimate truth. I saw unnecessary suffering and couldn’t make heads or tails of it, if you were good and all-powerful. It didn’t make sense to me to posit something existing to explain existence: that gets it backwards. I’m sorry, God, that I didn’t believe in you, but it wasn’t malicious - I just - I just screwed up.” What would Jesus say to that? Would he send me to suffer forever? Do I deserve to be tortured eternally for trying to think rationally?
Actually In India, the biggest DEBATE competition is coming, known as MAHA BEHES and it's on 15th and 16th December. You made me perfectly prepare for it...... Thank you sir
I just want to say that planting seeds of doubt won't always be helpful. Chances are they're going to look into the Bible for answers and to restore faith and since the Bible has answers that restore faith it won't last long and in fact even strengthen our faith. Also, not to be rude or start an argument or anything, I do just want to say that Christian channels and sermons and stuff like that don't devote their time towards learning and teaching how to prove others wrong.
+Dingo363 Studios Also, just one more thing. Making this type of stuff makes us look ignorant and uneducated and seems like we're refusing "fact". Just please, to all atheists out there, remember to treat is like the people we are and not uneducated ignorant stubborn little kids.
+Dingo363 Studios if you don't wanna be treated like an "uneducated ignorant stubborn little kid" don't believe things inly uneducated Ignorant stubborn little kids would believe...
But is it really about winning or is it about getting to the truth? The concept of winning seems to put to the side the idea you can be wrong. As an Atheist, I'm relatively sure theists are incorrect, but I never really seek to win, but to make the other question what they think.
When two opinions have the same value(heating universe vs cooling universe) is about get the truth, but when is a rational opinion against a irrational opinion of course is about rational opinion must win. · Win against religion is not for be better or get glory but to fade the suffering coming from religions, atheism must win to save millions of lives ended every year for religious hate and dogmas.
@@EliosMoonElios Excuse me, but you're saying that religion causes millions of lives ended each year because of hate and dogmas? I do say that it sounds like you're talking about rather extreme cases. I don't think that non-extreme cases (the vast majority) of religion are causing people to kill each other. Sure there are cults but that's a twisting of beliefs. Also could you explain to me how the issue of is religion true an irrational case vs a rational one?
@@zaarongaming8174 Bible say you should apply sadistic laws there is not way to ignore it and the definition of faith is, as bible and Jesus say, belief without see that is the base of any fanatic mindset, religions PROMOTE FANATIC BEHAVIOR. There is nothing rational in belief deities exist without proofs. "that's a twisting of beliefs" In bible God command dozens of genocides and killing of women, babies, children and elders. A boy was condemn to death for gather sticks in sabbath. Bible say in a wife is not virgin she must be killed. bible say if a virgin girl is raped she must be forced to marry her rapist for life. God allow the Devil torture God's most loyal servant for a bet. Bible say sick people must not be allowed in the church. Bible say if a newborn is sick or paralytic, as sins are punishment from sins, then that baby than never sin is sick because his/her parents sins. Bible is full of sadistic, degenerated and grotesque stuff condoned or demanded by God so don't say theist than do bad thing are fanatics theists. In china people eat dogs and cats, people hate that but GOD SAY "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything".
@@zaarongaming8174 I repeat millions die for religions: religious healing methods like shamans.(dogma) Useless pray-healing.(dogma) Killing albinos in Africa(dogma) Pray and do nothing else for their how welfare.(dogma) Kill rival religions.(hate) Kill gays, atheist , witches, black magic religions.(hate) Millions of Jews in Nazi regimen have a chance to escape but they don't escape because they belief "God will protect us". 30%(2,000,000) of the 8,000,000 of annual deaths in India are caused by bathing or drinking water from the putrid HOLY RIVER OF GANGES for purification or healing purpose(the irony). See? India's religion alone kill 2,000,000 of people every years.
@@EliosMoonElios EliosMoonElios Please cite examples of the sadistic laws you are mentioning from the bible so that I may know what more precisely I'm debating. The bible mentions that jesus is talking to his disciples and says that those who believe without seeing will be rewarded. I don't think that fanatic is a good term to use here because fanatic is usually for an extreme cause. I also don't think that fanatic in this case is bad. What's people being fanatic over this going to do? Best case: get people to go to paradise forever. Not bad eh? Worse case: Causes people to lose a bit of time, but they still get to meet all sorts of people and socialize anyways. Worst case: they lowered their chances of believing in the wrong god by believing in one but they got unlucky and were wrong and idk much about different religions. Still better than being an atheist in 2 out of 3 situations tho. I don't think it's irrational to believe in a deity of some type without proof. If there's a 1% chance of there being a god and them going to hell if they don't believe in that god then a person won't want to risk that so they'll reduce those odds as much as possible. That also works vice versa with a 1% chance of paradise forever you want to increase those odds. Also there is proof which I'll post here: I don't think that it is reasonable in the slightest to think there was at some point nothing and then it just came to life. Therefore you would have to believe that the universe was always here. On the contrary to that you would be able to go back to before life when there was just matter or whatever, and there is infinite time in between life and that because if it always was then you can keep on going back forever, and there would be an infinite amount of time between something happening which you can't get through because it's an infinite amount of time. There'd also be infinite time before an event which would cause time to pass through the infinite amount of time. Cults are fundamentally a twisting of beliefs because they change the bible. Could you cite an instance of genocide being commanded so that I can debate with you? Saying that a boy was stoned for gathering sticks on the sabbath is not a realistic portration of what happened. It was a man for one thing. The context of this is that it takes place in a chapter all about intentional vs unintentional sin. Therefore it is highly likely that this man was intentionally doing this, and was not ignorant. He was deliberately disobeying a command from god himself, and putting himself over god. His heart was not in the right place here, and that is reasonably punishable by death. That is further rectified in a chapter where a man is donating money to the church, but he lies about how much he was giving as a percent of his net worth. We can also give god the benefit of the doubt here that this man probably didn't just mess up once. In those times if a woman had sex and it was not with the man she was to marry it was law that she would die. Jesus mentions that many of the things told to the people of the old testimate were said because their hearts were hard. It is reasonable to think that this is only a law because it was a great wrongdoing to do this act in the past, and so this act having a high punishment is reasonable. This wouldn't apply today though. Your statement about it being a bet is ACTUALLY pretty funny man. Good one. Anyways the earth was designed to be a tribulation and God knew his servant would prevail giving God a good reason to reward him on earth and in heaven, so everybody wins here (except the devil I guess but screw him anyways) also it's not exactly torture. Could you give me the context for the sick people thing? If it's leprosy then yeaaaaah people don't wanna die, and if it's something people get better from then they'd get better and be allowed in so I'd like to know what the context is as it probably doesn't fit into those things I'm thinking. You don't seem to understand the social structure of biblical times. If a woman was raped then she had nobody to marry, and would basically be in a reallllly bad spot. She's also not forced to marry. Her father can do something (I forget what exactly) and save her for someone else. Babies were not punished from their parent's actions (apart from being brought up poorly or not as a christian etc.) that was just a misunderstanding from the people. The bible doesn't condone evil. I'd need you to back up that last part of that for the bible to be filled with nasty stuff or whatever. "so don't say theist than do bad thing are fanatics theists." I don't really understand this, I think you made a typo or something if you could clear that up that would be great. "In china people eat dogs and cats, people hate that but GOD SAY "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.".". People hate that people eat dogs and cats but that's a social issue. That's not a moral issue. There's not really anything in general morality that would say cats and dogs are less valuable than cats. So yeah the bible is fine if you eat cats and dogs. It doesn't mean most Christians are cool with that or aren't though.
He is actually explaining how good direct marketing should look like :) All new marketing firms which are in face-to-face marketing should listen to this
As a Christian, I really respect what you're saying here, and the fact that you are polite about everything. I've dealt with atheists before who just insulted me and called me stupid for believing in a "guy in the sky" instead of responding to my arguments. My attitude towards atheists is very similar to your attitude toward christians. I really don't think most of you mean any harm, I just disagree with you.
that is because you haven't met me yet everyone I have debated with hates me because they realise I have a point , hates me because they lost the argument, walk away,slap me ,pretend I don't exist ,or all of the above either way I win
"Ken Ham actually believes what he says" Yeah...I have to disagree on this. I honestly think he does it for the money. I refuse the accept that there are people that really believe how he does.
It saddens me to admit it but yes, some humans are just that idiotic. Ken Ham I think just knows that he can make a boat load of money (even though he spent a boat load to build an actual boat that will never touch the ocean) I think Ham knows better, if he is smart enough to rip off as many people as he does then he has to know better. He's just deceitful manipulative and a bastard is all.
you're saying you can't believe how idiotic people can be, but you realise people believe in an invisible sky fairy that never has and never actually will exist? it's a fucking pathetic concept and I can't believe people still waste their time with this bible shit. Because believing a book that's written by people who didn't know where the sun went at night is definitely true.
***** come on Bro, can you just share your opinion in a non antagonizing way? You got a point, but ion think Christianity would've gotten this far as to the most practiced religion in the world for no reason
This tips are not only for god - no god debates. It is for all kinds of debates. Treat your opponent and audience with respect. Be polite. And it is not about to win the debate. It is about to find truth
The most important things are staying calm and respectful. Make sure you emphasize how important it is for one another to concede a point under a logical fallacy before the debate begins, not after it starts. Then they don't give a shit about logic.
There is no debate. Crazy people don't know they are crazy. Try debating with someone in a mental hospital who thinks he is Napoleon, it is the same thing with people of faith. Faith is not a virtue, it is a defect.
faith fāTH/ noun 1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something. "this restores one's faith in politicians" synonyms: trust, belief, confidence, conviction; More antonyms: mistrust 2. strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
religious nutjobs don't define their terms clearly when they argue that we have the same faith in science as they do in god. It is nice to see that you ignore things that don't suit you in all books, not just the goat herder's handbook.
I'm amused by how malevolent this sounds. Probably more from watching most of the playlist all in a row like I have been but it just reminds me of a stereotype about atheists that I see rather often. The idea that atheists generally sit around and think up ways to rob people of their faith or lead them astray. Like they're some kind of cartoony, mustache twirling villains. Just sounds like the kind of thing preachers have warned against from the pulpit.
This seems malevolent to you? In what way? It seems strange to me, because of all the atheist videos I have watched, this is probably one of the least aggressive. He isn't insulting the religious, performing any ad hominems, or even really making fun of them.
Like I said, based on my previous experiences listening to preachers talk about how others conspire against Christians to relieve them of their faith and hearing atheist friends talk about how "we don't just spend all of our time sitting around and thinking about Christians and ways to screw with them." And then watching a playlist (about two straight hours) of videos about questions to ask, things to say, how to debate Christianity, etc. I'm not saying that it IS malevolent, but that because of my particular amalgam of experiences it can seem to have that appearance. It's the context of all things that makes me giggle.
Excellent list, Hement. I don't often get into debates regarding religion, but in the process of setting up for an education event with my reptiles, including snakes, I was able to get someone thinking about the story of the temptation of Eve with some questions that not only made her question what she had always been told about snakes/serpents, but also about whether her hatred of snakes was ill-placed. It was a dual purpose quick debate in a parking lot. LOL (If I am lucky, she won't just automatically try to kill any wild snake she sees.)
Nice video. Although I'm christian and don't think "we're just wrong" you described many points to have a good conversation and i look forward to have conversations with people respecting these "rules". Especially point 7: I'm so tired of having discussions with atheists about the bible who never read it. Not that I think it would make them become christian automatically, but to have a good basis of discussion. I mean: Who will take you serious if you didn't even inform about the matter - you're just against it?
I dislike the bible because i read it. And because i dont cherry pick the "good parts" and ignore "the bad parts" When you really read it al, it just gets dumber and dumber.
I have read the bible, and I would like to see you explain to me one of the many contradictions in the bible. Let's compare Deuteronomy 5:9 *You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me* and Deuteronomy 24:16 *Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.*
First of all: Both statements are in completely different situations: The first is about how *god* may treat people, the second one is about how *humans* should treat people. It is important to differ this, because god can oversee the situation and knows, what is the best way to behave, men don't. That's why he tells us in many situations not to judge people but to leave retribution to him. Also note that the present tense/gerund in the first statement means something he *has* done and still does in certain occasions, but not general behaviour. Even if you want to rip it out of context and take it literally, note that the first statement talks about "punishing" (in other translations more like "calling to account"), the second statement about "put to death". So even in this case you can argue, there is not necessarily a contradiction. (Sorry for possibly bad phrasing, I'm german.)
The vast majority of Christians have not read the bible. They've listened to sermons or read devotional books about selected verses or passages, and had the passages explained to them. Reading through the bible completely, chapter by chapter, is a good way to move from belief, to doubt, to unbelief. There's a lot of very weird and contradictory things in there that never get mentioned in Sunday school, sermons, or devotionals.
Oh please. Education or propaganda? There is a world of difference. There is nothing to this gay apartheid. Everyone wants to be proud of something. Pride is stupid. It is just another bigoted display of separatist elitism.
No look up statisitcs: the percentage is same in all civilised countries wich maked it natural, other animals do it wich makes it also natural these facts can b witnesed by papers of universities and documented proof you can witness, also since i can support ma claim and you support your claims with own assumptions that otherd have... Pride? Wich you can't back off either, result i am right
Oh, are you arguing at cross purposes with your idea of what I am saying? Oh, sorry. It was my fault for not expressing myself clearly. There is no magical force in this universe, this is mere lust, that is all, nothing important, don't waste time condemning people for lust manifesting in different categories. Water hole you poke or whatever you allow into your life it is not the same as love, it means nothing. Love is real. Love has nothing to do with satisfying the lusty demands of the body. It has to do with your soul. A man who rapes his wife in the same way that men violate each other is no different. They should all be ashamed of their lust and control themselves. Fith cannot approach pure fire, it must burn to ashes.
My late mother would have agreed with all of this excellent advice. Whenever there were family arguments she used to always say "disagree without being disagreeable" and would practice that with everyone. She was a deist with some agnostic traits. Way back in the 60s she loved nothing better than an opportunity for a nice courteous and respectful discussion with fundamentalist Christians such as my aunt or with door to door missionaries such as Mormons or JWs. My aunt was deeply concerned for her soul so she just never gave up trying to get her saved and back in the old church, even though she never could answer Mama's questions or objections. On the other hand the missionaries apparently put Mama on a list of people to avoid talking to, as they would come back through our neighborhood and deliberately skip our house.
I have to disagree with you about #9: Don't be afraid to say "I don't know". Unfortunately, while this is often the right answer, Christians do not like to hear "I don't know", because in their eyes it does show weakness. These are people who are uncomfortable with the unknown. They want answers, and so the Bible is enticing, albeit completely wrong. But that's ok in their world view, they prefer wrong answers over unknowns.
In what way is that a satanic verse... It's a god dam expression like comeon man you must be uncomfortable with your religion. did those seeds get planted in your head?? Let's hope you reliase your wasting time going to church , reading fairy tales, and praying to the ceiling have a good one!
gadfg gfeed It sounds very satanic, trying to get people to give up their faith and thus hope, which will lead to lower quality of life. But missery likes company I guess...
In what way is religion making a better quality of life? I ask because I'm assumeing you think athiests are bad people who do nothing for the greater I man kind . And it's not getting them to give up it's getting them to open their eyes an see that life can be awesome without someone elses views guiding you every step of the way through life I just don't see a need to devote my life to any organized religion because there all wrong since every religon seems to think there right ssoooo I'll play it safe an enjoy life without interference from any thing, person, (GOD), religion ect...getting in my way from being happy and doin what's RIGHT not whats right . Best part I give my self all the credit not from believing in god Good day
gadfg gfeed There are different ways to practice religion, organized religion is just most recognized. You can believe in God without going to church, or you can believe in eternal soul without particular deity, but to be atheist is to believe we are animals with enlarged central nervous system. People generally are not equipped to deal with this bleak outlook on life, mainly because it isn't true and to promote atheism is akin to promote depression.
@@charimonfanboy Same, lol. Being an atheist myself, I know that many atheists just say that there is no evidence for God, thus you can't postulate that He exists. There are atheists with other viewpoints of course, such as agnostics, who just say that they "don't know" whether God exists or not. I find it quite rude when people try and say atheists want to disprove God. No, they just want proof that God exists.
I am the only atheist in my family, and it's really hard to see how they don't even try to read other books or find other information other than what it's in the bible. I am always bullied and they always try to make me look stupid. One of my family members just said "There is a god, 'cause there is a god, OK". "That's what I was told, so there is a god." There were to many for me to argue or debate against, so I just said ok, so I am a covert now because I am being told by you that there is a god, and that's all I have to know. By the way I believed in god for 35 years. I defended him and my position, then I started to read other books, and other information, boy was I embarrassed to know that I was wrong. I now know for a fact that most Christians are uneducated. Starting with me. It doesn't matter if you go to college or what not, it matters if you inform yourself with knowledge.
I was just looking to develop my public speeking skills when I stumbled upon this interesting channel. As a christian I would like to thank you for your great points on debating skills! Watched a few of your other video's and offcourse I don't agree with you on everything but thought I'd let you know I still appreciate your work raising interest in the topic of faith. Keep up the good work and greetings from the Netherlands!
Being a Christian I want to say one thing you do right is what almost every other atheist channel gets wrong "you listen" and "speak rationally". I come and listen not because I think your right on any level but because bring rational thought to the conversation and give me a view I want to understand and so I can come back with just as rational answers. Thank You. We may never agree but if we all agreed it would be a boarding world.
"The Ontological Argument" By Monk Anslem 1) It is a conceptual truth (or, so to speak, true by definition) that God is a being than which none greater can be imagined (that is, the greatest possible being that can be imagined). 2) God exists as an idea in the mind. 3) A being that exists as an idea in the mind and in reality is, other things being equal, greater than a being that exists only as an idea in the mind. 4) Thus, if God exists only as an idea in the mind, then we can imagine something that is greater than God (that is, a greatest possible being that does exist). 5) But we cannot imagine something that is greater than God (for it is a contradiction to suppose that we can imagine a being greater than the greatest possible being that can be imagined.) 6) Therefore, God exists. Refering to GOD's Word The Holy Bible
Two points need to be added which are the foundation for any debate: (1) to the best of your ability, accurately understand your opponents position(s) and (2) accurately represent your opponents position(s). These are two elements, in particular, Mr. Mehta needs to do in his videos.
0:00 '10 Tips for Winning a Debate' - The Art of Debate is NOT about 'winning' or 'losing'. It's about accessing THE TRUTH of the matter. It's an investigation to the LOGICAL conclusion. It's a matter of assessing the various perspectives and finding the highest rationale.
This is really good advice. You are right; it is a common trap to go into a rebutting-frenzy where you think you have to invalidate every single point you opponent makes. If you are not cautious this can lead to you barricading yourself into a position that is outright wrong. For example saying that is no morality in the bible. There is no reason not to appreciate the moral agenda of the Sermon of the Mount, of course not without adding that Aristotle said it all before and that the God of the Old Testament is still pretty monstrous. If you manage to reach out to your opponent while still staying critical saying: ”C’mon buddy, we may disagree how to get there, but we still want the same thing...” and he then beats your hand off, you have pretty much won the debate. There is one type of debater I’m struggling with. Especially among Christians you often encounter people who try to act all smiling and confident and try to fraternize with the crowd while they avoid to make any specific assertion you could call them out on at the same time. And if you bring your own arguments they just say: “Why are you so angry?” In the end they don’t really want to debate and let you run against a Teflon wall. What is the best way to deal with these people?
slay them like your avatar! ...Wait no that wasn't advice I was supposed to give. Slay them like the christian god. No, that's the same piece of advice, well no it is worse.
As a Christian, I must say this is a great video for both sides (God is real or vice versa) I can use all these tips except for number nine. For some reason, when an atheist doesn't know something, its ok. But when a Christian is a little confused all the atheists (or people of other religon) think that they have prove the Christian wrong. But apart from that, I will be using the other nine of the tips! Thanks! :)
Another one: pay attention to your opponent. Firstly, try to understand their position so you aren't talking past eachother. Secondly, notice certain traps they might set up for you and don't fall into them. WLC is great at setting traps in debates. There's an excellent video on this by a channel called "cleaning the glass". Be aware of those kinds of tactics and avoid them.
I'm a Christian but I want to learn how to debate secular subjects like racism, feminism, leftists etc and I think this video gave some pretty good insight. Though, I thing that if I'm wrong (which I hope not to be) about heaven and hell, and the end is just nothingness, it's better than being wrong about God and spending eternity in hell .
i am a muslim. but i liked this guy a lot. you're just different from other peoples (by that, i mean atheist, muslim, Christian etc.) who are very rush to win argument against opponents. thanks for your help sir!
I could listen to Hemant Mehta until my ears bleed, I feel comfortable being an atheist. I became an atheist when I read the Bible aged 11. Like Greek mythology , Roman mythology, Norse mythology, and many more, all religions are man made. I'll never change my opinion for anyone...
This guy gets it right, and even people that disagree can listen to him because he voices his opinion very gracefully and with respect for the opposition.
I used the "agree with your opponent"-trick back then in school because it is true that what my opponent said is true. BUT like what you said, I also revealed the big part wherin he is wrong. I even got to convince that the side he's on is wrong and he should be supporting another side (not our side but some other's side)
This video is pretty good I've been arguing with an atheist about Christianity for well over a year now and we've both learned stuff about atheism and Christianity but his tips for winning a debate are 1) if they ask you a question that seems tough flip it on them and never answer the question 2) never give evidence but say there is 3) look at a website about proof for a topic and automatically assume it's wrong 4) completely change the subject every few minutes to leave your opponent confused (literally I have to say wait wait wait every 2 minutes) 5) see homosexuality or death in the bible with no context or thought and say the bible is evil 6) after your opponent explains something to you say they haven't explained it to you repeatedly 7) never ever ever question Darwin 8) never ever ever realize you're wrong 9) don't question your logic 10)show your opponent a fail compilation in between debates
Just wondering I have a debate on the death penalty. Should I still smile and act pleasant when telling a sad story, or still try to be a pleasant person to win the jury over?
I don't care about the audience, I care about the judges -.-
Carol Ordaya hahahahahaha
Savage
nowadays the general public is the harshest judge
The judge IS your audience
Me too😇😇😇
#11: Avoid debates over matters of fact. Focus the debate on matters of epistemology. Do not simply assert that X is false. Show why the justification for X is poor in the first place. Force them to answer the question "how do you know that?"
Dann858 #13 take notes. These people have been trained since childhood to spit bullshit, argue like an angry child, dish insults, talk in circles, assert feelings as facts, change the subject, misrepresent everything that contradicts them, talk as though an authority on subjects that they are not qualified in, pretty much invented every logical fallacy there is, and oh yeah.....flat out lie and accuse their opponents of being untruthful.
***** A seemingly normal gentleman told me, this last Friday that:
1) Atheists hate Christians
2) Atheists are on AL Qaeda's side
3) Atheists hate America
4) Atheist are always on the extreme opposite side of everything.
I tried to be civil, but when I said I didn't think those claims were correct, he ran off. I'm not 100% sure if he knows I am an Atheist, but I don't see any of us who hold these 4 ridiculous positions. See what I mean?
Daniel Dennett
Wow those are really are dumb assumptions.
Things that I would have said to those claims:
1) I love my family and on good terms with them, and they're almost all Christian.
2) Seriously? I think they're radical extremists carrying out horrific acts of violence against the innocent for no good reason other than that it says to do so in their Holy Book. Now, doesn't that sound familiar (hmm)? The problem lies with a lack of education.
3) It's true that I think America is getting dumber and heading in the wrong direction, but I still love it, nonetheless.
4) That is a huge generalization you've made there. Your claim holds the same value as, for example, looking at a 2x2-m area of ocean water, finding no fish, and claiming "there are no fish living in the ocean." Now, does that make any sense to you? You've taken one thing (maybe two) we disagree with in particular and created a mountainous claim that I am against everyone and everything, which is simply untrue.
K3wlG33k I work with this guy and he is (usually) one of the most sane people I can think of, but he just flew off the deep end and then we got interupted by another manager when I was getting ready to argue against his first point, he ran off.
On his first point, I would have stuck to my honest position that "hate" (for me) really, has to be earned. When I think of people I hate...I think of people who are predatory and parasite off of other humans example: pedophiles, CEO's like that jerk that runs Walmart (not Bill Gates). Those are the types who I reserve my hate for, because they earn it.
Daniel Dennett PRAISE ALLAH!!!!..... I mean......Christianity is stupid.
As a Christian, I'll be the first to say I like Hemant Mehta. I've been watching his channel for a little while now just trying to get a grasp on the Atheistic worldview. He is honest and a great communicator. He is right about this approach. As a Christian myself for a lot of years I have avoided Atheists because of the negative stereotype of being rude, but coming across the friendly atheist I don't get that vibe. He talks to you like you are a real person and doesn't demonize you like The Amazing Atheist, Essence of Thought, and Jaclyn Glen do. Atheists need to take notes from this guy. Seriously. I'm now questing my faith and doing more research into science (evolution and intelligent design) and history of my faith because of this approach. Hemant Mehta's approach is very effective so please take his approach. It does work. Yes I do know there are a lot of Christian zealots out there and I would be the first to apologize. I'm not like that. I know Christians have been hypocritical in America. I do know Atheists who have had there family excommunicate them because of their Christian beliefs. That isn't right. Even if your child becomes an atheist, as a Christian we should love them unconditionally anyways. Same for homosexuality. As a Christian I'll be the first to admit I don't understand everything about my faith, especially the God of the Old Testament and Hell. I'm not a fundamentalist that doesn't think critically about the Bible. I'll admit I don't have all the answers but thanks to Hemant Mehta I am really starting to think critically about my faith. Thanks for the challenging questions and I will take these to heart in the future and treat atheists with more respect.
My thoughts exactly.
Michael Jonas Thank you sir for your comment, it's like the first rational non- bashing comment I've read in a while in the internet. :)
Michael Jonas You are great. As an atheist myself who lives in country where religion is slowly dying(there is only around 15% of religious people in Czech Republic)I never had the need to be rude or aggresive toward other people believing in anything different than myself. Since I found Hemant I had chance to think more about how to communicate with religious people and what not to tell and stuff....if there were more people like you the world would be better place. People just need to accept other people ..with their religion, race and so on..... if that would happen no one would need to be rude or obssesive.
Michael Jonas You have done brilliantly with that post. Thank you, sir, for existing
Michael Jonas feel free to becum a atheist!!
1:32 "Speak to the audience like you're having a conversation at a restaurant"...
So, you mean i should say "shut up and just pass the salad" or something like that? ;-)
No he's saying talk to them not at them in a way. Don't preach to them talk to them.
Michael Frueh Ok. No salad. Got it.
1:25
i nearly failed every tip while telling my parents that i am an atheist.
Arsany Osama so edgy. Did you make a coming out video?
This just made me laugh so hard hahaha
As long as you live in their house, obey them you filthy basement dweller! Other than that, then you are free to believe anything you want to believe
I'm an Atheist and idc what others think
@@realThomastheCat fuck off
"They mean well. They're just wrong"
I'm dead....
+Dax Corsiar (Weeaboo)
As in you died laughing?
DuaneTheDarknessDragoon B No. Like I died from a heart attack.
+Dax Corsiar (Weeaboo) I died because I couldn't handle how suborn and ignorant my 11 year old christian/creationist sister is, I died of depression, I felt I couldn't save her from the void of suborn ignorance that is creationism... Lol, but really it gets on my nerves.
+Zee Utuber most christians are
***** She's like my mother, except she's not even as open minded as her... So, I don't see any change coming...
1)Throw out mined quotations and cherry picked data
2)scare them with an untestable punishment if they do not side with you
3)attack a straw man of the opponents position
4)compare your opponent to Hitler
5)Claim your confirmation bias is correct no matter what
6) Lie
7) Manipulate your audiences emotions
8)Attack your opponents faults instead of his arguments
9)Tell your audience it is our side or theirs, there is no middle ground
10)plug your books and dvds
Did I forget any?
Attack a strawman? Compare your opponent to Hitler? What weak tips. Great for high school debates but for the search for the truth, this is Non sequitur and debaters who use these must be filthy liberals or ignorant buffoons whose only goal is to win instead of finding the truth.
@@realThomastheCat r/whoosh
Not sure if this is describing atheists or Christian’s.. lol both unfortunately. If we just had respect for one another without the condition of similar beliefs.. it’d be great
Smile, but stay away from the creepy, condescending professional apologist smile.
Like the Wendy Wright bitch that debated with Richard Dawkins.
RonZombie91 That wasn't really a debate she was more like a cat pawing at a glass window trying to get in but not realizing there is something in the way.
RonZombie91 Or lane Craig, his smiles are creppy
Tyrion Lannister I'll have to watch that one. Who was the debate with?
Every time he opens his motuh, there are tons of debates of him against hitchens, Harris, Dillahunty...
You can never truly "win" debates with people these days. They'll just twist your words and pull whatever fallacy and tangential argument they can to keep things going. Just look at the amount of people who know nothing about evolution constantly trying to discredit evolution. It's maddening. Winning a debate on social networks is a war of exhaustion, whoemever quits first, loses.
+CidGuerreiro1234
You're so right. Surely that's the point of a debate - to discuss opposing views in an open forum, not to win or lose.
+jinitron Ok, how about a debate right here in the open? I'll defend theism. I can never find any people in these comments who want to debate.
Richard Stoltzfoos
I'm atheist, I'm up for a debate.
I see no reason to believe a god of any sort exists due to the lack of evidence.
All I ever get in a debate with theists is fallacy after fallacy.
If you feel you can construct good, valid arguments, feel free to do so.
+Tesla Nick The first argument I will raise is the Kalam Cosmological Argument.
1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
2. The universe began to exist.
3) Therefore, the universe began to exist.
This is a deductive argument. This means that if the two premises are true, the conclusion follows logically and inescapably. Hence, to deny the conclusion, one must deny one of the premises. This makes for nice debating format.
But are these premises true? Well, let's examine them.
1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. Is this true? Well, think about it. In our experience, we do not experience things popping into being from nothing. Raging tigers don't appear in one's bathroom from absolutely nothing. While you look at your computer screen right now, vampires don't appear behind you uncaused from nothing(you hope not). So it is true that we don't experience this happening. At all. But then, why would the universe? What makes nothingness so discriminatory? I think we can then rely on this principle, that for every effect, there is a cause. For every egg, there is a hen.
Premise Two I like to summarize as follows:
2a. Either the universe is eternal in the past, or it began to exist.
2b. The universe is not eternal in the past.
2) Therefore, the universe began to exist.
2a is logical. 2b can be supported using numerous philosophical arguments against an infinite series of events, as well as (drumroll, please) the second law of thermodynamics. If the universe had been eternal in the past, the stars(including our sun) would have burned out by now. The universe would have run out of usable energy. So it seems to me the second premise is undeniable.
Now what does this argument leave us with? Well, it leaves us with a cause of the universe. This cause must be immaterial, spaceless, and timeless, because it created matter & energy, space, and time. It must be transcendent, because it transcended matter & energy, space, and time. It must be uncaused because an infinite regress of causes is impossible. Some would also argue this cause must be a personal being as well. So this leaves us with a tremendously powerful, immaterial, spaceless, timeless, uncaused, transcendent, personal cause of the universe, who created the universe and everything in it. Much like...God.
Richard Stoltzfoos
The Kalam argument fails for a number of reasons. Premise one commits the argument from ignorance fallacy. We have no way of studying what may or may not have caused the universe to exist.
Premise two also makes assumptions. We've yet to demonstrate the universe had a beginning. We only know that the universe expanded from a prior state to what we observe today.
I must say, as a Christian, I was first put off by the channel title and the intro. However, this video is probably one of the most helpful ones i could find on general debate. So, thank you very much, and have a wonderful day!
:3
sorry? I'm a bit confused by your response.
Its a face. I didn't have anything to say so I put a face. ^-^ T-T :D :p (>0.0)> Faces :3
Okay, thanks.
Same, I just acted like it was turned around and these were tips for Christians.
This video was immensely comforting. When you're disagreeing with someone in a roomful (or townful) of people who think you're going to hell, it can be hard to keep a cool head. Good tips!
TobyKid Major
Great video
Sad to see people in comments section being absolutely blind and not understanding what you are trying to say
Tanmay Tikle
Absolutely. I've been looking through here for half an hour and all I can find is "God is real" and "No he's not".
The smiling tip is no joke. I used to be a conservative christian, and then I watched the Bill Nye v. Ken Ham debate and bill always had a smile on his face when explaining his points. Also he could dumb it down so even I could understand his views, and after months of research I became an atheist. Great tips. 😀😀
To be honest, I'm watching this because I'm a recent atheist. I want to have intellectual discussions with people from my church without them trying to kill me.
don't be open about it.
Don't hide it though, if it's in a conversation it is completely appropriate to talk about. And good luck I went through similar things as you
Than get out of that church. They are trying to kill you. lol. Not literally for those who think I mean it literally.
Recently an atheist? Did you evolve into an atheist. lol It was a choice, right?
I'm interested in knowing why you became an atheist. What is the attraction; the appeal.
This is late,but just be true to yourself. If someone wants to have a peaceful conversation, great. Otherwise just walk away.
When I grow up I want to be just like Hemant Mehta.
I also want to be like him.
But not exactly him. I would like to be VIVEK
Also, he is very handsome.
Some religious guy once told me that the moon, our moon was older than our galaxy, lol.
Wow, I guess that makes all religious guys dumb and all atheists smart. Thanks Einstein!
Ken Bagwell
They are not dumb, they are just ignorant, there's a difference sir.
Gordon Freeman I am glad you see that. There is a lot of ignorance and stupidity on both sides of the equation.
Ken Bagwell
That's true.
The Fields of Ice Shouldn't they want Jesus to return?
I'll stick to master debating.
@ BlakeMcTavishe - You actually have it wrong by making two words out of one - what you should have written is masturbating - and who really want to talk about that?
Bael Zeitgueist69 this comment is 6 years old dude. The joke went right over your head you take it too literal
Nofap is the way man
More Testosterone
I agree with every point except #4 Smile.
This can come off to the opponent as a know-it-all cocky superiority complex smirk. Not only that but a debate is suppose to be serious so if I was debating someone who is constantly smiling I would find it annoying and disrespectful. I would rather have a serious look on my face to give an impression that I'm here and I mean business. No fucking around. William Lane Craig does his fake smile routine a lot which makes me want to smack the smirk off his face.
😂🤣🤣😂
These are great points on debating. I think a person who applies these ten principles fairly well is Dan Barker, a former evangelist and Christian musician, turned atheist who is a leader in the movement to protect Church/State separation. He has such an affable and down to earth style about him that he disarms even the most antagonistic of audiences. Anyone who wants to see how these principles, which Hemant so skillfully articulated, is effective in a debate setting, needs to watch one of Dan Barker's debates. You can find a few of them here on RUclips.
Thank you for posting this video. You could not be more right. I was actually involved in a debate that my debate club hosted when I was in high school, pertaining to Mormonism and Polygamy. I'd never been in or watched a debate before, I was just some 17 year old kid who had kind of a reputation for being an out-of-the-box thinker, so they asked me if I would like to join in the debate. I was talking to one of my then and now friends, my science teacher, a fellow Atheist. Living in a rural town in Utah, Atheist friends were hard to come by. He told me basically everything you said in this video, except with a high emphasis on admitting when I'm wrong and arguing opinions instead of facts. I went into the debate feeling confident and came out of it having learned quite a bit about Mormonism and Polygamy, and also an unshakeable feeling of victory. Almost every person in that room that day would tell you that I lost the debate, but there's a good reason that I feel like I won...
By the end of the debate, one which I barely was able to withstand without losing my composure because of the incredible ignorance, I had one person asking me questions that I simply couldn't answer. I told him if he wanted answers to those questions that he should add me on facebook and send me a message. For the next month or so, we sent thousands of messages back and forth pondering life's questions and things in the bible, things in science, etc. I answered his questions to the best of my ability, and when I couldn't answer them, I talked to my science teacher. When he couldn't answer them, I went to google and gave him reliable sources of information, and he actually read them with intent to learn. I created an Atheist, but more than that, I created a best friend. I've had some of the deepest conversations with this guy, we've laughed ourselves to tears, we've considered getting baptized, and we laughed ourselves to more tears. I reached one person in that audience, and it was a victory for both of us. On paper, points-wise, I lost the debate horribly. I blame the Mormon judges, but whatever. Never pass up an opportunity to debate a Christian, because you CAN change lives.
most important tip. know that you may be wrong. be open to your mistake and admit it if you come to that realization
That's the point of a debate.
Joseph Stalin
lol
I would read the bible if it wasn't the size of a lawbook
Tim, just read a chapter or 1/2 a chapter a day. You'll get it quick. And go with king james version. Go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
Id rather read a science book
+Tim Stahel (Moustached Viking) ...A lawbook against gays.
+WeKnowTheTruth2012
do not read the king james bible
They are many versions of the bible,
try an abridged version containing the important stuff.
I think you are awesome. You should have your own tv show.
You joined RUclips 13years ago, you still alive ?
@@naomitwotimes tf does that got to do with anything?
Thank you for the tips! I'm having a debate in my Grade 10 English class. Wish me luck!
I am a high school debater and I enjoy the thrill of dismantling arguments immensely, but I wish they would take your advice of being more conversational and admitting a good point. That's actually how I won some of my rounds, contrary to popular belief.
I'm an atheist and when the atheism vs Christianity debate comes up I am rather good at it and back my argument with facts. I may join the debate team in the future
Any time someone asks me to explain something complicated like they're 5, I just say "Go ask your mother."
I'm a Christian and I found all of these tips to be very sensible.
+Serquss its true. this is the way we to interract with others we minister to. or have discussions with. I've heard it before in training for ministry.
Serquss you are very sensible to look past the differences of your beliefs and his👍
I think that knowing and relating to your audience and staying calm are key. I agree that earning the audience's trust and conveying the argument in a relatable manner are essential, and it is very important to consider when choosing how to frame or state your argument. You don't them to feel like their intelligence is being insulted by making things too simple or completely lose them by getting too complicated.
As for arguments like "the Bible is literally true", "homosexuality is a sin", or Pascal's wager, I'd welcome them, not get angry. As you said, they are easily refuted. Just quote some unsavory Bible verse (like Numbers 31:17-18), point out that Jesus said nothing on homosexuality and point out all of the other Leviticus sins modern Christians ignore, and deconstruct Pascal's weak argument.
I am of the mind to think approaching a debate with the intent of "winning" is counter-productive. I believe the aim of a debate should be for each side to alleviate disparity, collectively approach the most correct conclusion(s) given what knowledge they have. No matter how dumb/misguided you think your opponent(s) is, you should never automatically assume they are wrong until you understand their argument from an unbiased, rational point of view. Thoughts?
there usually are none on one side
I think a debate can very much be won if a person is not stubborn. 99% of people on both
sides are though. Half the time I'll be beating someone in an argument and they'll just go all out on the ad-hominen fallacy (insulting me unrelatedly to the argument) and ignore my points no matter how good the argument is.
Diabetes
1:00 my 6th grade teacher said "you're not attacking the person you're attacking their thoughts".
Somebody should show this video to TJ (The Amazing Atheist)...
I don't think TJ debates much, he usually just makes social commentary videos, which is something completely different.
Nerobyrne
social commentary in the form of shock jock. makes him hard to listen to. at least to me.
Blake Nelson Even when he's right it's usually for the wrong reasons. Like, he's wrong on an Aristotelian level.
Honestly, I dislike him. He's a too prominent feature to represent the atheist community in the USA.
you raised some good points but here is where I dont agree Ive played mortal combat an seen Raiden the thunder God kill a shit load of people using fatalities so how dare you say he is not real you blasphemers
Words of wisdom. I rarely argue with christians in particular, mostly other religious groups.. but I have argued a lot, and he knows what it's like and gets it spot on, couldn't have said it better myself. Everyone wishing to post a message on the internet in general such watch this.
But.. just to be bitch I would like to say that "winning" a debate brings a sour taste to my mouth though, it's nothing about winning, it's about helping brain washed people realize that things aren't necessarily how they were taught when growing up, and all that religious zeal their entire life has been a complete waste.. so I think it's very important to at the same time be supportive of the person as a human being (not their religious views), and not fall into the trap of feeling cocky and rubbing salt into the open wound if you feel you have the advantage in a debate.
Don't tell the audience what to think. Ask them to think.
For no. 8 telling the audience what you agree with about your opponents argument also helps your audience focus on what your main argument is and shows them what your most focused on informing them about.
im not good at a debate when talk about religion. but no one wins to me in trashtalking
Then you ought to move to rap battles
There's a difference between trusting in a man-made religion and having a rich spiritual life; and relationship with God. I don't follow man-made religion, nor do I trust its devices. However, I do value the spiritual principles of Jesus Christ. The two in particular I value the most are "Love thy neighbor as thyself"; also "What ye measure to others the same shall be measured to you."
Can you imagine if everyone in the world thought like that? Can you imagine what this world would be like if everyone thought that way on a collective scale; through collective consciousness? There would be no war, no one starving, no murder, no adultery, no theft, no duplicity, no envy; just love.
DIDUKNOW7777 Agnostic and I wholeheartedly agree.
So a Christian a Jew and a Muslim walk into a bar....not a good line to break the ice huh?
"A Priest, A liar and a pedophile walk into a bar...he sits down and orders a drink...."
Bankers are not usually Pedohiles or rapists, Priests on the other hand....
So a tele-marketer, teacher, and a news reporter walk into a bar...
A Christian, a Jew, and a Muslim walk into a bar. They order some drinks, have a conversation, and enjoy each other's company because they're not total assholes.
!
My own tips:
1) Look at the judge. that's who you want to convince
2) speak fast but clearly
3) have an opening line and conclusion
4) be organised in your speech- bring notes
5) note your arguments
6) remember to rebutt the other side
You want to win the debate, but do you know what I'm looking for?
You. I want you. I want to win you. That should be every christians aspiration.
As your brother, I love you and everyone just like I love myself that I just want WHAT I believe is the best for all of us.
God bless you all.
Great video! Although I am religious myself I think these tips are valid and will use them myself about other things in my life. Bless
From my vast experience ... the best way to win a debate is to avoid it , some people are full of shit,you can't fill them with an ounce of knowledge or wisdom....
Thanks for the amazing tips , especially the one about admitting that our opponent is right . thanks a lot.
Top ten tips on argument .
1.Know your audience
2.Don't insult your Co participants.
3.Deep conversation like talking to audience like mumbikrr nikhil.
4. Smile .
5. Work the audience ( give them something to thing about )
6. Stay calm
7. Don't be afraid to praise their argument .
8. Appreciate opponents point .( It's a sign of strength in debate )
9. U can say I don't know ( like I have no answer to this ) , but I will even respond you might not immediately but absolutely .
I'm not an atheist but thank you for the tip! I have an audition for my debate school team tomorow and this can really help me. :)
It is my first time I am participating in debate so I want to do best
Give us a list of your favorite debates and why you like'm :)
Mau Jo Hitchens vs Willam Lane Craig is my all time favorite check it out
1. Don’t be unlikable
2. Be respectful
3. Dumb it down / make me feel smart
4. Smile
5. Don’t win over the opponent
6. Stay calm
7. Don’t be afraid to praise other authors and works
8. Don’t be afraid to admit when you’re opponent makes a good point
9. Be honest if you don’t know it all
10. Be patient
Mr. Mehta,
I want to thank you for this video. I appreciate the tips you put in here to create a better debate environment (especially smiling, it's the little things).
I'm a Christian who enjoys talking about these things with other people and to do so in an environment that isn't full of personal attacks but solid dialogue is the best way to discuss ideas, even ones we disagree with.
Thanks again,
Adam Stake
the Bible is the word of man not the word of God
I feel like you're trying to get someone here mildly mad
and the proof is ..... ?!
oh w8 , nothing
john shoffner stil there are things in it that happens to day
The most dangerous creation of man is God. (c)
Allen Tolentino the creature that trown rapist in hell?
Humans are the most dangereus creature they are using the free wil GOD gave them for evil and ate being punished for it
Jesus Has the Keys
Here are the words of Jesus in Revelation 1:18: “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Keys are a sign of authority. If you have the keys to my house, you can open it and go in anytime you want. It is often said that the devil owns the gates of hell-that is, he has the power of death. But that’s okay. The devil has the gates, but Jesus has the keys. We have nothing to fear in the moment of death for when the time comes, Jesus will personally unlock the gate and usher us into his presence.
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25). If you believe in Jesus, you will never die. What an amazing promise. But believers die every day. Yes, but for the believer, death is merely the passing from this life with all its sorrows into life eternal in the presence of our Lord. The question is not: What happens when we die? But rather: What will happen when you die?
Death is not the end of the road, it is only a bend in the road. For the believer, death is the doorway to heaven. For the unbeliever, it is a passageway into unimaginable suffering. These things are true even if we do not fully understand them. They are true even if we don’t believe them.
What happens when you die depends on what happens before you die. Here is my final word to you: Make sure you’re ready to die so that when the time comes, you won’t be surprised by what happens next.
A Truth to Remember:
What happens when you die depends on what happens before you die.
I love you my Lord and SAVIOUR, Jesus Christ...
jesus is real and living
Jesus is even doing great things in our church.....U are one of the leaving example of Christ......
Suppose I’m wrong about atheism. I’m standing outside the pearly gates and St. Peter, or God Himself, gives me one chance to explain myself. What would I say except “I’m sorry - I got it wrong. I really tried. But I got it wrong. I saw all the different religions, each saying different things, all changing over time. It seemed just a part of human culture, not ultimate truth. I saw unnecessary suffering and couldn’t make heads or tails of it, if you were good and all-powerful. It didn’t make sense to me to posit something existing to explain existence: that gets it backwards. I’m sorry, God, that I didn’t believe in you, but it wasn’t malicious - I just - I just screwed up.”
What would Jesus say to that? Would he send me to suffer forever? Do I deserve to be tortured eternally for trying to think rationally?
The best tip for winning a debate against a Christian is not showing up at all.
Actually In India, the biggest DEBATE competition is coming, known as MAHA BEHES and it's on 15th and 16th December. You made me perfectly prepare for it...... Thank you sir
I think you made a good point on #8 but I would like to see it more heavily tested and analysed with examples.
I manage some how to get convert a hardcore creationist to Buddhism, thanks for the tips!
RECIPE
Why would you do that?
I just want to say that planting seeds of doubt won't always be helpful. Chances are they're going to look into the Bible for answers and to restore faith and since the Bible has answers that restore faith it won't last long and in fact even strengthen our faith. Also, not to be rude or start an argument or anything, I do just want to say that Christian channels and sermons and stuff like that don't devote their time towards learning and teaching how to prove others wrong.
But thanks for the tactics. I may be Christian but I can use them too. Thanks :)
+Dingo363 Studios
Also, just one more thing. Making this type of stuff makes us look ignorant and uneducated and seems like we're refusing "fact". Just please, to all atheists out there, remember to treat is like the people we are and not uneducated ignorant stubborn little kids.
+Dingo363 Studios if you don't wanna be treated like an "uneducated ignorant stubborn little kid" don't believe things inly uneducated Ignorant stubborn little kids would believe...
+aimar rodriguez
Charles Darwin was Christian. Was he an uneducated ignorant little kid?
But is it really about winning or is it about getting to the truth? The concept of winning seems to put to the side the idea you can be wrong. As an Atheist, I'm relatively sure theists are incorrect, but I never really seek to win, but to make the other question what they think.
When two opinions have the same value(heating universe vs cooling universe) is about get the truth, but when is a rational opinion against a irrational opinion of course is about rational opinion must win.
·
Win against religion is not for be better or get glory but to fade the suffering coming from religions, atheism must win to save millions of lives ended every year for religious hate and dogmas.
@@EliosMoonElios Excuse me, but you're saying that religion causes millions of lives ended each year because of hate and dogmas? I do say that it sounds like you're talking about rather extreme
cases. I don't think that non-extreme cases (the vast majority) of religion are causing people to kill each other. Sure there are cults but that's a twisting of beliefs. Also could you explain to me how
the issue of is religion true an irrational case vs a rational one?
@@zaarongaming8174
Bible say you should apply sadistic laws there is not way to ignore it and the definition of faith is, as bible and Jesus say, belief without see that is the base of any fanatic mindset, religions PROMOTE FANATIC BEHAVIOR.
There is nothing rational in belief deities exist without proofs.
"that's a twisting of beliefs"
In bible God command dozens of genocides and killing of women, babies, children and elders.
A boy was condemn to death for gather sticks in sabbath.
Bible say in a wife is not virgin she must be killed.
bible say if a virgin girl is raped she must be forced to marry her rapist for life.
God allow the Devil torture God's most loyal servant for a bet.
Bible say sick people must not be allowed in the church.
Bible say if a newborn is sick or paralytic, as sins are punishment from sins, then that baby than never sin is sick because his/her parents sins.
Bible is full of sadistic, degenerated and grotesque stuff condoned or demanded by God so don't say theist than do bad thing are fanatics theists.
In china people eat dogs and cats, people hate that but GOD SAY "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything".
@@zaarongaming8174
I repeat millions die for religions:
religious healing methods like shamans.(dogma)
Useless pray-healing.(dogma)
Killing albinos in Africa(dogma)
Pray and do nothing else for their how welfare.(dogma)
Kill rival religions.(hate)
Kill gays, atheist , witches, black magic religions.(hate)
Millions of Jews in Nazi regimen have a chance to escape but they don't escape because they belief "God will protect us".
30%(2,000,000) of the 8,000,000 of annual deaths in India are caused by bathing or drinking water from the putrid HOLY RIVER OF GANGES for purification or healing purpose(the irony).
See? India's religion alone kill 2,000,000 of people every years.
@@EliosMoonElios EliosMoonElios Please cite examples of the sadistic laws you are mentioning from the bible so that I may know what more precisely I'm debating.
The bible mentions that jesus is talking to his
disciples and says that those who believe without seeing will be rewarded. I don't think that fanatic
is a good term to use here because fanatic is usually for an extreme cause. I also don't think that
fanatic in this case is bad. What's people being fanatic over this going to do? Best case: get people to go to paradise forever. Not bad eh? Worse case: Causes people to lose a bit of time, but they still get to meet all sorts of people and socialize anyways. Worst case: they lowered their chances of believing in the wrong god by believing in one but they got unlucky and were wrong and idk much about different religions. Still better than being an atheist in 2 out of 3 situations tho.
I don't think it's irrational to believe in a deity of some type without proof. If there's a 1% chance of there being a god and them going to hell if they don't believe in that god then a person won't want to risk that so they'll reduce those odds as much as possible. That also works vice versa with a 1% chance of paradise forever you want to increase those odds. Also there is proof which I'll post here:
I don't think that it is
reasonable in the slightest to think there was at some point nothing and then it just came to life.
Therefore you would have to believe that the universe was always here. On the contrary to that
you would be able to go back to before life when there was just matter or whatever, and there is
infinite time in between life and that because if it always was then you can keep on going back forever, and there would be an infinite amount of time between something happening which you can't get through because it's an infinite amount of time. There'd also be infinite time before an event which would cause time to pass through the infinite amount of time.
Cults are fundamentally a twisting of beliefs because they change the bible.
Could you cite an instance of genocide being commanded so that I can debate with you?
Saying that a boy was stoned for gathering sticks on the sabbath is not a realistic portration of what happened. It was a man for one thing. The context of this is that it takes place in a chapter all about intentional vs unintentional sin. Therefore it is highly likely that this man was intentionally doing this, and was not ignorant. He was deliberately disobeying a command from god himself, and putting himself over god. His heart was not in the right place here, and that is reasonably punishable by death. That is further rectified in a chapter where a man is donating money to the church, but he lies about how much he was giving as a percent of his net worth. We can also give god the benefit of the doubt here that this man probably didn't just mess up once.
In those times if a woman had sex and it was not with the man she was to marry it was law that she would die. Jesus mentions that many of the things told to the people of the old testimate were said because their hearts were hard. It is reasonable to think that this is only a law because it was a great wrongdoing to do this act in the past, and so this act having a high punishment is reasonable. This wouldn't apply today though.
Your statement about it being a bet is ACTUALLY pretty funny man. Good one. Anyways the earth was designed to be a tribulation and God knew his servant would prevail giving God a good reason to reward him on earth and in heaven, so everybody wins here (except the devil I guess but screw him anyways) also it's not exactly torture.
Could you give me the context for the sick people thing? If it's leprosy then yeaaaaah people don't wanna die, and if it's something people get better from then they'd get better and be allowed in so I'd like to know what the context is as it probably doesn't fit into those things I'm thinking.
You don't seem to understand the social structure of biblical times. If a woman was raped then she had nobody to marry, and would basically be in a reallllly bad spot. She's also not forced to marry. Her father can do something (I forget what exactly) and save her for someone else.
Babies were not punished from their parent's actions (apart from being brought up poorly or not as a christian etc.) that was just a misunderstanding from the people.
The bible doesn't condone evil. I'd need you to back up that last part of that for the bible to be filled with nasty stuff or whatever. "so don't say theist than do bad thing are fanatics theists." I don't really understand this, I think you made a typo or something if you could clear that up that would be great.
"In china people eat dogs and cats, people hate that but GOD SAY "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.".". People hate that people eat dogs and cats but that's a social issue. That's not a moral issue. There's not really anything in general morality that would say cats and dogs are less valuable than cats. So yeah the bible is fine if you eat cats and dogs. It doesn't mean most Christians are cool with that or aren't though.
Thanks :D I was able to get some very good tips as in so good :D hope this will help me in my upcoming debate tournament. Good job by the way :D
He is actually explaining how good direct marketing should look like :)
All new marketing firms which are in face-to-face marketing should listen to this
Very nice! Thanks for the very sensible advice!
As a Christian, I really respect what you're saying here, and the fact that you are polite about everything. I've dealt with atheists before who just insulted me and called me stupid for believing in a "guy in the sky" instead of responding to my arguments.
My attitude towards atheists is very similar to your attitude toward christians. I really don't think most of you mean any harm, I just disagree with you.
that is because you haven't met me yet everyone I have debated with hates me because they realise I have a point , hates me because they lost the argument, walk away,slap me ,pretend I don't exist ,or all of the above either way I win
"Ken Ham actually believes what he says" Yeah...I have to disagree on this. I honestly think he does it for the money. I refuse the accept that there are people that really believe how he does.
Roninkaits I think you would be surprised
Roninkaits He looks like one of those who actually do believe but doesn't know.
It saddens me to admit it but yes, some humans are just that idiotic. Ken Ham I think just knows that he can make a boat load of money (even though he spent a boat load to build an actual boat that will never touch the ocean) I think Ham knows better, if he is smart enough to rip off as many people as he does then he has to know better. He's just deceitful manipulative and a bastard is all.
you're saying you can't believe how idiotic people can be, but you realise people believe in an invisible sky fairy that never has and never actually will exist? it's a fucking pathetic concept and I can't believe people still waste their time with this bible shit. Because believing a book that's written by people who didn't know where the sun went at night is definitely true.
***** come on Bro, can you just share your opinion in a non antagonizing way? You got a point, but ion think Christianity would've gotten this far as to the most practiced religion in the world for no reason
This tips are not only for god - no god debates. It is for all kinds of debates. Treat your opponent and audience with respect. Be polite. And it is not about to win the debate. It is about to find truth
The most important things are staying calm and respectful. Make sure you emphasize how important it is for one another to concede a point under a logical fallacy before the debate begins, not after it starts. Then they don't give a shit about logic.
There is no debate. Crazy people don't know they are crazy. Try debating with someone in a mental hospital who thinks he is Napoleon, it is the same thing with people of faith. Faith is not a virtue, it is a defect.
faith
fāTH/
noun
1.
complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
"this restores one's faith in politicians"
synonyms: trust, belief, confidence, conviction; More
antonyms: mistrust
2.
strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
religious nutjobs don't define their terms clearly when they argue that we have the same faith in science as they do in god. It is nice to see that you ignore things that don't suit you in all books, not just the goat herder's handbook.
chris worth I bet you have faith that a "multiverse" exists lol
Wow, this is very religious.😳
(I don't have anything against any religion)
I'm amused by how malevolent this sounds. Probably more from watching most of the playlist all in a row like I have been but it just reminds me of a stereotype about atheists that I see rather often. The idea that atheists generally sit around and think up ways to rob people of their faith or lead them astray. Like they're some kind of cartoony, mustache twirling villains. Just sounds like the kind of thing preachers have warned against from the pulpit.
This seems malevolent to you? In what way?
It seems strange to me, because of all the atheist videos I have watched, this is probably one of the least aggressive. He isn't insulting the religious, performing any ad hominems, or even really making fun of them.
Like I said, based on my previous experiences listening to preachers talk about how others conspire against Christians to relieve them of their faith and hearing atheist friends talk about how "we don't just spend all of our time sitting around and thinking about Christians and ways to screw with them." And then watching a playlist (about two straight hours) of videos about questions to ask, things to say, how to debate Christianity, etc. I'm not saying that it IS malevolent, but that because of my particular amalgam of experiences it can seem to have that appearance.
It's the context of all things that makes me giggle.
Juxtavarious Fair enough, all of life is subjective.
Matthijs Noyce
And that's part of what makes story telling so much fun :D
Juxtavarious Indeed! (=
Excellent list, Hement.
I don't often get into debates regarding religion, but in the process of setting up for an education event with my reptiles, including snakes, I was able to get someone thinking about the story of the temptation of Eve with some questions that not only made her question what she had always been told about snakes/serpents, but also about whether her hatred of snakes was ill-placed. It was a dual purpose quick debate in a parking lot. LOL (If I am lucky, she won't just automatically try to kill any wild snake she sees.)
Nice video. Although I'm christian and don't think "we're just wrong" you described many points to have a good conversation and i look forward to have conversations with people respecting these "rules". Especially point 7: I'm so tired of having discussions with atheists about the bible who never read it. Not that I think it would make them become christian automatically, but to have a good basis of discussion. I mean: Who will take you serious if you didn't even inform about the matter - you're just against it?
So true it's like saying you hate a song you've never heard :/
I dislike the bible because i read it. And because i dont cherry pick the "good parts" and ignore "the bad parts" When you really read it al, it just gets dumber and dumber.
I have read the bible, and I would like to see you explain to me one of the many contradictions in the bible. Let's compare Deuteronomy 5:9 *You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me* and Deuteronomy 24:16 *Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.*
First of all:
Both statements are in completely different situations: The first is about how *god* may treat people, the second one is about how *humans* should treat people.
It is important to differ this, because god can oversee the situation and knows, what is the best way to behave, men don't. That's why he tells us in many situations not to judge people but to leave retribution to him.
Also note that the present tense/gerund in the first statement means something he *has* done and still does in certain occasions, but not general behaviour.
Even if you want to rip it out of context and take it literally, note that the first statement talks about "punishing" (in other translations more like "calling to account"), the second statement about "put to death". So even in this case you can argue, there is not necessarily a contradiction.
(Sorry for possibly bad phrasing, I'm german.)
The vast majority of Christians have not read the bible. They've listened to sermons or read devotional books about selected verses or passages, and had the passages explained to them. Reading through the bible completely, chapter by chapter, is a good way to move from belief, to doubt, to unbelief. There's a lot of very weird and contradictory things in there that never get mentioned in Sunday school, sermons, or devotionals.
I have no clue how I got here but Jesus is Lord and that all that matters
K
god created us in his own image, god created gay people in there own image, god is.... O.o
God can change from male to female very easily we cannot do this.
There is no real gay apartheid. Gays are just another human with a label.
Oh please. Education or propaganda? There is a world of difference. There is nothing to this gay apartheid. Everyone wants to be proud of something. Pride is stupid. It is just another bigoted display of separatist elitism.
No look up statisitcs: the percentage is same in all civilised countries wich maked it natural, other animals do it wich makes it also natural these facts can b witnesed by papers of universities and documented proof you can witness, also since i can support ma claim and you support your claims with own assumptions that otherd have... Pride? Wich you can't back off either, result i am right
Oh, are you arguing at cross purposes with your idea of what I am saying? Oh, sorry.
It was my fault for not expressing myself clearly. There is no magical force in this universe, this is mere lust, that is all, nothing important, don't waste time condemning people for lust manifesting in different categories. Water hole you poke or whatever you allow into your life it is not the same as love, it means nothing. Love is real. Love has nothing to do with satisfying the lusty demands of the body. It has to do with your soul. A man who rapes his wife in the same way that men violate each other is no different. They should all be ashamed of their lust and control themselves. Fith cannot approach pure fire, it must burn to ashes.
Watever*
"they mean well, they're just wrong" 😇😇😇😇😇😇 oh! im a christian btw 👍
Christian here as well
My late mother would have agreed with all of this excellent advice. Whenever there were family arguments she used to always say "disagree without being disagreeable" and would practice that with everyone. She was a deist with some agnostic traits. Way back in the 60s she loved nothing better than an opportunity for a nice courteous and respectful discussion with fundamentalist Christians such as my aunt or with door to door missionaries such as Mormons or JWs. My aunt was deeply concerned for her soul so she just never gave up trying to get her saved and back in the old church, even though she never could answer Mama's questions or objections. On the other hand the missionaries apparently put Mama on a list of people to avoid talking to, as they would come back through our neighborhood and deliberately skip our house.
I have to disagree with you about #9: Don't be afraid to say "I don't know". Unfortunately, while this is often the right answer, Christians do not like to hear "I don't know", because in their eyes it does show weakness. These are people who are uncomfortable with the unknown. They want answers, and so the Bible is enticing, albeit completely wrong. But that's ok in their world view, they prefer wrong answers over unknowns.
try go to darkmatter2525 there funny and really good
"Plant some seeds of doubt"
Maybe avoid the satanic verses like that if you are looking to improve atheist image lol
In what way is that a satanic verse...
It's a god dam expression like comeon man you must be uncomfortable with your religion.
did those seeds get planted in your head?? Let's hope you reliase your wasting time going to church , reading fairy tales, and praying to the ceiling have a good one!
gadfg gfeed It sounds very satanic, trying to get people to give up their faith and thus hope, which will lead to lower quality of life.
But missery likes company I guess...
In what way is religion making a better quality of life? I ask because I'm assumeing you think athiests are bad people who do nothing for the greater I man kind .
And it's not getting them to give up it's getting them to open their eyes an see that life can be awesome without someone elses views guiding you every step of the way through life
I just don't see a need to devote my life to any organized religion because there all wrong since every religon seems to think there right ssoooo I'll play it safe an enjoy life without interference from any thing, person, (GOD), religion ect...getting in my way from being happy and doin what's RIGHT not whats right .
Best part I give my self all the credit not from believing in god
Good day
gadfg gfeed There are different ways to practice religion, organized religion is just most recognized.
You can believe in God without going to church, or you can believe in eternal soul without particular deity, but to be atheist is to believe we are animals with enlarged central nervous system.
People generally are not equipped to deal with this bleak outlook on life, mainly because it isn't true and to promote atheism is akin to promote depression.
"..believe we are animals with enlarged central nervous system."
I thought atheists define their ideology as a "lack of belief", or so some told me
You seem an anti-christianity guy ... not an atheist
caro monge he comes from a Christian background, so of course he's going to focus on Christianity a lot more
This. Every atheist I've ever encountered is utterly obsessed with refuting God.
Almost every atheist I have ever encountered doesn't care about any God whatsoever
@@charimonfanboy Same, lol. Being an atheist myself, I know that many atheists just say that there is no evidence for God, thus you can't postulate that He exists. There are atheists with other viewpoints of course, such as agnostics, who just say that they "don't know" whether God exists or not. I find it quite rude when people try and say atheists want to disprove God. No, they just want proof that God exists.
I am the only atheist in my family, and it's really hard to see how they don't even try to read other books or find other information other than what it's in the bible. I am always bullied and they always try to make me look stupid. One of my family members just said "There is a god, 'cause there is a god, OK". "That's what I was told, so there is a god." There were to many for me to argue or debate against, so I just said ok, so I am a covert now because I am being told by you that there is a god, and that's all I have to know. By the way I believed in god for 35 years. I defended him and my position, then I started to read other books, and other information, boy was I embarrassed to know that I was wrong. I now know for a fact that most Christians are uneducated. Starting with me. It doesn't matter if you go to college or what not, it matters if you inform yourself with knowledge.
I was just looking to develop my public speeking skills when I stumbled upon this interesting channel. As a christian I would like to thank you for your great points on debating skills! Watched a few of your other video's and offcourse I don't agree with you on everything but thought I'd let you know I still appreciate your work raising interest in the topic of faith.
Keep up the good work and greetings from the Netherlands!
FIRST?
no
George the hacker Welp, I tried.
Being a Christian I want to say one thing you do right is what almost every other atheist channel gets wrong "you listen" and "speak rationally". I come and listen not because I think your right on any level but because bring rational thought to the conversation and give me a view I want to understand and so I can come back with just as rational answers. Thank You. We may never agree but if we all agreed it would be a boarding world.
"The Ontological Argument"
By Monk Anslem
1) It is a conceptual truth (or, so to speak, true by definition) that God is a being than which none greater can be imagined (that is, the greatest possible being that can be imagined).
2) God exists as an idea in the mind.
3) A being that exists as an idea in the mind and in reality is, other things being equal, greater than a being that exists only as an idea in the mind.
4) Thus, if God exists only as an idea in the mind, then we can imagine something that is greater than God (that is, a greatest possible being that does exist).
5) But we cannot imagine something that is greater than God (for it is a contradiction to suppose that we can imagine a being greater than the greatest possible being that can be imagined.)
6) Therefore, God exists.
Refering to GOD's Word The Holy Bible
Two points need to be added which are the foundation for any debate: (1) to the best of your ability, accurately understand your opponents position(s) and (2) accurately represent your opponents position(s). These are two elements, in particular, Mr. Mehta needs to do in his videos.
0:00 '10 Tips for Winning a Debate' - The Art of Debate is NOT about 'winning' or 'losing'. It's about accessing THE TRUTH of the matter. It's an investigation to the LOGICAL conclusion. It's a matter of assessing the various perspectives and finding the highest rationale.
Exactly.
This is really good advice. You are right; it is a common trap to go into a rebutting-frenzy where you think you have to invalidate every single point you opponent makes. If you are not cautious this can lead to you barricading yourself into a position that is outright wrong. For example saying that is no morality in the bible.
There is no reason not to appreciate the moral agenda of the Sermon of the Mount, of course not without adding that Aristotle said it all before and that the God of the Old Testament is still pretty monstrous.
If you manage to reach out to your opponent while still staying critical saying: ”C’mon buddy, we may disagree how to get there, but we still want the same thing...” and he then beats your hand off, you have pretty much won the debate.
There is one type of debater I’m struggling with. Especially among Christians you often encounter people who try to act all smiling and confident and try to fraternize with the crowd while they avoid to make any specific assertion you could call them out on at the same time. And if you bring your own arguments they just say: “Why are you so angry?” In the end they don’t really want to debate and let you run against a Teflon wall. What is the best way to deal with these people?
THANK YOU SO MUCH, I HAVE A DEBATE NEXT WEEK AT SCHOOL!
slay them like your avatar! ...Wait no that wasn't advice I was supposed to give. Slay them like the christian god. No, that's the same piece of advice, well no it is worse.
As a Christian, I must say this is a great video for both sides (God is real or vice versa) I can use all these tips except for number nine. For some reason, when an atheist doesn't know something, its ok. But when a Christian is a little confused all the atheists (or people of other religon) think that they have prove the Christian wrong. But apart from that, I will be using the other nine of the tips! Thanks! :)
Another one: pay attention to your opponent. Firstly, try to understand their position so you aren't talking past eachother. Secondly, notice certain traps they might set up for you and don't fall into them. WLC is great at setting traps in debates. There's an excellent video on this by a channel called "cleaning the glass". Be aware of those kinds of tactics and avoid them.
I'm a Christian but I want to learn how to debate secular subjects like racism, feminism, leftists etc and I think this video gave some pretty good insight.
Though, I thing that if I'm wrong (which I hope not to be) about heaven and hell, and the end is just nothingness, it's better than being wrong about God and spending eternity in hell .
Thanks , This really helped me and made me think about my tatics when debating someone :D
i am a muslim. but i liked this guy a lot. you're just different from other peoples (by that, i mean atheist, muslim, Christian etc.) who are very rush to win argument against opponents. thanks for your help sir!
Great video! Thanks for sharing! I'll edit to add: Great tips for any conversation that may be a "debate", even without an audience.
I am so inspired by these clips of Hemant! Everyone should watch them, and then think about them.
#8 is called concession/refutation, it's actually a widely used technique
I could listen to Hemant Mehta until my ears bleed, I feel comfortable being an atheist. I became an atheist when I read the Bible aged 11. Like Greek mythology , Roman mythology, Norse mythology, and many more, all religions are man made. I'll never change my opinion for anyone...
This guy gets it right, and even people that disagree can listen to him because he voices his opinion very gracefully and with respect for the opposition.
That felt very convincing..and it kind of changed my perspective about debating
I used the "agree with your opponent"-trick back then in school because it is true that what my opponent said is true. BUT like what you said, I also revealed the big part wherin he is wrong. I even got to convince that the side he's on is wrong and he should be supporting another side (not our side but some other's side)
This video is pretty good I've been arguing with an atheist about Christianity for well over a year now and we've both learned stuff about atheism and Christianity but his tips for winning a debate are
1) if they ask you a question that seems tough flip it on them and never answer the question
2) never give evidence but say there is
3) look at a website about proof for a topic and automatically assume it's wrong
4) completely change the subject every few minutes to leave your opponent confused (literally I have to say wait wait wait every 2 minutes)
5) see homosexuality or death in the bible with no context or thought and say the bible is evil
6) after your opponent explains something to you say they haven't explained it to you repeatedly
7) never ever ever question Darwin
8) never ever ever realize you're wrong
9) don't question your logic
10)show your opponent a fail compilation in between debates
Just wondering I have a debate on the death penalty. Should I still smile and act pleasant when telling a sad story, or still try to be a pleasant person to win the jury over?