Here, have some laughs.
Offline I'm "debating" a theist over Facebook. Here is one of his messages:
Well. I find you are trying to sidetrack from the question posed. However, Now I must say. I am going to cut down to the main point here. God Exists and I can prove it.
Here are my prove's:
The Bible:
This book, written over 16 thousand years ago, speaks history into existance. Meaning I predicts things to happen, to the exact location, date , and time and they do. All of its events have been proven accurate. And it poses claims and sets standards no mortal human would want
Jesus Christ::
The messiah! He claimed to be God, fufilled prophecy of death. And rose again. He brought pentacost, and healed the sick. I can prove He did all things if you would like.
Prayer:
I have seen so many works by prayer
But my carpel tunnel is kicking in so i have to make this short
Prove to me He doesnt
[sic] throughout. Any advice on where to go from here? If he was actually rational, I could disprove his God very easily, but that doesn't seem likely...
If I am wrong on any point (including, but not limited to, spelling, grammar, and the question of God's existence), please correct me as quickly as possible.
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my only serious advice is to explain to him that the burden of proof is not on you. try using an example, perhaps he could relate.
i know we all make spelling and gramatical mistakes. i don't like to pick people out on it but when the mistakes get to the point that they are altering the meaning - such as that he (this guy you are debating) predicts the future - someone really should be called out.
you could also try response along his lines.
- Ask him to "prove" Jesus preformed all these 'miracles' since he offered. Sit back and give him enough rope to hang himself.
- Ask him when Jesus lived. You might get a 0 or 33 year response. Clarify this... AD, BC, etc... Then say, but you said here the bible was written 16 thousand years ago.
I think , since he believes prayer works so well, you should ask him to pray for his carpel tunnel to be healed.
Nah,
Why sit throught the line of circular reasoning that he will put you through?
"I can prove Jesus' miracles"
"OK - shoot"
"The Bible says so"
"What makes the Bible true?"
"God and Jesus wrote it"
"I do this real moron thing, and it's called thinking. And apparently I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions."
— George Carlin
If you try and give him the refutations directly, he will no doubt become defensive and assure himself that you must be mistaken. If you assail him with perfectly solid arguments, showing him that such and such is clearly the way it is, he will still try and find some loophole to slip through.
The trick is to know how he is wrong, but not to explicitly say it. Instead, ask a series of leading questions that force him to leave a trail of answers that he can't take back. Then back him into a corner where he can't escape his old answers without contradicting himself.
I'm suddenly tempted to use a metaphor that invokes the old computer game "Snakes" or maybe even the light bikes from Tron, but I don't think it's necessary. You already get the idea.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
I would directly challenge him in what he said in a couple places:
But the bible says that the universe is only 6 thousand year old.
Just ask him to show you where. He'll probably bring up the bible code as an example. Which is extremely easy to debunk.
Ask him for evidence of such an event outside of the bible. It's evidence that makes things true, not random claims.
Ask him why prayer has never regrown an amputees limb.
"It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan
I always like to use one that hits close to home for me. Why hasn't anyone ever been healed of hydrocephalus?
Just ask him if god can do anything/everything?
Then ask him:
1) I thought god couldn't look on sin?
2) Could god have made a reality where we could have scientifically proven facts of his existence before accepting him as our god?
3) Could god have made a world where all humans get to go to heaven?
4) Could god have made an existence just like this but where there were no birth defects? What is the point of birth defects? What is gained?
5) If god can do anything/everything can he save someone even if they don't accept him as god but that person is a good person? Why doesn't he? He loves everyone right? Why is god being so childishly petty and spiteful?
"I am an atheist, thank God." -Oriana Fallaci