Have You Had Your Mind Changed By The Debates?

[Infomaniac]

I am greatly entertained by reading the posts regarding religion, which contain contributions which veer from lucid, well thought out comments, to others which appear to be incoherent rambling, and everything inbetween.

Has anyone on this site, believer or non-believer, had their minds changed by reading these "debates". I confess I haven't, but it doesn't stop me enjoying reading the posts for good entertainment value.

[pixie373]

No. They are often entertaining, but haven't changed my mind. If anything, the comments from believers actually confirm my thoughts, with the lack of logic.

[Arksided]

Although my feeling is that Religion tends to f*ck people up. I do read some of them before I'm bored but nothing as swayed me to believe in a Cult.

I'm not an Atheist if I needed convincing I'd look in the news section.

[doctordb]

I will stare the sun down 'till my eyes go blind,
I won't change direction and i won't change my mind. :)

[jim360]

I don't think I've changed my mind drastically, but some of my ideas have been seriously challenged. I was a bit more on the fence beforehand.

[Hypognosis]

@Infomaniac

People who've had their minds made up for them, trying to sway the opinions of people who've made their minds up for themselves? How does that work?

[Infomaniac]

I guess it doesn't.

[jomifl]

I've had my mind changed, I used to think that people were believers beacause they had chosen to believe. I now realise that most of them never had any choice. You can tell what most people believe by asking them what their parents believe(d).

[ummmm]

Yes, 100% turn around.

[sandyRoe]

I believed that one or two of the goodly unGodly might have been ameniable to the Christian massage. I knw now that's most unlikely. Mores the pity

[grasscarp]

Not changed my beliefs by anything said on here.

[Jeza]

Nor me. I was sent to mass every Sunday and holy day. I was taught at school by nuns. The day I left school was the day I chose never to darken their door again. 45 years later I haven't changed my mind.

[sandyRoe]

Freudian slip there^ 'Christian message' was what I intended to type.

[jomifl]

Sandy, Satan nudged your hand rather than freud, I suspect.
Still it's nice to know that the church is offering one-on one services.

[Infomaniac]

Chuckle, chuckle!

[keyplus90]

Almost as you described that it is more fun to read than changing someone else or your own self. I must admit that since coming across this website I did learn a lot. A lot more about my own religion, religion of the others and people who do not have a religion. And that was due to the questions posed by others, and then learnt a lot more about people who hide behind some screen names and feel very safe. Once in that feeling safe mode, they believe that they can be as adamant, stubborn and unmoveable as possible as there is nothing to lose because no one knows who they are in real life. And that is the main reason in my mind that why people never change on debate sites as they do not have to.

[Svejk]

You could be on to something there, Sandy.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, //people who hide behind some screen names and feel very safe. Once in that feeling safe mode, they believe that they can be as adamant, stubborn and unmoveable as possible as there is nothing to lose because no one knows who they are in real life.//

What can you mean?

//And that is the main reason in my mind that why people never change on debate sites //

.... but some do. Read the posts here again.

[Octavius]

Nothing debated on here has made me change my mind.

[sandyRoe]

After due consideration I have changed my mind. I think it probably was the Devil that nudged my elbow and turned 'message' into 'massage' in an earlier post.

[ludwig]

I don't see 'changing minds' as the point of these debates/arguments, whatever you want to call them.

The most you can hope for is that people consider what's been said and think about it. The seed of an idea may be planted which doesn't germinate until months or years down the line.