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[Muz]

Nah the main problem with a good religious debate is many people hold tightly to their beleifs and won't accept things that make more sense to change them. Personily, I like a good debate, they tend to point out things I haven't noticed before, and I change my personal beleifs accordingly to something that makes more sense due to this new information. Though I also enjoy pointing out when people get something wrong when trying to make their case, even people on 'my' side.

Well, the problem with any religious debate is that you're debating on a lot of things with no evidence at all. The best you can do is explain the methodology you use in believing what is right. "Making more sense" is really difficult, because you can have two different methodologies that are either right or wrong, and you won't know whether or not they're right or wrong. You could have a weak methodology, though, like basing everything completely on only one piece of literature or a single questionable scientific theory.

A bad debate is when someone doesn't make any sense. Like my favorite nonsense argument from this thread is that God either exists or he doesn't. Thus there is a 50% chance of god existing. 50% would be rounded to 1, meaning that by default God does exist. And whoever decided that since God doesn't exist in the universe, finding a derivative of the universe would make God a constant 

[Leafsnail]

A bad debate is when someone doesn't make any sense. Like my favorite nonsense argument from this thread is that God either exists or he doesn't. Thus there is a 50% chance of god existing. 50% would be rounded to 1, meaning that by default God does exist.

I don't think anyone has ever made this argument.  Partly because it seems to reach a pro-agnostic position then has an atheist conclusion?

[Micro102]

Considering there are 1000's of catholic religions, not to mention millions of religions in all, that just means that 99.9% of religious people are wrong. 

[Criptfeind]

I don't think that is precisely true, three of the biggest religions in the world right now are all at the core the same, they only interpret it different.

[ChairmanPoo]

Considering there are 1000's of catholic religions, not to mention millions of religions in all, that just means that 99.9% of religious people are wrong. 

surely you mean christian derived religions? AFAIK there are only a few catholic splinters.
Thousands and millions are overstatements either way.

[Andir]

I don't think that is precisely true, three of the biggest religions in the world right now are all at the core the same, they only interpret it different.

So, what each religion is saying is that God created conflict, hate, segregation and anger.  What other excuse is there for leaving so much to interpretation and opinion?

[KaguroDraven]

*playing devils advocate* Becouse god gave will so that man might choose for themselves instead of haveing things chosen for them, if that means we interpret it's will wrong, so be it, we are free.

[Leafsnail]

*playing devils advocate* Becouse god gave will so that man might choose for themselves instead of haveing things chosen for them, if that means we interpret it's will wrong, so be it, we are free.

He's omniscient.  He'd already know exactly what we'd do with our "free will".

[KaguroDraven]

That quite honestly depends on the religion and sect of religion you listen too. Not all religions or sects of religions say their god/gods are omnicient, even among the 'big three' who share almost everything but violently disagree about some things.

[Leafsnail]

In which case, you're starting to go against what your own religion says, and make up things to make it make more sense.

I mean, if God isn't omniscient, what's the use of prayer?  How can he judge you properly?

[KaguroDraven]

There is a differance between all seeing so he knows about your prayer, and all knowing so he knows everything that will ever happen and has ever happend. Most sects agree he is all seeing, it's the all knowing that some say and some never mention.
Also, and I know someone will yell at me about this, going against your own religion in a hypocritical way happens all the freaking time. IE 'Lets kill all the musliems in the holy lands!' 'But the bible says not to kill' 'Who cares? They are heathens! CRUSADE!'

[Andir]

There is a differance between all seeing so he knows about your prayer, and all knowing so he knows everything that will ever happen and has ever happend.

Yeah, and such a being is not all powerful.  You're essentially placing your faith on a being that cannot know what you intended, but can only see what you do... Thus, blowing oneself up can only be seen.

It gets back into the debate then on if God can see the future, because any creature that can see the future will "know" what happens and be all "knowing" at that point.  You may as well say that God is a security guard.

[Leafsnail]

If he's just allseeing, then, why take advice from him?  I mean, it sortof makes sense if he's all knowledgable (like it says in the Old Testament), but if he can just see and not predict anything...

In any case, it doesn't take a genius to work out that leaving all these extremely vague texts around would create conflicts.

[ChairmanPoo]

I mean, if God isn't omniscient, what's the use of prayer?

Here is a better question: if God is omniscient, what's the use of prayer?

[Leafsnail]

Uh... fair enough.  I've never really heard an explanation for God where prayer actually makes sense.