Originally posted by ZiggyMojo
Are we not here to DENY IGNORANCE? If you do not approach a debate with an open mind and a willingness to hear the other side of the debate, you are
inevitably denying yourself of knowledge and information to an extent. Thus you are REMAINING IGNORANT!
I have to disagree with you on this, and my reasoning is thus: Some of us here, myself included, HAVE heard and seen both sides of many arguments
posed on this site. I was raised Catholic, attended an Evangelical youth group whose members and leadership were staunch Creationists, and I
continually read and study science.
What exists here is not debate. Debate presumes there is no objective right or wrong. However, I do not think this to be the case, and I would
hazard a guess that many here agree with me. In order to "debate" one must be able to remove one's self, experience, and observations from the
equation, because they form the basis of our personal reality. When one is confronted with a challenge to that reality the natural reaction is to
respond in kind.
ATS is NOT about debate, at least not from what I have seen.
It is about being a champion for one's reality and taking on all comers.
Most posting members I have read from are far too polarized for the kind of "reasoned debate" you propose. I myself am a part of it. I see myself
as an advocate of what I see as reality, both the way it is and the way it could (and should) be.
My role is not to change the minds of members who disagree with me.
My role is to present my evidence in as strong, and entertaining, a manner possible in order to convice the casual visitor with no definitive opinion
that I am right and my opponents are wrong.
You may find that abhorrent, and I respect that opinion. However, it is my reality and my reason for being here, and I would bet real money there's
a lot of others here just like me (whether they admit to it or not).
We are all propagandists here. Some of us just have higher quantities and qualities of facts and evidence to back up what we say.
[edit on 5/30/2008 by The Nighthawk]