On Being a Skeptic--motives & manners (response to Veritas48's "On Being a Christian Apologist")

A video response to Veritas48's video about the motives and manners of Christian apologists. My response, in turn, will discuss the motives and matters of those who challenge theism's claims.

Presented by Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_enc...

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

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[Esandero]

Veritas speaks of reaching out to people to "save" their souls from a certain future in his opinion.

His whole idea is to offer hope.He is not "against" something. He has a message of hope. If someone doesn't accept that its still a "saving" message.

All skeptics are confined to being "against" something. And one is free to be "skeptical!"

But you can't compare the two. like someone has built an engine an another thinks its poorly built but the "skeptic" has not built one of his own.

[ToddAllenGates]

> you can't compare the two.

Veritas asked theists on YouTube to question their motives, and then to question their manners / behavior—namely, does their approach help them achieve their goals?

My aim in responding was not so much to compare theists to skeptics, but only to take this as an opportunity to raise the same questions for YouTube's skeptics. What are our motives, and do our manners (or sometimes lack of manners!) help or hinder our goal?

[Dudex58]

@ToddAllenGates

wow pretty Good I believe in God but a person like yourself could make me turn atheist. I don't know why the amazing atheists when obviously u have a more superior tung, and way with both sides. Please keep making vids. I like this nice format u are instilling.

[ToddAllenGates]

@Dudex58

> I like this nice format u are instilling.

Thank you!

> Please keep making vids.

I'm a bit preoccupied with other projects, so I probably won't be making any new videos for the next couple months ... if you're interested in watching older videos of mine, the central one is a video series called "Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers."

[unassumption]

I started studying religion (not too long ago) to try to defend my agnosticism against seemingly far more intelligent theists and athiests. I also wanted to quell my moral confusion.

[ToddAllenGates]

> I started studying religion (not too long ago) to try to defend my agnosticism against seemingly far more intelligent theists and athiests.

I was somewhere in between an agnostic and a Deist until I read "The Blind Watchmaker," which pushed me into the atheist camp (which I define as believing that the existence of God is much more improbable than probable). It wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for, but now, life is much more coherent!

[ProfMTH]

Very nicely done, Todd.  It's not easy to make present the complexities inherent in the art of persuasion in a simple, easy-to-understand manner, but you've managed to do so here. As one who teaches argumentation, I find that quite impressive.

[Care4alot]

I like your non threatning and well informed way of talking

Looking forward to see more

Thanks :o)

[garciaalvin3]

SKEPTICISM SUCKS!

[Esandero]

This is incoherent.

[andretaff]

"We need now to examine you're beliefs further to see if there is consistency correct?"

I try always to exam my 'beliefs'. I'd say 'positions', instead of beliefs.

"Also one does not have to rid themselves of religion to practice virtue correct? "

No, not at all. And one does not have to get himself into religion to act morally neither.

BTW, great video, Todd.

[Esandero]

So you're saying virtue is you're motive ie truth. We need now to examine you're beliefs further to see if there is consistency correct?

Also one does not have to rid themselves of religion to practice virtue correct?

[andretaff]

"All skeptics are confined to being 'against' something."

Not true. Being skeptic is, above all things, a commitment to truth, even if it's uncomfortable. If we conclude that all that is is this universe and nothing more, that's what we'll try bringing to you.

I try to be as commited to truth as I can, learning both sides of the arguments and listening to everyone while trying to keep an open mind. (Maybe sadly,) Like many other skeptics, I don't find the theistic arguments compelling. Sorry.

[Esandero]

Well I shouldn't have comented on veritas since I didn't watch his video I suppose.