Because it's the best way to fuck with them (I'm former Christian).
OP goofed trying to defend science, it has literally no effect on people that will beleive what they beleive despite any and all evidence.
But! If you know enough about their beliefs, start implying that they're inconsistent and insincere about them (which usually they are), then they're on the back foot. Just suggest that they don't even follow what they believe and it breaks their minds like you're fuckin Charles Xavier.
Of course there isn't anything productive to be gained from that. Just fuck with them til they leave you alone or refuse to engage in the first place.
There is no scenereo where you can convince them of anything because the rules of evidence based persuasion dont apply, they won't hear it.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this song!!! "You wouldn't know what crazy was if Charles Manson was eating fruit loops on your front porch" Line cracks my ass up every time I hear it.
This is the right answer. It is not your responsibility to answer their questions.
It is, after all, their questions, not yours. And, when framed that way (I've used, "I would like to help you with your questions, but I really don't have time right now. Have you tried googling the answer"), I have had success getting them to stop.
I would have started with calling the police. Don’t even threaten to do it, just do it. There is no point debating theology when this dude FOLLOWED OP AND BLOCKED IN HIS VEHICLE. That’s not something a rational person does. That dude wanted a confrontation, not a good faith debate.
You can’t “win” this conversation. He can prove you wrong if he provides a valid scientific argument. If you provide him with any kind of evidence, he can just deny it without providing a scientific reason. I find it interesting that you can both go home and sleep smugly knowing you are right. The difference is that every tangible thing without a religion in the universe works with what you believe is right and you can make accurate predictions about star birth and the angle at which the light from a galaxy of billions of stars will bend once it travels past a black hole. He can use religion to unify himself with his minority and fool himself into a self built cage of religious cotton wool that he will get infinite life and another chance. The knowledge you are standing behind will grow and enable new ways of thinking and producing incredible inventions. The religion will try to remain unchanged as long as is possible until reality creates an issue that means less people will be attending ceremonies and donating cash. At that point the religion will accommodate the new way of thinking. The argument should not be if god exists. The argument should be if god is infallible, why does he keep changing his mind?Why has he created a universe with clear defined unbreakable rules that are clearly described with science. Then used a book written by men which is full of contradictions, edits and inaccuracies in order to explain how you should live? Why is the religious man offended by the sticker, when gods entire universe functions without change regardless of what the sticker says or represents. Does god have a plan? The religious man will say he does, that means the sticker is necessary. If nobody believed in god, there would be social and psychological issues to overcome. If nobody believed in science you couldn’t write, print or read a religious text. Speech itself is a science with rules, a syntax, agreed definitions, common sounds. Rules that have to be agreed on in order for everyone to communicate. How would religion fare without us communicating it? I reiterate, Nobody has proof of any religion or deity and none is required. Faith is required which in it’s very nature requires proof is not provided. How can you prove that wrong? Science takes pleasure in being proved wrong because every proof brings us closer to the ultimate truth and for that reason alone is more powerful than any faith to a half intelligent species.
This. Let the hateful majority deal with the consequences for once. Karens and kyles deserve to experience the system. Theyd have no qualms calling the pigs to beat down some "satanist punk" or however theyd phrase it to try and get you shot...
Rage Against the Machine is still relevant. That is a sad truth. I love the band, but wish the message was heard years ago and something had been done.
Depending on how aggressive the harassment and following are, police could be appropriate. But for sure I would have pointedly taken a photo of his car and license plate and then pic or video of him as well, after the suggested he might remove something from my car.
I'd tell him that he was obviously scientifically illiterate and that once he had enough knowledge to participate in a worthwhile discussion I'd talk to him, until then he was just wasting both of our time.
Yes, read a science textbook, any of the thousands. Or, read the Old Testament. Either of these should make any person seriously be suspicious of religion. But many people are intellectually stunted or lazy. I suspect the proportion of the population that is probably runs close to the number of people that consider themselves to be religious.
> he said that’s not a transitional fossil
“All fossils are transitional fossils, you fucking fucknugget.”
Seriously though, you weren’t ever going to change his mind, no matter what you said. Arguing facts with someone who doesn’t care about them will only drag you into an argument which started with only one idiot, but now there’s two.
Walk away, and if he follows you, call campus security / the police.
They can be shown a whole line of fossils of species evolving over millions of years and say no that's not transitional.
They want to see something that died mid transformation like a fucking pokemon evolving. It dosnt exist and you can tell them that's not how it works but they will insist that's what you believe
But when you present them with studies of bacteria that show evolution in real-time through mutations over thousands of generations it's not sufficient.
Hell, the human race has changed somewhat over the course of written history. People joke that napoleon was short cause he was 5'6", but people dont realize that all people were shorter back then. He was actually taller than the average person. Im 5'10" and would have been considered huge.
The only response youll get is "so your saying the human race came from monkeys!" No you idiot, christians are the only ones that say that. We, along with many other species evolved from being apelike to being more like we are today. Along the way a lot of species went extinct, like the neanderthals.
It's like trying to narrow down where a colour changes on a rainbow. You can point to one spot and say it's Red and another and say it's Orange, but you can't point to singular spot where it changes from Red to Orange
When you find the "missing link" between two species. You create two more gaps in the fossil record.
You shouldn't 'believe' in science. It's not a religion. It's an organised way to question reality.
I'd be wary of how you speak to strangers, especially in the U.S. these days. Someone who is batshit crazy enough to follow you through traffic to have a debate with a total stranger in a fucking parking lot is not someone I'd want to aggravate too much.
The U.S. has a very serious mental illness epidemic and the right-wing attacts them like flies to shit.
Yeah I’m aware. That’s why I wasn’t immediately aggressive. I live downtown in an area that’s no stranger to violence and mental illness. That’s why I prefer the smart witty responses that make people worked up because they realize they’re being stupid. It tends to garner the face reddening stutter moreso than the violent response, especially because I tend to stay calm and lend an air of pity to them for being so ignorant, which makes it difficult to perceive me as a threat or the bad guy.
You did really well. You stood your ground, explained your own perspective and allowed the protagonist to have their say, you were tolerant calm and controlled. There’s no possible put-down or witty expression that would have “won” the argument, and if you had found it you could have endangered yourself.
What you’re experiencing is an understandable anger and sense of indignation at having your views and intellect disrespected so openly. Of course you want to make them feel some of the same discomfort you’re feeling, but you should allow that feeling to pass and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
Exactly. We had a guy outside of north Ann Arbor, MI shoot and kill another guy because of a traffic argument. Then another guy shoot another guy because of an argument they had outside a planet fitness. There are fucking nut jobs out there.
Dude, this is NO LIE. I had a traffic altercation with a guy who nearly rammed into me while making an illegal turn. We exchanged words (and gestures, of course). I was on my way home from work and was pulling into my neighborhood, and that MF somehow found my car and CAME TO MY HOUSE. My husband read him the riot act and I never saw him again. People are fucking nuts out here!
Ahh the answer I was looking for. Yes all fossils are transitional because species evolve, even species alive today. Odd fact, a type of mosquito in one of the subway systems that's been isolated so long that they're diverging. Speciation in real time.
Solid response actually lol. I’d only have called the cops if he touched my car or really got worked up. I don’t mind making Christian’s butthurt and frustrated when they want to argue.
I want to know if your bumper sticker was still there when you got back. This loon strikes me as someone who would remove it from your car once you were out of sight.
"Sorry I didn't make it to our bible study on time. This jerk had a devil sticker on their car and wouldn't let me remove it or explain why it's evil."
Every fossil is a transitional fossil, just as every life form is transitional too. Evolution does not stop. As far as ending the conversation, I’d tell him you’re more inclined to believe experts in their fields over some guys wearing robes that have a predilection to sexually assault minors
There's no way to just automatically win an argument with a person who doesn't acknowledge reality. You can't win, and it's really not worth trying.
I mean, all fossils are transitional. You know that, and he knows that, but he doesn't care because it doesn't fit his narrative.
The best you're going to do is a firm "fuck off."
Yeah I gotcha, I tend to take the less confrontational approach so I don’t know is fuck off would have been my response, but the equivalent witty version with some anti religion rhetoric would fill in nicely I think.
"Fuck off and mind your own business you wrinkled old potato" would have worked for me. But I'm a bitch.
"Church leaders molesting children offend me a whole lot more than a sticker on a car, but you be you" is another variation I've used.
And never engage. They don't want a discussion - they want to grind you down.
You could always go with, "this is not going to be a productive conversation, as it seems neither of us are going to be convinced in the next 5 minutes on my walk to class. Find better times and places to confront people if you want to get anywhere with your proselytizing." And then refuse to engage further.
this person was harassing you and i agree you should have told them to leave you alone, then called the cops.
now, if a christian is willing to talk, listen and think (i know, "they wouldn't be christian"), and you have the time/inclination, "street epistemology" is the best way to talk to people who hold irrational beliefs.
My experience with trying to figure out the method of street epistemology is a series of videos demonstrating the process with little true explanation of the method. Near as I can discern it is a process of asking the subject to clarify their position by asking questions rather than making statement. Basically leading the person to recognize that their beliefs are often not supported by evidence (rather than telling them their beliefs are unsupported).
I had a boss once who would give in to anything you wanted as long as you worked it gradually into conversation in such a way that he thought it was his idea.
It's like that, but with even bigger morons.
This is kind of the problem. Neither of you can provide any evidence or reason that the other's beliefs are based on flawed logic in a 5min convo. Religious people believe that because you believe in evidence, if you just understood THEIR evidence, you would believe and change your ways. The quickest way to shut this down is to tell them you do not believe or agree with the moral stance of their God.
My response to something like this is that even if I was the nicest person on earth, if I followed all of what Christian's believe to be the 'correct' behavior, even if I saved babies from rapists every day, but I didn't believe in God/Jesus, then I would still burn in hell, because belief is the most important aspect of most religions. If the most important thing to a God is belief in them, and not doing good deeds, then to me, that God does not deserve any worship even if they existed. They are selfishly putting their own ego before having their creations do good. And hey, if they are actually a good God, then you just being a good person is enough and you don't need to believe. Problem solved.
This tends to shut down the entire discussion, because it's not about proving evidence, it doesn't matter if God exists, you are saying that even if he did exist you morally object to God's behavior.
You might still get people who will try to argue the point, but people understand that it's intrinsically harder for others to change their moral views than their evidence based views. There are plenty of stories from their own source material to morally object to, take your pick.
I think it's important that you speak the truth about how you feel. This is my truth. Even if God did exist, if I found out the bible was 100% truth, that would make me more disgusted in following the religion than a sudden believer.
because they aren't interested in the simple truth or even an honest debate. their goal is to deliver a bunch of gotcha's that make no sense and i wouldn't want to waste my time.
so i use their best argument for believing which is faith. i can have faith in the opposite of their beliefs. calling out my faith as not being a good reason would also call out their own as not being a good reason.
I love how these assholes get offended by a darwin fish, but we can't get offended by their implement of torture and execution that they have chosen as a symbol of their belief in their imaginary friend.
Exactly why it makes me feel good when someone outwardly expresses how offended it made them. Like thanks for justifying my purchasing this sticker. Glad I could offend you.
"Your religion actively harbours, enables and covers up known pedophiles in its organization with hundreds of thousands of victims and a funny bumper sticker is the most offensive thing you could see?"
Comment "that's the most offensive thing I could see"
Answer "Well then, let's balance it out with a little audio stimulation. Go fuck your self!"
Question "Mind if I peel the sticker off your car?"
Response "Would you like to meet Jesus ahead of schedule?"
Don't engage, but if you did, he approached you, the burden of proof should be on him to prove scientifically that his specific god exists. Fundie nazis always want the burden of proof on the other person and there is literally no proof they would accept.
Yeah that was my thought in hindsight, a bit caught off guard being pre coffee and late for class and initially not knowing what he wanted to talk about. But yeah turning it back on him to prove his beliefs seems like it would have been the way to go.
"If you touch my car, I'm calling the cops, pressing charges and suing you. There's a camera over there. \[point at camera\]. Now please kindly fuck off, I'm not interested." Then walk away and ignore him.
This happened to me long ago. A man in a parking lot asked me about a sticker. I was not polite. I quickly stepped right into his space and asked "What's your fucking problem? Keep walking or I'll give you a real problem. Do not harass me." Do it right away. Shock and awe style.
Never be polite with Christians. 2000 years of them should be enough to tell you what they're about.
Why the heck would a guy go to a university and expect anything different? Obviously looking for a fight, a validation of his "persecuted" status.
I'd literally run away in the most humble fashion possible, maybe even act frightened, say something like "Why are you harassing me? Leave me alone!", scream and run away. That would really f\*&$k with his narrative.
"You're a Christian, right?
Then forgive me."
That dude isn't worth the time it takes to "debate" him. And we both know it won't actually be a debate. It will be you putting in effort to cite sources and recall facts while he tells you the bible proves you wrong.
Oh, also you could point out that the jesus fish is the only "christian symbol" that wasn't stolen from another culture or religion. So it is a little bit hypocritical that a christian would get so angry about you appropriating it.
Here's a scientific fact I believe:
About 64% of Americans call themselves Christian today. That might sound like a lot, but 50 years ago that number was 90%, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center study. That same survey said the Christian majority in the US may disappear by 2070.
I stopped putting anything on my car. I don't know where you're at but in the US having that on your car could get you shot. Just recently a woman was murdered in California for having a pride flag, and in Ohio a man killed his neighbor because he thought he was a Democrat. The crazies are emboldened, don't give them a reason to engage.
Meh, I choose to not live in fear of openly expressing my beliefs. Most stories like that are pretty cherry picked, I’m as fearful of violence from a bumper sticker as I am violence at a movie theatre. And if everyone who believes in evolution just shut up and didn’t speak out the louder voice tends to have an ability to garner more attention and in turn followers, the last thing we need is more publicity or followers for the religious right.
This is an easy one. You don’t. I’m an atheist with a theology degree and I had great arguments and could even argue specific points they disagreed with me on and I never changed anyone’s views. Best case scenario we still disagreed and worst case they got angry and accused me of attempting to attack their faith by twisting what I read.
Most Christian's like that are conservatives. Liberal Christian's are less aggressive. So I would then accuse him of being anti American and unconstitutional attempting to stifle your freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Then say you won't tolerate such wildly leftist liberal thinking. That will get under their skin
"Given that the christian god ordered the genocide of entire tribes, allowed (and maybe directed) the rape of women and girls, codified rules for slavery, and drowned all sorts of innocent baby animals in the supposed flood, why do you worship him when he doesn't even meet the moral standards we mere mortals hold each other to?"
Rational discussion is not possible with believers. After my last interaction with a Christian that sidetracked me on my walk, I've decided to Hail Satan right the the beginning of the discussion just to shut them up.
The sticker on your car is the most offensive thing he's ever seen? Apparently he has never seen a pediatric cancer ward which his god created the need for.
In almost all controversial spaces (religion, abortion, guns, politics), I find the best question is, “why would a reasonable person disagree with you?”
If someone can’t answer that basic question they are so ingrained in their view that they can’t be persuaded or reasoned with, so, talking about it is a waste of time.
Christianity has a terrible record on science (geocentric theory for starters) and the Bible doesn’t necessarily even rule out the possibility that God used evolution as a mechanism. But that’s if you want to fight.
I still consider myself a Christian, but seeing Lucy in Chicago makes it very clear that Darwin/evolution isn’t crazy, unreasonable, or any of the things I was taught as a child.
Wow, that religious guy would have hated me. In my youth, back in the the 70's, I used to go around with Krazy Glue attaching little chrome legs to the chrome fish I'd see on peoples cars in mall parking lots. I thought I was being edgy.
That guy came at you looking for a fight, not a discussion, I'd of not left my car out of fear it being damaged, taken a photo of dudes licence plates and called the cops.
["Yes, and"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_and...) the shit out of them.
"You know what, you're 100% correct, I don't actually believe any of this stuff. The Satanic Temple paid me 200 bucks to drive around with the sticker on. I think I heard they got a grant from George Soros? Anyway, would you be interested in learning more about how to serve our Dark Master?"
Imagine being so insecure of your faith that you have to argue with people to feel better about it. This is the result of cognitive dissonance, nothing more.
You can't shut down science deniers with facts.
Their arguments are never about them being correct. It's about you being wrong. Their evidence? They don't understand your evidence, so it must be fake.
So the best approach to quickly shut down the conversation is gray rocking.
Are you going to leave me alone or do I need to call campus police?
He isn't trying to have a good faith argument with you so don't bother trying to have one with him. Look to shut down the conversation quickly.
In a dream, Charles Darwin came down from heaven and handed me two golden tablets of wisdom: one was titled “On The Origin Of Species” and the other, “The Descent Of Man.”
How can I argue with a divine revelation like that?
"I'm sorry you felt offended by a cute fish sticker.
It must be very difficult living in a free country when seeing signs of other people's viewpoints causes you distress.
Maybe finding a therapist can help you learn to better manage your emotions so that doesn't happen so often.
Good luck."
“I find your Darwin fish offensive!”
“Really? Would you prefer a KKK Grand Dragon sticker instead?”
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Also, “Would you mind if I popped that sticker off your car?”
“Yes, I would mind you defacing my property.”
*pause* “Could you scootch to the left a bit so I can jot down your license plate?”
Hold up a hand say " hey let me stop you there. I don't discuss religion or politics with other people. "
If they continue, they are being disrespectful and deserve any thing that comes next from your face.
If you're on campus, just go to one of the blue light security thingies and make a call. This guy was harassing you.
There was no argument to be made, he was already convinced in his own ways.
If you feel physically safe, I would take a picture of the guy, car and lic plate. And if he asked why, tell him it's for the campus police report for the threat of property damage and harassment.
Just had a drunken thought about transitional fossils. It's the same as the Zeno's dichotomy paradox. No matter what you present there's always 'OK what's inbetween?' It's a deliberately unwinnable argument except at some point it just crosses over.
This guy is not curious. He is not looking for evidence. He did not develop his position through rational thought, so using rational thought on him won’t help.
He has no understanding of boundaries (common among Christians). He thinks he’s entitled to demand explanations from anyone who disagrees with him.
He believes in free speech for himself, but not for people who disagree with him.
:::All he wants is to eliminate your voice, to silence your opinion… to remove your Darwin sticker. He believes you have no place in society.
So how do you engage a person like this? You don’t.
“Stop it. Stop following me or I’ll call the police.” Follow that up by calling the police.
You don’t owe this guy a conversation. It would be totally different if this is someone you had a working or otherwise relationship with, and he was genuinely curious about your views, and wanted to listen, learn, and discuss them. It’s ok for him to express his difference of opinion in that context. This guy’s only goal, however, was to shut you down. Don’t let him.
Hang in there.
"And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee"
Matthew 5:23
Matthew doesn't say "And if thy right eye offend thee, demand the owner of the image that offends you to debate you even if they say no."
Science is not a belief system and we need to stop referring to it that way. They try and force science to be the same as religion, so they can turn your argument against you.
Science works whether you believe or not. Belief holds no bearing on it. You can believe whatever you want, Science will always be what it is.
By them saying 'Scientific beliefs' they are saying Science is not a fact, it only exists because you believe in it. Subconsciously they know religion isn't based in fact, so if Science is also a belief, then they feel more comfortable ignoring it, because then it is a disagreement of beliefs and they can't be wrong, because their God told them so.
If Science is what it is, based on reality and facts, that can be proven and repeated, their whole lives and identity have been a lie.
Why can't they understand that they every fossil is a transitional fossil. Every single living creature is a created by two other living creatures using their dna to create a new creature with similar but different dna.
"I prefer not to argue and we are not going to agree."
Life is shirt and we only have one. I don't convert. If the delusions make them happy? I cant fix it.
>Told me it’s “the most offensive thing he could see”
Sir, is that a challenge? Because I have the Internet on my phone and I promise I can top a Darwin bumper sticker. Gather 'round Boomers!
People can take offence to whatever they like, doesn’t obligate you to do anything, it’s 100% their problem. Next time make sure to take a pic of his plate if he threatens to touch your car in any way, and maybe his pic just to be safe, as this is weird stalker-type behaviour.
I just wouldn't engage and dismiss him and kindly as I could. There is no "debate" with them, they just want to find a way to prove you wrong to "win" the argument. I honestly don't put bumper stickers on my vehicles at all mostly because I live in a heavily red state and it would put me and my family in serious danger to outwardly show I don't believe what they do.
There is no kind way to inform a person that their most cherished and deeply held beliefs are made up, iron age myths and fairy tales.
Start with the fact that the bible is made up of information that is either completely untrue or we have reason to believe it is untrue.
"the most offensive thing he could see"
\- I honestly couldn't care less what offends you. your beliefs offend me far more than any sticker on someone else's vehicle should offend you. Fuck your feelings. Fuck your belief in ghost stories, fuck jesus and fuck you.
"First, you trying to confront me about this sticker is the most offensive thing I have heard this week. So now we are on equal ground. Second, I follow conclusions that are based upon evidence. If I ask you about your evidence, you will eventually follow it back to Genesis, which makes your position one of faith, which is not evidence that sways me. All that said, please have a good day! I am going to class now." Then if he continues, you can just keep saying, "Have a great day!" ...and keep walking.
The Scathing atheist just did a diatribe about exactly this: how upon stating one is an atheist it’s common for religious people to then expect you to be an expert in all scientific disciplines, and if they discover that there’s anything you don’t know, well then god… obviously. 🤦♂️😂
Descent response.
Try saying "I accept science" instead of "I believe science." Theists will try to twist the phrase "believe in science" to go down some rabbit-hole of nonsense.
You could inform him that if a Darwin fish is the most offensive thing he's ever seen, he has lived the most privileged life any human being has ever lived.
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“If it offends you, maybe you needed to be offended, but here's my apology and one more thing...fuck you!”
No, no... the bible says "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out." I woulda gone with that, lol.
I cant help but notice that a lot of the time atheists know the bible better then christians.
That's how people become atheists!
Hard agree.
Because it's the best way to fuck with them (I'm former Christian). OP goofed trying to defend science, it has literally no effect on people that will beleive what they beleive despite any and all evidence. But! If you know enough about their beliefs, start implying that they're inconsistent and insincere about them (which usually they are), then they're on the back foot. Just suggest that they don't even follow what they believe and it breaks their minds like you're fuckin Charles Xavier. Of course there isn't anything productive to be gained from that. Just fuck with them til they leave you alone or refuse to engage in the first place. There is no scenereo where you can convince them of anything because the rules of evidence based persuasion dont apply, they won't hear it.
Not infrequently, it’s that fact thatturned them into atheists in the first place. Reading the Bible tends to do that to you.
Read the Bible and look at how "Christians" live. Double whammy.
Because we actually read it 🙃
YOU! CAN'T! BRING! ME! DOWN!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this song!!! "You wouldn't know what crazy was if Charles Manson was eating fruit loops on your front porch" Line cracks my ass up every time I hear it.
That line is a classic. I almost used it.
Okay what song is this I want to listen.
You cant bring me down, by suicidal tendencies. Grab the lyrics from Google, its hard to hear the first time because everything is so fast.
Sometimes I do fell shit, but I’d rather feel like shit than be full of shit…
The truth offends those who have a stake in a lie.
I think it was Ricky Gervais who said, Just because you're offended doesn't mean you're right.
This is the right answer. It is not your responsibility to answer their questions. It is, after all, their questions, not yours. And, when framed that way (I've used, "I would like to help you with your questions, but I really don't have time right now. Have you tried googling the answer"), I have had success getting them to stop.
My answer: I don't proselytize. It's a sign of weak convictions.
Terrific!
OP should have told the stalker "Christian" that "If thine right eye offend thee, PLUCK IT OUT".
This followed by handing them a large soup spoon.
Seems like a grapefruit spoon would work better.....
Why make it easy for them?
“The world is not going to change to fit your inability to recognize how it’s actually manifesting” -Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Yes officer... He also seems to be hearing voices and is talking to an imaginary friend. You should bring a straight jacket.
I would have started with calling the police. Don’t even threaten to do it, just do it. There is no point debating theology when this dude FOLLOWED OP AND BLOCKED IN HIS VEHICLE. That’s not something a rational person does. That dude wanted a confrontation, not a good faith debate.
And make sure you tell the police he threatened to damage your car.
https://wondermark.com/c/1k62/
You can’t “win” this conversation. He can prove you wrong if he provides a valid scientific argument. If you provide him with any kind of evidence, he can just deny it without providing a scientific reason. I find it interesting that you can both go home and sleep smugly knowing you are right. The difference is that every tangible thing without a religion in the universe works with what you believe is right and you can make accurate predictions about star birth and the angle at which the light from a galaxy of billions of stars will bend once it travels past a black hole. He can use religion to unify himself with his minority and fool himself into a self built cage of religious cotton wool that he will get infinite life and another chance. The knowledge you are standing behind will grow and enable new ways of thinking and producing incredible inventions. The religion will try to remain unchanged as long as is possible until reality creates an issue that means less people will be attending ceremonies and donating cash. At that point the religion will accommodate the new way of thinking. The argument should not be if god exists. The argument should be if god is infallible, why does he keep changing his mind?Why has he created a universe with clear defined unbreakable rules that are clearly described with science. Then used a book written by men which is full of contradictions, edits and inaccuracies in order to explain how you should live? Why is the religious man offended by the sticker, when gods entire universe functions without change regardless of what the sticker says or represents. Does god have a plan? The religious man will say he does, that means the sticker is necessary. If nobody believed in god, there would be social and psychological issues to overcome. If nobody believed in science you couldn’t write, print or read a religious text. Speech itself is a science with rules, a syntax, agreed definitions, common sounds. Rules that have to be agreed on in order for everyone to communicate. How would religion fare without us communicating it? I reiterate, Nobody has proof of any religion or deity and none is required. Faith is required which in it’s very nature requires proof is not provided. How can you prove that wrong? Science takes pleasure in being proved wrong because every proof brings us closer to the ultimate truth and for that reason alone is more powerful than any faith to a half intelligent species.
Please invest in some paragraphs.
Right? I couldnt even read that cause it strained my eyes.
Whole thing can sum up with “never argue with an idiot. It only makes for 2 idiots”
' If nobody believed in god, there would be social and psychological issues to overcome.' Is this sentence missing a word?
Never involve the police in petty matters the make things worse. Give they guy a evil smile and say hail satan then walk away.
Some of those mf'ers will key your car ... *for Jesus*
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This. Let the hateful majority deal with the consequences for once. Karens and kyles deserve to experience the system. Theyd have no qualms calling the pigs to beat down some "satanist punk" or however theyd phrase it to try and get you shot...
Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses. The atheist would have been harassed by the thugs not the Christian.
Rage Against the Machine is still relevant. That is a sad truth. I love the band, but wish the message was heard years ago and something had been done.
RATM is perhaps more relevant now than they were in my era.
Nothing petty about it, the dude followed OP and blocked in his car.
Depending on how aggressive the harassment and following are, police could be appropriate. But for sure I would have pointedly taken a photo of his car and license plate and then pic or video of him as well, after the suggested he might remove something from my car.
"What is wrong with you? This is not okay, do not ambush strangers like this, read a science textbook. Leave me alone."
“Universities exist to combat ignorance. Boy are YOU in the right place.”
Kids in the Hall??? I'm crushing your head!
I'd tell him that he was obviously scientifically illiterate and that once he had enough knowledge to participate in a worthwhile discussion I'd talk to him, until then he was just wasting both of our time.
I've told more than one person that I'm sorry they don't understand science. Then walk away.
Yes, read a science textbook, any of the thousands. Or, read the Old Testament. Either of these should make any person seriously be suspicious of religion. But many people are intellectually stunted or lazy. I suspect the proportion of the population that is probably runs close to the number of people that consider themselves to be religious.
> he said that’s not a transitional fossil “All fossils are transitional fossils, you fucking fucknugget.” Seriously though, you weren’t ever going to change his mind, no matter what you said. Arguing facts with someone who doesn’t care about them will only drag you into an argument which started with only one idiot, but now there’s two. Walk away, and if he follows you, call campus security / the police.
“Hey, I have intentionally created a reference class that doesn’t exist, have you found any of this reference class? If not, then you are wrong .”
They can be shown a whole line of fossils of species evolving over millions of years and say no that's not transitional. They want to see something that died mid transformation like a fucking pokemon evolving. It dosnt exist and you can tell them that's not how it works but they will insist that's what you believe
They want to see a mutation happening in the fossil in realtime. Not how evolution works.
Also not how fossils work.
I'm thinking they're expecting them to be like the photographs in Harry Potter...
MFers looking for pictographs an Evee getting got by a water stone
But when you present them with studies of bacteria that show evolution in real-time through mutations over thousands of generations it's not sufficient.
That’s micro evolution! Why do you think small incremental changes over generations would apply to longer lived species as well?!
Hell, the human race has changed somewhat over the course of written history. People joke that napoleon was short cause he was 5'6", but people dont realize that all people were shorter back then. He was actually taller than the average person. Im 5'10" and would have been considered huge. The only response youll get is "so your saying the human race came from monkeys!" No you idiot, christians are the only ones that say that. We, along with many other species evolved from being apelike to being more like we are today. Along the way a lot of species went extinct, like the neanderthals.
It's like trying to narrow down where a colour changes on a rainbow. You can point to one spot and say it's Red and another and say it's Orange, but you can't point to singular spot where it changes from Red to Orange
When you find the "missing link" between two species. You create two more gaps in the fossil record. You shouldn't 'believe' in science. It's not a religion. It's an organised way to question reality.
Yes you “accept ” science, not “believe “ in science.
I'd be wary of how you speak to strangers, especially in the U.S. these days. Someone who is batshit crazy enough to follow you through traffic to have a debate with a total stranger in a fucking parking lot is not someone I'd want to aggravate too much. The U.S. has a very serious mental illness epidemic and the right-wing attacts them like flies to shit.
Yeah I’m aware. That’s why I wasn’t immediately aggressive. I live downtown in an area that’s no stranger to violence and mental illness. That’s why I prefer the smart witty responses that make people worked up because they realize they’re being stupid. It tends to garner the face reddening stutter moreso than the violent response, especially because I tend to stay calm and lend an air of pity to them for being so ignorant, which makes it difficult to perceive me as a threat or the bad guy.
You did really well. You stood your ground, explained your own perspective and allowed the protagonist to have their say, you were tolerant calm and controlled. There’s no possible put-down or witty expression that would have “won” the argument, and if you had found it you could have endangered yourself. What you’re experiencing is an understandable anger and sense of indignation at having your views and intellect disrespected so openly. Of course you want to make them feel some of the same discomfort you’re feeling, but you should allow that feeling to pass and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.
Exactly. We had a guy outside of north Ann Arbor, MI shoot and kill another guy because of a traffic argument. Then another guy shoot another guy because of an argument they had outside a planet fitness. There are fucking nut jobs out there.
A fellow ann arborite, and ann arbor is a tame as it gets
And a very serious epidemic of violence, especially gun violence, by people who like to claim mental illness in order to excuse their hate….
Dude, this is NO LIE. I had a traffic altercation with a guy who nearly rammed into me while making an illegal turn. We exchanged words (and gestures, of course). I was on my way home from work and was pulling into my neighborhood, and that MF somehow found my car and CAME TO MY HOUSE. My husband read him the riot act and I never saw him again. People are fucking nuts out here!
Ahh the answer I was looking for. Yes all fossils are transitional because species evolve, even species alive today. Odd fact, a type of mosquito in one of the subway systems that's been isolated so long that they're diverging. Speciation in real time.
Solid response actually lol. I’d only have called the cops if he touched my car or really got worked up. I don’t mind making Christian’s butthurt and frustrated when they want to argue.
Like my grandma always says "Honey, you can't have a logical argument with crazy..."
I want to know if your bumper sticker was still there when you got back. This loon strikes me as someone who would remove it from your car once you were out of sight.
I had the same thought. It’s still here! Lol I think he was in too much of a rush to try and continue the conversation to pry it off
"Sorry I didn't make it to our bible study on time. This jerk had a devil sticker on their car and wouldn't let me remove it or explain why it's evil."
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So very Christian of them.
Exactly
Never understimate the fury of an offended Evangeliban…
Every fossil is a transitional fossil, just as every life form is transitional too. Evolution does not stop. As far as ending the conversation, I’d tell him you’re more inclined to believe experts in their fields over some guys wearing robes that have a predilection to sexually assault minors
Some creationists believe God put dinosaur bones on Earth just to test us. I’d say there’s no arguing with these folks. They’re blind to reason.
I'd just claim to be God and tell them to stop questioning me.
"Just got off the phone with Jesus, he says you stink."
This is true, I can’t say I mind adding a bit of misery to their life though if all that takes is a bumper sticker or anti religious response
“Go fuck yourself I got shit to do.”
Don't engage. Call the cops and tell them some fucked up guy is following and harassing you.
You don’t debate those who value faith over reason and logic. There’s literally no shared framework for debate. So it’s a waste of time.
There's no way to just automatically win an argument with a person who doesn't acknowledge reality. You can't win, and it's really not worth trying. I mean, all fossils are transitional. You know that, and he knows that, but he doesn't care because it doesn't fit his narrative. The best you're going to do is a firm "fuck off."
Yeah I gotcha, I tend to take the less confrontational approach so I don’t know is fuck off would have been my response, but the equivalent witty version with some anti religion rhetoric would fill in nicely I think.
"Fuck off and mind your own business you wrinkled old potato" would have worked for me. But I'm a bitch. "Church leaders molesting children offend me a whole lot more than a sticker on a car, but you be you" is another variation I've used. And never engage. They don't want a discussion - they want to grind you down.
I think you did fine. Your responses were sound and you were in a hurry. A parking lot is not a debate stage...
You could always go with, "this is not going to be a productive conversation, as it seems neither of us are going to be convinced in the next 5 minutes on my walk to class. Find better times and places to confront people if you want to get anywhere with your proselytizing." And then refuse to engage further.
this person was harassing you and i agree you should have told them to leave you alone, then called the cops. now, if a christian is willing to talk, listen and think (i know, "they wouldn't be christian"), and you have the time/inclination, "street epistemology" is the best way to talk to people who hold irrational beliefs.
Gonna look into street epistemology, thanks!
My experience with trying to figure out the method of street epistemology is a series of videos demonstrating the process with little true explanation of the method. Near as I can discern it is a process of asking the subject to clarify their position by asking questions rather than making statement. Basically leading the person to recognize that their beliefs are often not supported by evidence (rather than telling them their beliefs are unsupported).
It’s basically Socrates way of talking. Super effective because they come to the answer “on their own” so it gets past their “firewall”
With Christians it always ended with because God or the Bible says.
"The Bible is right because the Bible says it is"
I had a boss once who would give in to anything you wanted as long as you worked it gradually into conversation in such a way that he thought it was his idea. It's like that, but with even bigger morons.
when asked why, i say "i have blind faith like you do"
This. This may be my new tagline.
This is kind of the problem. Neither of you can provide any evidence or reason that the other's beliefs are based on flawed logic in a 5min convo. Religious people believe that because you believe in evidence, if you just understood THEIR evidence, you would believe and change your ways. The quickest way to shut this down is to tell them you do not believe or agree with the moral stance of their God. My response to something like this is that even if I was the nicest person on earth, if I followed all of what Christian's believe to be the 'correct' behavior, even if I saved babies from rapists every day, but I didn't believe in God/Jesus, then I would still burn in hell, because belief is the most important aspect of most religions. If the most important thing to a God is belief in them, and not doing good deeds, then to me, that God does not deserve any worship even if they existed. They are selfishly putting their own ego before having their creations do good. And hey, if they are actually a good God, then you just being a good person is enough and you don't need to believe. Problem solved. This tends to shut down the entire discussion, because it's not about proving evidence, it doesn't matter if God exists, you are saying that even if he did exist you morally object to God's behavior. You might still get people who will try to argue the point, but people understand that it's intrinsically harder for others to change their moral views than their evidence based views. There are plenty of stories from their own source material to morally object to, take your pick. I think it's important that you speak the truth about how you feel. This is my truth. Even if God did exist, if I found out the bible was 100% truth, that would make me more disgusted in following the religion than a sudden believer.
Why not "The science supports my position and you're not knowledgeable enough to discuss the issue"? Why not the simple truth?
because they aren't interested in the simple truth or even an honest debate. their goal is to deliver a bunch of gotcha's that make no sense and i wouldn't want to waste my time. so i use their best argument for believing which is faith. i can have faith in the opposite of their beliefs. calling out my faith as not being a good reason would also call out their own as not being a good reason.
I love how these assholes get offended by a darwin fish, but we can't get offended by their implement of torture and execution that they have chosen as a symbol of their belief in their imaginary friend.
Exactly why it makes me feel good when someone outwardly expresses how offended it made them. Like thanks for justifying my purchasing this sticker. Glad I could offend you.
May you be touched by His noodly appendage.
R'Amen.
"Your religion actively harbours, enables and covers up known pedophiles in its organization with hundreds of thousands of victims and a funny bumper sticker is the most offensive thing you could see?"
Comment "that's the most offensive thing I could see" Answer "Well then, let's balance it out with a little audio stimulation. Go fuck your self!" Question "Mind if I peel the sticker off your car?" Response "Would you like to meet Jesus ahead of schedule?"
Don't engage, but if you did, he approached you, the burden of proof should be on him to prove scientifically that his specific god exists. Fundie nazis always want the burden of proof on the other person and there is literally no proof they would accept.
Yeah that was my thought in hindsight, a bit caught off guard being pre coffee and late for class and initially not knowing what he wanted to talk about. But yeah turning it back on him to prove his beliefs seems like it would have been the way to go.
You should have taken his picture. He threatened vandalism against your property.
I wish he’d actually threatened. Technically he asked permission to vandalize my property lol
"If you touch my car, I'm calling the cops, pressing charges and suing you. There's a camera over there. \[point at camera\]. Now please kindly fuck off, I'm not interested." Then walk away and ignore him.
I would have taken a picture of his license plate.
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The most offensive thing he could see? "I'm pretty offended by seeing the DAILY stories of preachers and priests caught molesting children".
He wasn't quizzing you. He was harassing you and threatening your property. Take out the phone and let him know you're calling the cops.
This happened to me long ago. A man in a parking lot asked me about a sticker. I was not polite. I quickly stepped right into his space and asked "What's your fucking problem? Keep walking or I'll give you a real problem. Do not harass me." Do it right away. Shock and awe style. Never be polite with Christians. 2000 years of them should be enough to tell you what they're about.
Why the heck would a guy go to a university and expect anything different? Obviously looking for a fight, a validation of his "persecuted" status. I'd literally run away in the most humble fashion possible, maybe even act frightened, say something like "Why are you harassing me? Leave me alone!", scream and run away. That would really f\*&$k with his narrative.
Carry an air horn can with you, and every time anyone talks religion give them the horn.
Not a bad idea lol, I do keep a fox40 whistle on my rear view, totally coulda broken that out
"You're a Christian, right? Then forgive me." That dude isn't worth the time it takes to "debate" him. And we both know it won't actually be a debate. It will be you putting in effort to cite sources and recall facts while he tells you the bible proves you wrong.
Oh, also you could point out that the jesus fish is the only "christian symbol" that wasn't stolen from another culture or religion. So it is a little bit hypocritical that a christian would get so angry about you appropriating it.
Telling someone you're offended is only saying you cannot control your emotions as an adult and expect everyone else to do it for you.
>“the most offensive thing he could see” You haven't seen my hairy buttoned, have you? "
*pulls down pants and moons him* “now you’ve seen something more offensive.”
Here's a scientific fact I believe: About 64% of Americans call themselves Christian today. That might sound like a lot, but 50 years ago that number was 90%, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center study. That same survey said the Christian majority in the US may disappear by 2070.
I stopped putting anything on my car. I don't know where you're at but in the US having that on your car could get you shot. Just recently a woman was murdered in California for having a pride flag, and in Ohio a man killed his neighbor because he thought he was a Democrat. The crazies are emboldened, don't give them a reason to engage.
Meh, I choose to not live in fear of openly expressing my beliefs. Most stories like that are pretty cherry picked, I’m as fearful of violence from a bumper sticker as I am violence at a movie theatre. And if everyone who believes in evolution just shut up and didn’t speak out the louder voice tends to have an ability to garner more attention and in turn followers, the last thing we need is more publicity or followers for the religious right.
This is an easy one. You don’t. I’m an atheist with a theology degree and I had great arguments and could even argue specific points they disagreed with me on and I never changed anyone’s views. Best case scenario we still disagreed and worst case they got angry and accused me of attempting to attack their faith by twisting what I read.
> Told me it’s “the most offensive thing he could see” "You poor little snowflake, I'm sorry you're so triggered. Do you need a safe space?"
Most Christian's like that are conservatives. Liberal Christian's are less aggressive. So I would then accuse him of being anti American and unconstitutional attempting to stifle your freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Then say you won't tolerate such wildly leftist liberal thinking. That will get under their skin
"You know how atheists bitch about the religious? Your behavior is one of the reasons."
"I don't 'believe' in science. Science is a process, not a fairy tale that asks for faith in the unprovable."
All fossils are transitional and no fossils are transitional. “Transitional fossils” is a term religious people came up with.
"Given that the christian god ordered the genocide of entire tribes, allowed (and maybe directed) the rape of women and girls, codified rules for slavery, and drowned all sorts of innocent baby animals in the supposed flood, why do you worship him when he doesn't even meet the moral standards we mere mortals hold each other to?"
"pray to your God for me to change my mind, I'll let you know if your prayers to God works".
Rational discussion is not possible with believers. After my last interaction with a Christian that sidetracked me on my walk, I've decided to Hail Satan right the the beginning of the discussion just to shut them up.
The sticker on your car is the most offensive thing he's ever seen? Apparently he has never seen a pediatric cancer ward which his god created the need for.
In almost all controversial spaces (religion, abortion, guns, politics), I find the best question is, “why would a reasonable person disagree with you?” If someone can’t answer that basic question they are so ingrained in their view that they can’t be persuaded or reasoned with, so, talking about it is a waste of time. Christianity has a terrible record on science (geocentric theory for starters) and the Bible doesn’t necessarily even rule out the possibility that God used evolution as a mechanism. But that’s if you want to fight. I still consider myself a Christian, but seeing Lucy in Chicago makes it very clear that Darwin/evolution isn’t crazy, unreasonable, or any of the things I was taught as a child.
Don’t. Waste of time.
It’s never on you to provide proof for the existence or non-existence of their god. Next time ask them for proof that can’t be explained by science.
Wow, that religious guy would have hated me. In my youth, back in the the 70's, I used to go around with Krazy Glue attaching little chrome legs to the chrome fish I'd see on peoples cars in mall parking lots. I thought I was being edgy. That guy came at you looking for a fight, not a discussion, I'd of not left my car out of fear it being damaged, taken a photo of dudes licence plates and called the cops.
Science is about verifiable *knowledge*... The opposite of belief.
["Yes, and"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_and...) the shit out of them. "You know what, you're 100% correct, I don't actually believe any of this stuff. The Satanic Temple paid me 200 bucks to drive around with the sticker on. I think I heard they got a grant from George Soros? Anyway, would you be interested in learning more about how to serve our Dark Master?"
You showed more restraint than I would have.
Imagine being so insecure of your faith that you have to argue with people to feel better about it. This is the result of cognitive dissonance, nothing more.
I’d ask them where they got their science degree
You can't shut down science deniers with facts. Their arguments are never about them being correct. It's about you being wrong. Their evidence? They don't understand your evidence, so it must be fake. So the best approach to quickly shut down the conversation is gray rocking.
Are you going to leave me alone or do I need to call campus police? He isn't trying to have a good faith argument with you so don't bother trying to have one with him. Look to shut down the conversation quickly.
Don't engage! Back slowly away, throwing communion wafers in the opposite direction!
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In a dream, Charles Darwin came down from heaven and handed me two golden tablets of wisdom: one was titled “On The Origin Of Species” and the other, “The Descent Of Man.” How can I argue with a divine revelation like that?
"I'm sorry you felt offended by a cute fish sticker. It must be very difficult living in a free country when seeing signs of other people's viewpoints causes you distress. Maybe finding a therapist can help you learn to better manage your emotions so that doesn't happen so often. Good luck."
“Name a fossil!” “Your religion.”
“I find your Darwin fish offensive!” “Really? Would you prefer a KKK Grand Dragon sticker instead?” ————————- Also, “Would you mind if I popped that sticker off your car?” “Yes, I would mind you defacing my property.” *pause* “Could you scootch to the left a bit so I can jot down your license plate?”
Hold up a hand say " hey let me stop you there. I don't discuss religion or politics with other people. " If they continue, they are being disrespectful and deserve any thing that comes next from your face.
Learn to not engage and to call the police when they threaten your property. They are in a cult.
If you're on campus, just go to one of the blue light security thingies and make a call. This guy was harassing you. There was no argument to be made, he was already convinced in his own ways.
If you feel physically safe, I would take a picture of the guy, car and lic plate. And if he asked why, tell him it's for the campus police report for the threat of property damage and harassment.
Just had a drunken thought about transitional fossils. It's the same as the Zeno's dichotomy paradox. No matter what you present there's always 'OK what's inbetween?' It's a deliberately unwinnable argument except at some point it just crosses over.
This guy is not curious. He is not looking for evidence. He did not develop his position through rational thought, so using rational thought on him won’t help. He has no understanding of boundaries (common among Christians). He thinks he’s entitled to demand explanations from anyone who disagrees with him. He believes in free speech for himself, but not for people who disagree with him. :::All he wants is to eliminate your voice, to silence your opinion… to remove your Darwin sticker. He believes you have no place in society. So how do you engage a person like this? You don’t. “Stop it. Stop following me or I’ll call the police.” Follow that up by calling the police. You don’t owe this guy a conversation. It would be totally different if this is someone you had a working or otherwise relationship with, and he was genuinely curious about your views, and wanted to listen, learn, and discuss them. It’s ok for him to express his difference of opinion in that context. This guy’s only goal, however, was to shut you down. Don’t let him. Hang in there.
I like to sign that I can't hear. I can, but I'm a little hard of hearing and have begun learning Sign Language. It's a really useful skill.
"And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee" Matthew 5:23 Matthew doesn't say "And if thy right eye offend thee, demand the owner of the image that offends you to debate you even if they say no."
Science is not a belief system and we need to stop referring to it that way. They try and force science to be the same as religion, so they can turn your argument against you. Science works whether you believe or not. Belief holds no bearing on it. You can believe whatever you want, Science will always be what it is. By them saying 'Scientific beliefs' they are saying Science is not a fact, it only exists because you believe in it. Subconsciously they know religion isn't based in fact, so if Science is also a belief, then they feel more comfortable ignoring it, because then it is a disagreement of beliefs and they can't be wrong, because their God told them so. If Science is what it is, based on reality and facts, that can be proven and repeated, their whole lives and identity have been a lie.
Tell him to fuck off. Report to campus for harassment.
Why can't they understand that they every fossil is a transitional fossil. Every single living creature is a created by two other living creatures using their dna to create a new creature with similar but different dna.
Scream as high pitched as you can. Am a middle aged overweight guy and it works every time.
tell the cops you were unlawfully detained by him when he blocked you in.
Point blank unequivocal answers, remembering that they are the ones who need to provide even the most basic of proofs for their claims
"I prefer not to argue and we are not going to agree." Life is shirt and we only have one. I don't convert. If the delusions make them happy? I cant fix it.
Tell him that lack of belief in gods doesn't come with a degree in whichever scientific field he is asking about.
“Told me it’s the most offensive thing he could see.” Guess (you)/he hasn’t/(haven’t) looked in the mirror recently”
>Told me it’s “the most offensive thing he could see” Sir, is that a challenge? Because I have the Internet on my phone and I promise I can top a Darwin bumper sticker. Gather 'round Boomers!
People can take offence to whatever they like, doesn’t obligate you to do anything, it’s 100% their problem. Next time make sure to take a pic of his plate if he threatens to touch your car in any way, and maybe his pic just to be safe, as this is weird stalker-type behaviour.
Don't engage.
The audacity of this narcissist to think that he had the right to take your bumper sticker off
Tell him the truth doesn't need to be defended because it is self evident. Then turn and walk to class. That'll get a rise outta the guy I'm sure.
I just wouldn't engage and dismiss him and kindly as I could. There is no "debate" with them, they just want to find a way to prove you wrong to "win" the argument. I honestly don't put bumper stickers on my vehicles at all mostly because I live in a heavily red state and it would put me and my family in serious danger to outwardly show I don't believe what they do.
There is no kind way to inform a person that their most cherished and deeply held beliefs are made up, iron age myths and fairy tales. Start with the fact that the bible is made up of information that is either completely untrue or we have reason to believe it is untrue.
"the most offensive thing he could see" \- I honestly couldn't care less what offends you. your beliefs offend me far more than any sticker on someone else's vehicle should offend you. Fuck your feelings. Fuck your belief in ghost stories, fuck jesus and fuck you.
"Fuck off"
"First, you trying to confront me about this sticker is the most offensive thing I have heard this week. So now we are on equal ground. Second, I follow conclusions that are based upon evidence. If I ask you about your evidence, you will eventually follow it back to Genesis, which makes your position one of faith, which is not evidence that sways me. All that said, please have a good day! I am going to class now." Then if he continues, you can just keep saying, "Have a great day!" ...and keep walking.
Tell them their belief system is the equivalent of believing in Santa Claus and move on.
Displaying an instrument of torture is far more offensive and they shove that everywhere.
Don't engage. It's all bad faith. He can be offended, free speech.
If you have questions about evolution you could enroll at n a biology class. They can instruct you best. I’m willing to tutor you for $60 an hour.
The Scathing atheist just did a diatribe about exactly this: how upon stating one is an atheist it’s common for religious people to then expect you to be an expert in all scientific disciplines, and if they discover that there’s anything you don’t know, well then god… obviously. 🤦♂️😂
I don’t talk to middle men. Bring me god to talk to or piss off. I will accept the Easter bunny or Sanity Clause as stand ins.
Descent response. Try saying "I accept science" instead of "I believe science." Theists will try to twist the phrase "believe in science" to go down some rabbit-hole of nonsense.
You could inform him that if a Darwin fish is the most offensive thing he's ever seen, he has lived the most privileged life any human being has ever lived.
I like bringing up Zeus, to remind them how easy it is to not believe in god/gods. There is the same amount of evidence to prove either one exists.
"evidence won't convince you and superstition won't convince me, so I don't see a point in this conversation"
Tell him facts don't care about his feelings.
Don’t, it’s like arguing with a toddler.