THEN THEY CLOSE DOWN THE CAR MANUFACTURING PLANT

When most people here were twelve?

Are you insane?

I, also do not remember this supposed golden age of debate, and I've been registered under one user name of another since like 1998.

The religious forum actually had some good debates. A lot of people hated it, most of whom looked stupid when arguing against Fire Fox.

I never even knew the religious forum existed. I posted in the showcase and occasionally general discussion.

I loved the religious forum! I was so sad when it was gone...but oh well. Apparently we can still have arguments without it.

Nothing will stop two people with opposing viewpoints from calling each other imbeciles!

What are you talking about, fool, people will opposing viewpoints will eventually reach a meaningful compromise and mutual understanding!?! Eat it!

Lawl I see wut u did there.

This thread turned out to have a disappointing lack of discussion revolving around Mel Gibson, Robert Downey Jr and drug smuggling in Laos.

I was an Evangelical Christian when I first started visiting these forums. The religious debates that we used to have on that forum opened my eyes to a lot of things that I had never been exposed to. It wasn't long before I became a Deist & eventually an Atheist. I had always avoided the subject of evolution because of my upbringing but I decided to educate myself on the subject to make myself better prepared to take on the other side. Someone recommended that I read "The Blind Watchmaker" by Richard Dawkins. Nothing has been the same since. I even ended a 5 year relationship that I was in because the girl couldn't accept the fact that I no longer believed in a god & refused to listen to &/or consider anything that I had to say on the subject (e.g. typical evangelical). I went out & got me a good French chick who doesn't give 2 ****s about religion & my life has been great since.

While there's always been bickering, there's also been some intelligent debate & I for one will admit that my life has changed for the better because of it. Debating really does change people's minds if they actually have the capacity to have an open mind.

That's actually a really amazing story.

Yeah, French chicks are hot

<.<
>.>

Good for you, Mentat. And I'm not being sarcastic.

I can't say I'm fond of the idea that someone made a profound life decision based on internet trolling, but if you're happier it's probably good.

It's not trolling if it's done with sincerity.

I became an atheist after reading Ayn Rand as a 13-year-old. I think I would have preferred it if Massassi had done me the honor. As it stands, I find myself intellectually indebted to someone I can't stomach at all...

Yes, Ayn Rand is enough to make someone question the existence of God.

The source for my initial questioning of god is Carlin.

There were a lot of sincere discussions on the religious forum, I don't think they were all trolling.

I always thought it was strange how some people seemed to only post there.

I disagree; I don't believe a being as perfect as George Carlin could have come into existence other than by intelligent design.