the ability to expose others to our favorite argument might really prove persuasive. I think that’s one of the biggest updates on human nature that the internet has demonstrated—it is not very possible to change somebody’s mind by winning an argument against them.
It does seem like during/after the Atheism wars people got less religious (at least in the US), so its not obvious to me arguments have no effect is the right lesson to take away here.
I just stumbled over this old SSC article while browsing Scott’s website, where he posits:
I think once Christianity stopped seeming threatening, Christians went from being an outgroup to being a fargroup, and were exoticized has having the same sort of vague inoffensive wisdom as Buddhists.
It does seem like during/after the Atheism wars people got less religious (at least in the US), so its not obvious to me arguments have no effect is the right lesson to take away here.
I just stumbled over this old SSC article while browsing Scott’s website, where he posits:
Fair point. It would be interesting to talk to people who lost their religion around that time and ask them what influenced them.
I lost my religion about that time, when I was 12 and listened to the Bill Nye and Ken Ham debate!
Interesting! I was born into a more or less agnostic family and considered myself an atheist by the time I was in middle school.