Yep. Cynics like to say you can't change anyone's mind.. that it's all wasted effort but they're wrong and I have visual proof. In this Intelligence Squared debate re: Is the Catholic Church a Force for Good? Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry square off against an Archbishop and a British catholic member of Parliament. At the start and at the end of the debate the audience indicates whether it is for the motion, against, or undecided. You'll have to watch to see how the numbers change but at least 50% of the votes change and the number "undecided" goes from 346 to 34. Debates can be definitively won, and they can sway their audience considerably.Enjoy.
3 comments:
They most certainly do matter, but I strongly advocate for choosing our battles. The IQ2 debate was probably one of the most ideal.
We went in with the best troops.
Didn't allow their side to choose a favorable battlefield (ie academic setting, which grants them an instant partial victory from the start since preaching in schools is exactly what they want). And good publicity of the effort, wide audience, etc.
This debate was well worth the watch. I'd like to see something like this on American television someday. Fry's rebuke about the Church not having known better was just classic.
indeed. I would like to see all debates feature polling or even better, a panel of forensically experienced judges. Hey glock are you a local?
"Hey glock are you a local?"
Yuppers. Not sure if I quite qualify for "townie" yet, but been here in Champaign for roughly 10 years or so.
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