• Welcome to League Of Reason Forums! Please read the rules before posting.
    If you are willing and able please consider making a donation to help with site overheads.
    Donations can be made via here

Speaker's Corner

B

Blog of Reason

New Member
arg-fallbackName="Blog of Reason"/>
Discussion thread for the blog entry "Speaker's Corner" by Th1sWasATriumph.

Permalink: http://blog.leagueofreason.org.uk/reason/speakers-corner/
 
arg-fallbackName="stulogic"/>
That sounds brilliant, would loved to have seen it if only to see if your calm, collected demeanor in your videos remained intact when the barrage of creationism got overwhelming :)

Kudos for having the confidence to do such a thing, I'm not averse to public speaking but I'd have serious reservations about doing something of that nature, especially knowing how strongly some folks can react when their faith is challenged, debated and it's flawed logic analyzed.

Speaker's Corner certainly attracts some truly bizarre folks - not that I'm suggesting you're one of them - so I can only imagine the types of questions you go over the course of 3 hours. Very curious to see what the 'new chestnuts' are that you were presented and look forward to the videos very much indeed.

Top work fella and good on you for doing it.
 
arg-fallbackName="Th1sWasATriumph"/>
stulogic said:
That sounds brilliant, would loved to have seen it if only to see if your calm, collected demeanor in your videos remained intact when the barrage of creationism got overwhelming :)

Kudos for having the confidence to do such a thing, I'm not averse to public speaking but I'd have serious reservations about doing something of that nature, especially knowing how strongly some folks can react when their faith is challenged, debated and it's flawed logic analyzed.

Speaker's Corner certainly attracts some truly bizarre folks - not that I'm suggesting you're one of them - so I can only imagine the types of questions you go over the course of 3 hours. Very curious to see what the 'new chestnuts' are that you were presented and look forward to the videos very much indeed.

Top work fella and good on you for doing it.
Click to expand...

Well, scripting helps my demeanour in videos . . . real life is always a little more uncertain.

However, I definitely would say I remained calm even in the face of drooling stupidity. I had to be forceful when multiple people prevented me from answering individual points, but I didn't lose it or start sweating or anything.

Thing is, I've no idea how much of it was filmed - my friend was wandering around looking at other people, so some quality moments could have been lost. But there'll be something, I'm sure. I got some strong reactions but no violence or even real aggression. The new chestnuts were mainly this one guy who was asking a lot of pseudo-philosophical stuff, which briefly stumped me in the moment. He was also the first one to ask anything; thinking back, I don't know why the hell I didn't tell him he was dishing out pointless speculation ("what if God was in you? how would you feel about God then?" And he was trying to make me say that God and religion should be taken seperately, which was a bit . . . I mean . . . eh?). I got less polite (but never became impolite) as time wore on.

I'm glad you're interested, anyway, and the results should be around soon.

-T
 
arg-fallbackName="rabbitpirate"/>
Looking forward to seeing the video of this. Did you take your guitar along and hit them with a few power cords when they got unruly?

Seriously though I would never have the balls to do something like this so good on you. I've got into discussions with Christians about this sort of thing a number of times and it always amazes me just how much stupidity they can throw at you in the space of a few seconds.

One example that really sticks in the mind came when I bumped into someone I used to know from when I did go to church. She of course asked me if I still went to church some where to which I replied no. She then asked if I still believed in God, to which I again replied no. She was some what taken aback by this and so demanded I tell her why not. Well, I said, there is no evidence for God.

This threw her completely. She looked at me slack jawed and then out of the window, then back and me and then out the window again.

"But...but what about all that?" she said pointing outside. "Doesn't that count as evidence."

Her arguements never got any better than that. When she told me that I shouldn't trust science because it is always changing I was convinced she was pulling my leg. No one could be that stupid and still be a productive member of society.
 
arg-fallbackName="Th1sWasATriumph"/>
@ RP:

Well, it's not quite the same as standing in some random street and begging to be quizzed on atheism. The atmosphere of Speaker's Corner is of spectators expecting, nay demanding, fodder. If you have some dashing young kid in black literally screaming to be asked questions (note: may not be dashing), people are cool with it.

"Isn't the natural world evidence?" Gah! I tell you man, I've never internally facepalmed so much. I was getting the "you can't see the wind, so how do you know it's there?" nonsense, and of course no-one could come back from "I know the wind is there as I can detect it's physical effects on the environment, as well as introducing visible vapour into it in order to see currents". I wonder why people always say "wind", and and never "gravity" or "magnetism"? And why is wind, something which can be measured in terms of effect on environment, equated with God - the effects of which are intangible at best?

I think my friend started filming just as I gave my "how do we have a choice to believe in Jesus when hell is one of the consequences?" spiel. I hope, I so badly hope, that the sound is ok.

I have a feeling busking is frowned upon; it's for speakers, not musicians. Likewise amps or loudspeakers would be fairly unsportsmanlike. You gots to rely on your ability to make people migrate, and I managed it. Literal droves of people :)

It did take some balls to actually start yelling (initially I just stood there) but I realised it was just street theatre, and not out of place at all. It was fun. I recommend it.
 
arg-fallbackName="xman"/>
Good on you Triumph. For more practice dealing with the unexpected in a performance situation I recommend attending some drop in Theatre Sports classes. Great training in responding to what has been presented to you. I too look forward to this vid.

X
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top