I would guess that a lot of folks who frequent this debate room also watch debates by those who are popular for doing it (e.g. Hitch, Hasan, Harris, WLC, Dillahunty, Wolpe, etc.).
Whose debate style do you most admire? Why? Whose style do you think is most effective? Why?
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Richard Carrier is by far one of the most knowledgeable debtors.
Wolphe, the Jewish Rabbi does a wonderful job on the religious side.
The late Mr. Hitchens was really fun to watch. Matt Dillahaunty is a horrible debater but he is really great on the phone. If he could take his phone skills into the debate room he would be great to watch. I think he suffers from an extreme lack of confidence when it comes to debating.
I can not stand the ignorant and obvious lies of Ken Hamm, The Banana Man/ or the utter pedantic utterings of William Lane Craig.
I have always been a fan of the Hitch, not just because he could make a charging rhino burst into tears with a few words, but also because he was eloquent, erudite and funny. I admired his writing at least as much as his debating. I admire Sam Harris in debates because he stays infeasibly calm, note his encounter with Ben Affleck. I have enjoyed watching Matt Dillahunty immensely as well, though I've not read anything he's written yet.
Of course Richard Dawkins has written many books I have enjoyed greatly, and his debating style can be impressive.
Oh! I forgot Sam Harris. Excellent Choice. His arguments against free choice are quite interesting. I don't agree but I find them well written / explained, supported with actual evidence (I regard it as insufficient) and well supported. I love his attempts to scientifically explain spiritual states and how they are a natural part of being human. He is always worth listening to..... Finally; his take on Islam is spot on. It is not a religion, it is a bad idea. It is an oligarchy. A system of government complete with religious laws to govern people. Sam is certainly on the top of my "to watch" list. And a great debater.
I could listen to Hitchens all night- the voice alone. Seriously, the man could have read the phone book and I'd have listened with rapt attention. I love the dumbfounded by stupidity look Dawkin's gets on his face- it cracks me up. I can't listen to WLC- his voice irritates me like nails down a blackboard for some reason. I don't know why, and it's a shame, since he's a highly regarded apologist by Christians.
I noticed I got a "disagree". Just wondering if it's because someone finds WLC's voice melodious and soothing, or because Christians actually regard him as a fool and a poor excuse for an apologist?
I think Richard Dawkins may have been the most effective. It was he who did most to raise the issue of Saudi textbooks in British schools. As he said in the AlJazeera debate (below), he prefers a genial approach. He emphasises the problems with revelation and superstition and the value of truth, scientific method and reason.
It was also Richard Dawkins who has done so much to counter creationism and other problems in British schools. He speaks with the authority of a learned professor, educator, author and scientist and engages with his interlocutors with respect and focuses on what is important.
I am an admirer of Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens too. Much has been achieved through the approach of comedians such as Bill Maher who has taken part in televised discussions.
http://int.search.myway.com/search/video.jhtml?n=783a125f&p2=%5ECPP%5Exd...
One of my favorite debaters was the late David Lange (pronounced Langy). In 1985, while serving as Prime Minister of New Zealand, he accepted an invitation from the Oxford Union to debate an American team led by Jerry Falwell on the motion that Nuclear weapons are morally indefensible. New Zealand had hit the headlines by adopting an anti-nuclear stance in defiance of American policy.
Lange supported the motion and won the debate. The most memorable moment was when Lange leaned over toward Falwell and said "I can smell the uranium on your breath."
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/sound/oxford-union-debate
Ahhh, the Masterdebaters...well, the spaghetti monster is, in reality, very effective and pleasing to the ears..but Matt is reaching so many more people than anyone. His show, will at some point, be nationally syndicated. Hard to listen to live, but put him on radio...and he dominates. Irrelevant of effectiveness, then I would have to go with the hitch. Totally awesome to watch clips of people getting hitchslapped.
I think Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins are among my favourites just purely on their knowledge and eloquence of delivery...
However, there are diamonds in the rough! Matt Dillahunty appears to be very knowledgeful on theology and I also like AronRa... however his delivery could render someone in to a coma.
I love watching top scientists being taken on by theists and having the views on the science in question obliterated... Lawrence Krauss is a good example of this, but better yet is Shaun Carroll who I came to know of via someone posting on here of his debate with William Lane Craig in which he utterly took him apart.
Alex Malpass too also did a phenomenal job in dismantling Matt Slick's TAG arguement.
There a few theists I dislike, WLC most in part due to his voice sounding like an anamatronic cat.
But I think the winners are Ken Ham for just bordering on retardation, Kent Hovind for making intellectual dishonesty into an art form... but the top of the tree has to be Sye Ten Bruggencate.
An absolute muppet of the highest possible order.
Some not mentioned yet: Pinker, Maher, Fry, Barker, Nye, Randi, Shermer, Christina, Dennet, Grayling, Thunderf00t, Andrews, Mehta, Hirsi Ali, P.Z. Myers....
You beat me to it CyberLN, I was going to put Stephen Fry as my absolute favorite, and for his 'one liners' Ricky Gervais
Adore Fry! Forgot Gervais...he’s another rock star!
Also, for his outspokenness TIM MINCHIN! (wild applause)
No one has mentioned John Cleese? He is an outstanding atheist debater.
Stephen Woodford
Hitchens is my favorite. He excelled at using sarcasm as a way of leve!ing the playing field between him and religious authorities. PZ Meyers has the same skill, more blunt than Hitchens.
Hitch
Fry, for his eloquence and humanity; Hitchens for his wit and fierceness (There's an epic debate on YouTube with the tandem Fry-Hitchens on RCC that I truly recommend... in which Fry's closing is superb btw : https://youtu.be/1SJ6AV31MxA ); Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Sam Harris for their composture and wisdom; Dawkins... For everything I said about the rest combined.
Atheist comedy: Minchin, Maher, Gervais, Carlin...
P.S. Not on debate, but Carrier deserves to be on my favorite ones' list...
Sean Carroll is by far my favourite, He uses reason and the viewpoint of naturalism so well, not to mention he is a phenomenal physicist.
I also love listening to Richard Dawkins, His voice is a treasure and his ability to articulate points so beautifully is astonishing.