Sandra Tanner and Grant Palmer used to be Mormons but are now Christians. Richard Packham used to be a Mormon but does not believe in Christianity. These are the three people who pop up most often when you search for Exmormon on Youtube. It would be an interesting debate. Oh, I forgot "Dave the Bard", but he does not seem like the debating type.

Thanks for the flattering suggestion.

It's been a long time since I was in a formal debate. My senior year in high school my debate partner and I won the Idaho state high school debate championship and went on to win the Northwest Regional National Forensic League championship. Six other teams beat us out at the national level.

I was in a written debate a few years ago with Rod Meldrum on the Book of Mormon (you can read the debate at http://packham.n4m.org/historicity.htm ) for the Public Square.

I engaged in another written debate on Christianity with three Christian apologists on the evidence for Christianity. See http://packham.n4m.org/montgmry.htm to start.

What would you suggest as the specific statement to be debated?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2015 01:29PM by RPackham.

The specific subject would be whether or not Christianity is true.

The Mormon Church should not be afraid of open debate. You see debates in other churches between famous atheists like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins and theologians. The Mormon Church would never host a debate between Dallin H. Oaks and Richard Dawkins.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2015 01:58AM by behindcurtain.

Although as far as I'm concerned all religions are false, Mormonism is much much much easier to falsify than others because the origins of other religions (most of them anyways) are surrounded in mystery because of how old they are and as a result there aren't much records, whereas with Mormonism there are much more records that it is extremely easy to falsify, so it would be easy to defeat a Mormon apostle or apologist in a debate. Actually, now that I think of it, I'd love to see that.

How about something like whether all the statements in the "Apostles' Creed" are true. That's very basic Christianity.

The personal experiences that both Palmer and Tanner have shared in prior interviews are special to them. They don't have any explanation that would be acceptable to an atheist. After all, it's all just a matter of their belief and what they allow their own minds to accept as evidence of a higher power, whatever it may be. For Tanner and Palmer, it of course is Jesus / God, being one and in their low moments of life reaching out for a 3rd hand to pull them up, they would accept just about anything that might make a little sense in their mind for "truth" feeling, and understanding from this higher power.

How does one debate that without tugging at Palmer / Tanner's emotions for what they choose to believe as some form of God that understands them.

Be nice to just see them bash Mormonism as they can all to that. Poking at Jesus might shut down the discussion with Palmer and Tanner.

Well I'd like to hear the panel debate this:

"Exmormons who embrace another form of religious worship lead more fulfilled lives than those who abandon faith altogether."

Pretty sure Richard could hold his own on that.

Although I think I would enjoy the debate, I would prefer Richard's opposition to not be former Mormons.

I guess I have a fondness for Sandra, Grant and Richard and would not not want to see them 'battling' each other.

Going against a more traditional Christian defender would make more sense to me.