This seems like a very fun game, but I’m not sure how much merit it has as a method of determining which side in a debate is the most informed.
Much like the actual Turing Test, it also seems vulnerable to hard-ball inquisitorial tactics. There are probably quite a few questions you could ask which lie outside the ostensible scope of the debate, but which would correlate strongly with a user’s true beliefs, or require faculties the respondent simply doesn’t have in order to answer satisfactorily. I’m pretty sure if I asked a fake-atheist to name ten atheist-related figures that inspired them, they’d come up with a predictable, odd, or obviously Googled list. Equally, if I was posing as a Christian I’d struggle to name ten inspiring Bible passages that weren’t either predictable, odd, or obviously pulled off Google.
I’m pretty sure if I asked a fake-atheist to name ten atheist-related figures that inspired them, they’d come up with a predictable, odd, or obviously Googled list.
I’ve been an atheist for most of my life, and I’m pretty sure I don’t have that many atheism-related figures who’ve inspired me. I’d have a hard time coming up with a list even if I interpreted the question as broadly as possible.
Yes, I think this is the biggest drawback with the proposal. Lots of us understand pretty well the arguments that Christians make for their position, but we wouldn’t be able to produce the shibboleths that Christians would look for.
This seems like a very fun game, but I’m not sure how much merit it has as a method of determining which side in a debate is the most informed.
Much like the actual Turing Test, it also seems vulnerable to hard-ball inquisitorial tactics. There are probably quite a few questions you could ask which lie outside the ostensible scope of the debate, but which would correlate strongly with a user’s true beliefs, or require faculties the respondent simply doesn’t have in order to answer satisfactorily. I’m pretty sure if I asked a fake-atheist to name ten atheist-related figures that inspired them, they’d come up with a predictable, odd, or obviously Googled list. Equally, if I was posing as a Christian I’d struggle to name ten inspiring Bible passages that weren’t either predictable, odd, or obviously pulled off Google.
I’ve been an atheist for most of my life, and I’m pretty sure I don’t have that many atheism-related figures who’ve inspired me. I’d have a hard time coming up with a list even if I interpreted the question as broadly as possible.
Same here. So if I had to pretend to be a Christian, I’d waffle around a bit just like I do if you ask me that about atheists.
What if it was just “name ten atheists who you find inspiring”?
I’d probably have to do some googling to make sure the list really is composed solely of atheists.
Yes, I think this is the biggest drawback with the proposal. Lots of us understand pretty well the arguments that Christians make for their position, but we wouldn’t be able to produce the shibboleths that Christians would look for.
You could just forbid tactics violating the spirit of the test, such as these ones.