The Kalam Cosmological argument

"I don't understand how this debate topic lends itself to any specific burden, let alone a shared one." Let's get this cleared up: Every resolution-based debate has a BoP. The burden of proof here is equally shared, because of the subjective nature of the resolution that disallows one to judge absolute truth value of the resolution. Refutations: 1. Purpose The reason that people did not accept the aforementioned debates was that taking on the Pro position is difficult and causes one to take on the full burden of proof. Only a very skilled, dedicated debater would choose to take on that kind of argument. The opponent follows by saying "We can therefore take this to assume that KC is not a subject that people want to debate." This is silly... Why would my homeboys Stephen_Hawkings and Rational_Thinker9119 take the time to set up the challenges if they were uninterested? It is definitely tough to take on the position of Pro effectively, but this does not mean that few people want to debate it. In fact, if you look through the site, you will see MANY debates on the Kalam Cosmological Argument, introducing different takes and arguments on the issue. This argument does not directly advocate the opponent's claim regarding "fun." 2. Past Debates Indeed, it is difficult for Pro to win. However, an effective debater can take on the Pro side of the argument. Contradiction, who has an impressive 30-1 record in DDO right now, very effectively took on the Pro position. In fact, his opponent admits that Contradiction's arguments have made him consider changing his mind about his position on the matter, even though he had quit under unrelated circumstances. This topic has a lot of versatility and many original, compelling arguments can be made. http://www.debate.org... This argument, too, does not directly advocate the opponent's claim regarding "fun." 3. No Fun a. The topic is versatile. In philosophy, old ideas are typically recycled; but the significance comes from the new perspectives that are adopted. The argument is semantically and logically complex, and it is worth debating over. It is enjoyable, since oftentimes, new ideas are proposed and interpretations made. b. The opponent should bring up his view that the "KC is inherently flawed" in another debate, since many would disagree. I, however, do not want to debate it with him right now, since our views of the validity of the KC argument are irrelevant to this debate. c. Voter bias exists in every debate on DDO. A lot of, if not most, voters do not read the debates and vote based on their opinions. This is evident in many debates. This does not make the KC debate unique in any way. Arguments: What makes the KC debate fun? 1. Versatility The KC argument is extremely logically and semantically complex, and it questions our world view and logical reasoning. So many arguments and refutations can be made for each of its premises, which can lead to sub-syllogisms within the syllogism. Between two skilled debaters, this debate becomes very heated and tricky. Watch the debate with William Lane Craig and the late Christopher Hitchens; it had many fireworks. http://www.youtube.com... 2. The God Question Humanity has been pondering about the God Question for thousands of years. Through logic, we strive to interpret the God concept and the reasoning behind it. This question has been very significant to humanity, and this argument directly addresses it, claiming to evidence the existence of a God. The importance of whether or not this argument is valid plays a huge role for the intellectual community, as well as the common man. This, in itself, contributes to the fun and thrill and partaking in the KC debate. 3. Questioning Atheist/Apologist Authority Many modern intellectuals debate the KC argument. This is large-scale... We have renowned figures like physicist Lawrence Krauss on the Atheist side, and we have popular apologetic religious figures on the Apologetic side. The impact and large-scale nature of this debate acts as a foreground for small, 8000-character-per-round debates on DDO. We are pondering a question that philosophers and theologians battle over. Indeed, this is an exciting aspect to the KC argument that makes it far more fun and enjoyable for participants. --- The opponent's arguments seem to, all in all, stray from the resolution. And those that do address the "fun" aspect of the debate are weak and have been refuted. Because of the KC argument's versatility, the significance of the God Question that it addresses, and the large-scale nature of it, the KC argument is fun and will continue to be, as DDO members continue to battle over the existence of God and the KC argument's role in validating God's existence. Thank you.