Image Credit: The Conversation Coalition
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
As July drew to a close, a group of about fifty people showed up on a Thursday evening at a Nashville church to participate in what was billed as a “live discussion experience” hosted by The Conversation Coalition.
According to their Facebook page, “The CC is a group of both religious and nonreligious speakers who host public speaking events and debates.”
The conversation on the night of July 27th featured two speakers, Bethany Carter, an atheist who had grown up attending church, and Pedro Garcia, who grew up in Spain where he identified as an atheist and who is now a dedicated believer in Christ.
Over the course of about two and half hours, host Sydney Davis Jr., who emphasized at the beginning of the event that it was not a debate, directed the two speakers to share their life stories and ask each other questions and then took questions from the audience.
When all across the state, it’s becoming more likely than not that a local public meeting will become a battleground as citizens square off in defense of their ideals, it was refreshing to sit in a space with a group of people clearly divided in their beliefs and yet civil in their conduct.
Both speakers were sincere, honest, and respectful towards each other as they talked about some of the big questions of life, death, and faith.
The group will meet again this month to discuss “Does God Exist?” The speakers will be July’s host Sydney Davis Jr. and Tim Tant.
Tant has a YouTube channel called Conversations With Christians which seeks to “encourage and equip believers to have confidence to talk about God, the Gospel, and good theology in every day conversations.”
Davis Jr., a standup comedian, who grew up in the outer circles of the Duggars in Bentonville, Arkansas, is host of a podcast called Growing Up Fundie where she interviews a wide range of people with different belief systems and backgrounds, both religious and nonreligious.
For those in the Nashville area, The Donelson Fellowship will be hosting The Conversation Coalition’s next event on August 31st. Doors open at 6pm with a start time of 6:30pm.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
