[extropy-chat] Atheism in Decline

[Mike Lorrey]

--- Samantha Atkins <sjatkins at mac.com> wrote: 
> 
> I was trying to gently call you on acting like a jerk.  Apparently my
> efforts are misplaced as you immediately dive into self-justification
> and further attacks.

Nothing I said in that post was an attack. For you to believe it was
demonstrates the immediate lack of rationality of your position.

> 
> There is nothing invalid about "I do not believe XXX due to 
> insufficient evidence, etc."  You do not have the high ground simply 
> for making up some way XXX could maybe, sort of be so and then saying
> that since you have no way (mostly by construction) of proving the 
> negative that the imagined scenario is not the case that you most say
> you have no way of knowing whether XXX is the case and therefore you 
> will only say that you don't know and ride the fence.  

The problem you have is that the real situation is very much a maybe
and you aren't willing to admit it because you have an emotional
investment in clinging to your committed position. I ride the fence
because the horse race ain't finished yet. Your horse is in second
place at this point but you insist there is no other horse in the race.

> In my opinion
> this is a refusal to admit that by standards you apply elsewhere in 
> your life you do not believe there is a god and are not in the least 
> justified to equivocate.  In my opinion because your position is 
> shaky you lash out against those that simply say they do not believe 
> this XXX is the case. Argument after argument where you attempt to 
> justify you stance and attacks on others who do not share it has been
> countered. Yet you continue with the very same arguments already
> shown lacking. Surely this is enough for you to see that something
> other than rationality is spurring you on.

When I make statements that you take as attacks, it is specifically
because I am calling you on YOUR moral inconsistency in being
intolerant of theists moral arguments which rest on the exact same
logic you yourself use for your own positions on issues, and your
irrationality specifically wrt the Simulation Argument. Your repeated
refusal (and that of others here) to recognise the logical consistency
of my statements demonstrates the emotional, irrational degree to which
you cling to your own blind spots and are irritated by having them
pointed out.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com


	
		
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