[extropy-chat] Putting God to Rest.

[John K Clark]

"Lee Corbin" <lcorbin at rawbw.com>

> if I knew that some people here on this list were
> vociferously proclaiming that the NASA moon-landing
>was a hoax, I would not choose to describe their
> beliefs as "stupid".

You say you wouldn't describe it as stupid, but I assume you'd still think
it's stupid (if not then there is something seriously wrong with you). So
you would be deceitful and hide your contempt for the idea because you think
it would be better public relations. If your technique really did work
better at convincing people than calling a spade a spade then you might have
a point, but I don't believe it does work better, especially when dealing
with God stuff. Intelligent people have treated religion with a reverence it
does not deserve for far too long. Take off the Kidd gloves!

And in my case there is another problem, I find that pretending to respect
something when I really don't is so exhausting and unpleasant that I just
can't keep it up for long.

>Your statements above are simply and totally stupid,
> reflecting complete ignorance of psychology.
> Moreover, they're insipid and ultimately meaningless,
> being nothing more than empty rhetoric and name-calling.

If I'd said that there would be howls of protest, demands that I be expelled
from the list, and that ridiculously pompous phrase "ad hominem" would be
flying all over the place. Believe me this is something I have first hand
experience in.

But I don't think you should be punished, far from it, I think you should be
congratulated!  I loved the way the insults came right after your
impassioned plea that we should all be polite to each other; it really did
have a delightful Hofstadter sort of feel to it, like "this sentence is
false".

  John K Clark