[ExI] CALL: H+ call for papers

[Harvey Newstrom]

On Friday 20 February 2009 2:32:51 am Eschatoon Magic wrote:
> I think those who jump at the first mention of religion are persons
> who had to make a big effort to free themselves from religious
> superstition, and are afraid of falling back into it anytime. Like
> those ex-alcoholics who avoid all parties because they know they would
> not be able to resist the temptation.

Wow.  This set off a lot of my warning bells.  There are at least four logical 
fallacies being made here, and maybe more.

FIrst, this is a stereotype.  You are ascribing the motives for some people 
who jump on religion to all people who jump on religion.  This is a known 
logical fallacy which is known to lead to unproven assumptions where you are 
right and erroneous assumptions where you are wrong.  None of the cases are 
logically good.

Second, this is a strawman.  This "conclusion" of yours will literally lead 
you into arguing against your own imagined position for the other person 
instead of what they actually profess.  Think about it.  Nothing they can 
influence your response since your response is based on your statements, not 
theirs.  There literally would be no talking to you.

Third, you are applying the motives of a subset of people (for which this may 
be true) and are applying it as a universal for the entire set of people.  You 
really don't know that everyone does this or that no one has a legitimate 
reason to jump on religion.

Fourth, you are poisoning the well.  You are literally ascribing bad stuff to 
anybody who would "jump on religion".  This pre-emptively states that religion 
is good and anybody who disagrees is bad.  Anybody who objects will be labeled 
in the way you are doing now.  Anybody who respond negatively (such as myself) 
will be assumed to be anti-religion (even though I have said nothing about 
religion).

Not to be too harsh here, but such "rules" or "assumptions" do not encourage 
debate.  They hinder rational debate.

-- 
Harvey Newstrom <www.HarveyNewstrom.com>