Comments on: How To Argue Effectively http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/ Reasonable Thoughts on Religion, Science, Skepticism, and Atheism Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:47:03 -0500 hourly 1 By: Dan http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51963 Dan Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:38:19 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51963 Master debater! Master debater!

]]> By: claidheamh mor http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51873 claidheamh mor Sun, 05 Jul 2009 02:24:43 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51873 (1) I don't drink, except for being drunk on the Lord's love. (Don't confuse me with the concept that "lord" is a title of nobility or landed gentry or social status, and that I'm projecting human ASSumptions on the rest of the universe, whether real or in my frightening imagination. I'm too drunk. Besides, I'll use #2 thorugh 4 and other christian tricks, devices, ploys and manipulative tactics on you.) (2) Science keeps discovering new things and changing its theories - that proves it's wrong! Scientists have merely proved that evolution works only on prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes. They have definitively proved that human limbs can be regrown, but that God wants amputees ot have stronger faith. Besides, the time I saw it happen in Brother love's Traveling Salvation Show, I didn't have a camera. (3) Intellect and reason and intuition are prima facie valuable for balancing a checkbook, but all that abstruse eggheadery is blown out the wastegate of divine progress, and cannot plumb the depths of God's mysterious formulation for the eventual glory of a human race He fucked up all on his own in the first formation of chordates. (4) Prove God doesn't exist. (Don't confuse me with burden-of-proof resting with me.) You atheist morans need to grow a brain. Jesus is YOUR Get-Out-of-Hell-Free Monopoly ticket. You are irredeemable - God is the answer. Nothing will ever shake my faith. (5) There are no known atheists in NASA. All of the world's worst despots and abusers of humans and manipulators of the masses were atheists: Hitler, Mussolini, Mao, Saddam, Cotton Mather, Ted Haggard, Mark Sanford, George Bush... the Taliban, the ones in charge of the Inquisition and the Mountain Meadows Massacre... all atheists. Your challenging me on my lack of reasoning or facts is suspiciously reminiscent of Hitler. "In Sonitas Veritas" : I am being very, very certain I'm right at the top of my voice. Don't talk when I'm interrupting! (1) I don’t drink, except for being drunk on the Lord’s love. (Don’t confuse me with the concept that “lord” is a title of nobility or landed gentry or social status, and that I’m projecting human ASSumptions on the rest of the universe, whether real or in my frightening imagination. I’m too drunk. Besides, I’ll use #2 thorugh 4 and other christian tricks, devices, ploys and manipulative tactics on you.)

(2) Science keeps discovering new things and changing its theories – that proves it’s wrong! Scientists have merely proved that evolution works only on prokaryotes and unicellular eukaryotes. They have definitively proved that human limbs can be regrown, but that God wants amputees ot have stronger faith. Besides, the time I saw it happen in Brother love’s Traveling Salvation Show, I didn’t have a camera.

(3) Intellect and reason and intuition are prima facie valuable for balancing a checkbook, but all that abstruse eggheadery is blown out the wastegate of divine progress, and cannot plumb the depths of God’s mysterious formulation for the eventual glory of a human race He fucked up all on his own in the first formation of chordates.

(4) Prove God doesn’t exist. (Don’t confuse me with burden-of-proof resting with me.) You atheist morans need to grow a brain. Jesus is YOUR Get-Out-of-Hell-Free Monopoly ticket. You are irredeemable – God is the answer. Nothing will ever shake my faith.

(5) There are no known atheists in NASA. All of the world’s worst despots and abusers of humans and manipulators of the masses were atheists: Hitler, Mussolini, Mao, Saddam, Cotton Mather, Ted Haggard, Mark Sanford, George Bush… the Taliban, the ones in charge of the Inquisition and the Mountain Meadows Massacre… all atheists. Your challenging me on my lack of reasoning or facts is suspiciously reminiscent of Hitler.

“In Sonitas Veritas” : I am being very, very certain I’m right at the top of my voice. Don’t talk when I’m interrupting!

]]> By: Jennifer http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51439 Jennifer Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:46:21 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51439 When I was in high school in the 80s I actually found a little book called "Ersatz Erudition" at the library that was all about bullshitting your way through arguments (and term papers). One piece of advice I remember was to quote either very esoteric people from the distant past or made up people from the past who agreed with your argument to give you the "odor of authority," as the author put it. I have tried to find that book since then because it was so funny but have been unsuccessful. When I was in high school in the 80s I actually found a little book called “Ersatz Erudition” at the library that was all about bullshitting your way through arguments (and term papers). One piece of advice I remember was to quote either very esoteric people from the distant past or made up people from the past who agreed with your argument to give you the “odor of authority,” as the author put it. I have tried to find that book since then because it was so funny but have been unsuccessful.

]]> By: Baconsbud http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51403 Baconsbud Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:47:00 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51403 Talk about a lack of education. LOL I shouldn't even be saying this. Talk about a lack of education. LOL I shouldn’t even be saying this.

]]> By: MahouSniper http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51333 MahouSniper Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:53:22 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51333 NO U http://encyclopediadramatica.com/NO_U NO U

http://encyclopediadramatica.com/NO_U

]]> By: JonJon http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51313 JonJon Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:59:16 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51313 Hee. I was going to say that that characterized the vast majority of internet debate. (especially the first one.) (and I also appreciate the reference to Godwin's Law) Hee.

I was going to say that that characterized the vast majority of internet debate.

(especially the first one.)

(and I also appreciate the reference to Godwin’s Law)

]]> By: Mark D http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51298 Mark D Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:22:57 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51298 1. Drink liquor Jesus did not turn the water into wine. He turned it into grape juice. 2. Make things up When the bible said in the book of Joshua that god made the sun stand still in the sky, the bible is being poetic not literal, like when you talk about a sun set. Also Darwin denounced evolution on his deathbed and got saved. 3. Use meaningless but weighty-sounding words and phrases Intelligent Design 4. Use snappy and irrelevant comebacks Stalin was an atheist and he killed more people than god did in the bible. 5. Compare your opponent to Adolph Hitler Actually compare your opponent to Larry Flint. God used Hitler to punish the Jews for no living in Israel, where they belong. 1. Drink liquor
Jesus did not turn the water into wine. He turned it into grape juice.

2. Make things up
When the bible said in the book of Joshua that god made the sun stand still in the sky, the bible is being poetic not literal, like when you talk about a sun set. Also Darwin denounced evolution on his deathbed and got saved.

3. Use meaningless but weighty-sounding words and phrases
Intelligent Design

4. Use snappy and irrelevant comebacks
Stalin was an atheist and he killed more people than god did in the bible.

5. Compare your opponent to Adolph Hitler
Actually compare your opponent to Larry Flint. God used Hitler to punish the Jews for no living in Israel, where they belong.

]]> By: Kodie http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51294 Kodie Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:57:21 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51294 No, YOU. Ha ha ha. :) No, YOU. Ha ha ha. :)

]]> By: brgulker http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51293 brgulker Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:52:53 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51293 You know I was kidding around, right? :) You know I was kidding around, right? :)

]]> By: Tilly http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51292 Tilly Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:32:34 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51292 so that whole three days before he arose from the dead was just him sleeping off his hangover? yea, that makes more sense. so that whole three days before he arose from the dead was just him sleeping off his hangover? yea, that makes more sense.

]]> By: Woodwose http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51291 Woodwose Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:31:24 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51291 You seem to have forgotten "In sonitus veritas" - There is truth in loudness. This goes along with alcohol but is not entirely dependent on any chemical aid. As arguments get weaker (or more desperate) the volume goes up. You seem to have forgotten “In sonitus veritas” – There is truth in loudness. This goes along with alcohol but is not entirely dependent on any chemical aid. As arguments get weaker (or more desperate) the volume goes up.

]]> By: Kodie http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51289 Kodie Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:24:32 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51289 ^ Tu quoque. ^ Tu quoque.

]]> By: brgulker http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51285 brgulker Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:07:42 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51285 <i>You need an arsenal of all-purpose irrelevant phrases to fire back at your opponents when they make valid points. The best are: You’re begging the question; You’re being defensive; Don’t compare apples to oranges; What are your parameters?</i> I think the author is begging the question about what the parameters of relevance actually are. You need an arsenal of all-purpose irrelevant phrases to fire back at your opponents when they make valid points. The best are: You’re begging the question; You’re being defensive; Don’t compare apples to oranges; What are your parameters?

I think the author is begging the question about what the parameters of relevance actually are.

]]> By: Roger http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51282 Roger Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:27:33 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51282 Um, I don't know what you're talking about; Jesus got trashed every weekend (that whole crucifixion thing? A drunken dare that went a bridge too far). Um, I don’t know what you’re talking about; Jesus got trashed every weekend (that whole crucifixion thing? A drunken dare that went a bridge too far).

]]> By: UNRR http://unreasonablefaith.com/2009/07/02/how-to-argue-effectively/#comment-51279 UNRR Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:27 +0000 http://unreasonablefaith.com/?p=5667#comment-51279 against against

]]>