Good will to all men? Not from the grumpy atheists! (Thank God not all atheists are grumpy but there sure seems to be a lot of them)
Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
"culture of death" is a good term to contrive and use if one wants to evoke fear and revulsion within a ‘death denying culture.’
ReplyDeleteThe slippery slope, contrary to a widely accepted definition is a fallacious argument and really does nothing but convey a lame and disingenuous attempt to impose groundless values on others.
Larry: I've been thinking a lot about the 'slippery slope' argument. I've usually taken the same approach as you, but recently am wondering if I am wrong.
DeleteCan you think of one example of social engineering (the redefinition of basic morality and social principles that began in the 1960s) where the predicted negative consequences have not come true? For example, I recently re-read Humanae Vitae and found that every negative consequence that P6 predicted has come to pass.
I want to believe that the slippery slope is a fallacy, but I am losing my conviction that this is indeed the case.
Fr. Tim
P.S. Nice to hear from you again. Did you and Arden enjoy a nice summer?
Larry, as usual you take an approach which is not supported by history. A well-worn saying- give them an inch and they will take a mile- was around long before we were born- and came out of experience that gave rise to the slippery slope saying.
DeleteTom, I don't know who you are but I think you must be from shack town.
DeleteI’m not sure what you mean by “the same approach” Tim . Perhaps you are assuming I am arguing for the opposite view.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a fallacious argument but that doesn’t mean that the conclusion is necessarily false, only that such a conclusion isn’t reasonably demonstrated by such an argument. A claim that stands alone is nothing more than an arbitrary one and the laws of probability say that sometimes it will be true and sometimes it will be false. No matter how many times a conclusion from one turns out to be true, it doesn’t change the fallacious nature of the slippery slope into a sound argument.
I personally believe that we need to find ways to let go of our certitudes and become less judgmental.
P.S. We had a great summer Tim and an extremely busy one . We have a little place in Quebec where we have 2 horses and we spend a lot of time there. It’s beautiful.
Larry: I'm with you in believing there's little that could match this summer in the Pontiac. I appreciate that some of the farmers would have preferred more rain, but as a vacationer with a cottage there I could not have asked for better.
ReplyDeleteMy apologies if I misread your comment and assumed too much. I didn't consider that something could be factually true and logically false at the same time. That's a thought worth contemplating on the next sunny, warm day off alongside the river! I'll add it to my list.
I think you're committing a version of 'Post hoc ergo propter hoc' fallacy... but I'm not sure. I never studied Latin for one thing, (grin) but I think your formulation is sure worthy of study and consideration. Thanks!
Fr. Tim
Fr. Tim
Good Grief! I hiccuped!
DeleteFr. Tim, my apologies, the "assumptions" are mine and I truly am sorry.
ReplyDelete