Re: a discussion on OIT: attention moderator

From: Rick McCallister
Message: 58743
Date: 2008-05-21

--- david_russell_watson <liberty@...> wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "alexandru_mg3"
> <alexandru_mg3@...>
> wrote:
> >
> > A simple logical well presented contra-argument
> will destroy
> > immediately any false ideea and any ideology that
> will be
> > constructed based on it.
>
> Oh if only that were true, but it is not, and
> sometimes
> it proves necessary to haul a madman out of the
> building
> in a straightjacket.
>
> > Use that Argument in place to qualify an ideology
> as BAD, and
> > based on this to qualify the related people as
> being BAD.
>
> I think it's usually adequate to qualify the
> ideology as
> simply stupid, and ask that its discussion be taken
> some
> place else, withholding comment, if possible, about
> its
> proponent, and there certainly never being
> justification
> for commenting on his family or nation.
>
> David
>
But just as everyone else's religion is either heresy
or blasphemy, everyone else's ideas are stupid
--unless they are backed up by cogent reasoning and
facts rather than blind faith and dogmatic
intransigence.
We may believe many things but we can't demonstrate
any facts for them and other things we would like to
believe but can't find any support whatsoever.
I believe that all languages are ultimately related
but I don't have the proof and it would be a waste of
time to bombard everyone with such a belief while
twisting all possible information to suit my belief.
I would like to believe there are intelligent aliens
who visit earth for peaceful and benign purposes but
given that von Däniken is as sophisticated as
supporting arguments get for such an idea, it's an
idea best kept to myself, since there is no rational
reason for believing it.
So it's the fanatic messenger or the spokesperson
convinced he and no one else has the Truth, rather
than the message itself. Sometimes you do have to
shoot the messenger, just so you can focus on rational issues.