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This is the worst kind of poisonous nonsense, appeals to authority and the sanctity of the known falsehoods of religion. Wisdom may be hard to define, but it is

This is the worst kind of poisonous nonsense, appeals to authority and the sanctity of the known falsehoods of religion. Wisdom may be hard to define, but it is easy to define what is not wisdom; allowing provably bad sources to make your choices and define the parameters of your existence for you.

jorangreef 15y ago
Words like "poisonous nonsense", "appeals to authority", "known falsehoods", "provably bad sources" are polemic. In fact, the book of Proverbs is as sure in history as the Greek classics. There is wisdom to be found in both. You would be better arguing in terms of textual criticism, historicity of events, than polemic. This kind of liberalist thinking that we are free to say anything so long as it is liberal not does not seem very liberal to me. If you are into Christopher Hitchens, you may also enjoy his brother, Peter Hitchens, also a journalist and a former atheist. He has what looks to be a good book out: "The Rage Against God". He warns against the kind of atheistic state that his brother advocated, drawing on recent history: Stalin, Hitler, Mao. That is the kind of state that uses words like "poisonous nonsense".
- etherael 15y ago
  A polemic is an argument leaning toward attacking a person, I do not know you at all and make no claim to be able to attack you and expressly disclaim any desire to engage in polemic or ad hominem. Some things are simply accurately described with negative labels. Religion itself, as well as the ideal of moral absolutes defined therein being the sole source of wisdom for the world is just as accurately described by these words as fascism or North Korea's implementation of their Juche ideology. Some things simply really are that bad. Religion is one of them. If after all the water that has passed under the bridge of this particular debate has not managed to sway your opinion at this stage of the game I am well aware that my simply stating it is unlikely to do so now. However this does not change the fact of the matter that all the labels that I used to describe the position you put forward are simple truths. For the record, I am an anarcho capitalist, not a "liberal", and I do not take my positions wholesale from anybody else, I think about them extensively and decide for myself.
  - deleted 15y ago
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jorangreef 15y ago

Words like "poisonous nonsense", "appeals to authority", "known falsehoods", "provably bad sources" are polemic. In fact, the book of Proverbs is as sure in history as the Greek classics. There is wisdom to be found in both. You would be better arguing in terms of textual criticism, historicity of events, than polemic. This kind of liberalist thinking that we are free to say anything so long as it is liberal not does not seem very liberal to me. If you are into Christopher Hitchens, you may also enjoy his brother, Peter Hitchens, also a journalist and a former atheist. He has what looks to be a good book out: "The Rage Against God". He warns against the kind of atheistic state that his brother advocated, drawing on recent history: Stalin, Hitler, Mao. That is the kind of state that uses words like "poisonous nonsense".

etherael 15y ago
A polemic is an argument leaning toward attacking a person, I do not know you at all and make no claim to be able to attack you and expressly disclaim any desire to engage in polemic or ad hominem. Some things are simply accurately described with negative labels. Religion itself, as well as the ideal of moral absolutes defined therein being the sole source of wisdom for the world is just as accurately described by these words as fascism or North Korea's implementation of their Juche ideology. Some things simply really are that bad. Religion is one of them. If after all the water that has passed under the bridge of this particular debate has not managed to sway your opinion at this stage of the game I am well aware that my simply stating it is unlikely to do so now. However this does not change the fact of the matter that all the labels that I used to describe the position you put forward are simple truths. For the record, I am an anarcho capitalist, not a "liberal", and I do not take my positions wholesale from anybody else, I think about them extensively and decide for myself.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]