A crystalline example of whatever it is that goes on between a fundamentalist's ears that passes for thinking can be seen in this whiny little editorial in the Columbia County News-Times. This would be in Georgia, which would be in the deep south, which would explain much. Anyway, the point Will Fischer desperately tries to convince us of is that if people stop saying "Merry Christmas" in favor of all those "politically correct" holiday greetings, then — all together now, boys and girls, "Slippery slope fallacy!" — Christians will "lose their freedom to practice their religion," apparently. Uh-huh. Oh, and there's this rather surreal example of analogy fail:
Just imagine what would happen if you decided to say something nice to everyone that you meet such as, "I admire you because you are such a gay person." Look out; you might not like their response. Why? Because we have changed a word's original meaning over time to mean something else. By not saying "Merry Christmas," we are doing the same thing.
I'll take "Dumbest Argument Made by Someone Not Named Ray Comfort" for $1000, Alex.
They're certainly taking hits for that article. Just to say that some Christian branches don't celebrate Christmas due to the pagan roots and the passages condemning "special days" (as pagan). I wonder what his response is to those other Christians who would assert he's promoting false gods by even celebrating the holiday? Are they against Christianity as well?
ReplyDeleteIt always makes my head hurt whenever someone asserts that Christians defend freedom, and really love democracy, and so on.
ReplyDeleteGod is NOT a democracy. In fact, freedom and democracy is 100% antithetical to the Christian faith. You don't get to vote on what you can or can't do. God decrees. Period.
""I admire you because you are such a gay person." Look out; you might not like their response. Why? "
ReplyDeleteI...don't get this.
Are they saying that people take gay as an insult? that gay is bad? Did they just slip actual biggotry into their bit? Should this have read
"I admire you because you are such a jew." Look out; you might not like their response. Why?"
Why indeed!?
The guy reveals a lot about himself with that passage, Ing. It's natural for him to write that because, in the Christian world, homophobia is seen as normal and healthy. It doesn't occur to him that there are straight people out there who, even if they took the remark to mean "homosexual" and not "happy," would not feel especially offended or threatened by it.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, he's one of those who thinks Christians are the oppressed minority in this country!
Reminds me of Pharyngula where a mormon apologist went on to insist they weren't' ALL fascist envying theocratic nuts.
ReplyDeleteAnd then went on to not see why his insistence that everyone comform to his views on gender and that gay people should be forced to be 'cured'.
I mean even if the naturalistic fallasy was correct in its facts (it's not), freedom means that I and everyone else should rightfully have control over their body and gender identity. I mean if I wanted some new surgery to make me a hermaphrodite (equal opportunity and all) or something, why should someone else have a say in that? I mean how do such people deal with bisexuals, who may live straight but do want the freedom to potentially date and marry people of the same sex?
On one hand they argue that it's a natural abomination, which isn't valid but then also means that since choice isn't involved discriminating against them is like racial segregation
on the other they argue it's a choice, which just means that people have the fucking freedom to make that choice...Where is the goddamn argument?
Sorry for the tirade here, but you know...my state is debating gay rights right now without our Gov elect saying he'd veto so it's just frustrating.
For extra hilarity, I like to imagine he made this statement in netspeak, like this: "I admire u becuz u r SO GHEY, lolz"
ReplyDeleteI am sure this person feels threatened because of changing attitudes. He must be upset by the ads. next to his comments on the WEB page. The paper he is writing in has replaced Christmas with Holiday on either side of his piece. The movement toward inclusiveness has forced him to face the scary reality that not everybody shares his worldview. He wants to go back to the mythical "good old days" when non-Christians knew their place and were invisible.
ReplyDeleteI am a lifelong atheist but am a cultural christian. If someone greets me with a friendly "Merry Christmas", I feel no crying need to trash these good feelings. The greeting from most people signifies acknowledging a cultural (and commercial)
event, and really says little about their core beliefs. To take offense at a friendly greeting is just plain rude. Of course it is not prohibited by any of the 10 commandments so I guess it must be fine for believers.
"am a lifelong atheist but am a cultural christian. If someone greets me with a friendly "Merry Christmas", I feel no crying need to trash these good feelings. The greeting from most people signifies acknowledging a cultural (and commercial)
ReplyDeleteevent, and really says little about their core beliefs."
That also bugs me as big WAR ON CHRISTMAS people like O'Reilly are big freemarket invisible hand true believers who insist we should let the freemarket work things out.
but the freemarket very much favors Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas.
I'd love to see a cartoon, in which the person saying "merry christmas!" gets stabbed in the "not so distant future" with the ending caption: "This is what happens when you don't say "merry christmas" often enough!".
ReplyDeleteMartin: First, the commentary at issue is a letter to the editor - not an "editorial" by The Columbia County News-Times. Second, your criticisms of the writer ring hollow when you make them while expressing juvenile bigotry toward the citizens of the state of Georgia.
ReplyDelete