Lessons in Ideology

The Arguments in the two previous articles (made Arizona Atheists) are Prefect illustrations of what I call the "ideology of hate group atheism." Just to be clear what I maintain: I am saying that the atheist community is spread out on a continuum. It goes from reasonable knowledgeable thinkers to "fundamentalists" much as Christianity or any other community. The atheist "fundies" or "Dawkamentalists" are extremists who basically exhibit many of the same characteristics of a hate group found in the FBI profile of hate groups.


AA contuied to insist that his arguments were logical and mine are not, and that I know no logic, even though he failed to name a single law of logic that I violate. Some of his arguments were actually logically construed, but they were not arguments about logic. So when it came time to give examples of why he thinks my logic is bad. all he ever did was insist that it's so. Never did he give a single argument other than his original assertion that all God arguments are God of the gaps arguments. I went through ten of my arguments and showed that none of them were God of the gaps. He never answered a single one but continues to assert that it must be the case and that I know nothing of logic.

AA exhibited perfectly circular reasoning and other fallacious assumptions. He argued from analogy, which is a fallacy. He used circular reasoning. Consider his final parting face saving attempt:

I'm the hateful one?! Now I know you're nothing but delusional. I'm not the one who said I wanted to make christians illegal. One more chance for what? To prove what a dipshit you are? No thanks. I'm not doing the same things you are; I'm responding to your asshole behavior.

But remember I didn't say that. He didn't quote me. He claimed to have proof but never showed it. What he originally said was "I heard that you said this." So then I denied it so then he asserts that I did. Here we see the ideology at work. The stubborn insistence that I must be illogical and his views are the standard of logical thought, despite any ability to demonstrate any knowledge of logic or to refute my arguments in any way. The "don't confuse me with the fact" attitude, and the insistence that I must be the hateful one despite the fact that I resisting any personal insults until the last exchange when he had just gone so far over the top I couldn't hold back any more. He resorted to insulting my intelligence. I did not resort to call him names such as "stupid" until well after he called me that several times. His speak was loaded and peppered with hateful tones and innuendos. I was truly trying my best not to resort to personal remarks. But of course he doesn't take any of that into account.

Just because you're unable to recognize a logical argument when it's presented to you doesn't mean I didn't make one.

Of course he doesn't demonstrate any knowledge of logic at all. He made no attempt to analyze the logic of any argument I make. He didn't use any terms of logic or talk about any rules of logic. One wonders if he is even aware that logic has a special vocabulary. It's clear that all he's really doing is comparing what I say to the ideological slogans that he thinks in and then since what I say fits the criteria for the hated target and doesn't match that of the ideological slogans, then I must be illogical because that's the way ideologues see the world.

AA has demonstrated far better I could have just why I think there is a hate group at the extreme end of the atheist spectrum. Some part of the atheist community is motivated by the need to feel superior by creating a scape goat among religious people especially Christians. Like the Nazis that segment of atheists use Christianity as the scapegoat on which to pin all the ills of society. That explains the bogus social science approach such as the "Paul study" which tires to say (my misreading statistics) that Christians are morel likely to go to prison. Clearly AA derives a sense of supiriority form his venting of hate and insult. When mocking and derision of others is the basis of one's self esteem we know that one is bound to suffer a miserable life. I do not hate these people, I pity them.

For his own good I pray that AA will find the basis in self esteem based upon the concept that he is loved rather than the ability to mock and deride scape goats. That's the true power of the Gospel. It's based upon the assertion that God is real and God loves each one of us, rather a false sense of supiriority that comes from putting others down.