Here's a bad habit I see atheists doing a lot. I don't want to point out who did this because I don't want that person to think I'm just trying to insult him, but it someone on this baord today who did this.
I go "you can't say X,Y,Z about Christianity belief because you missing whatever, historical tradition, theological stuff, ect.
He goes I don't need to read that because I know that Mormonism is stupid and I don't need to read about it. so therefore, this other thing I don't about must be stupid too so I don't need to read about it either.
The reason why one needs to know theology before criticizing religion is not necessary to know what evdience supports it's truth but just to know if the statements being made really reflect the belief of the tradition.
One example I think of is this really stupid guy I was arguing with on his blog. He said that "Christians believe that God is a big man in the sky." I said no not all Christians believe that, I named a few theological tendencies that got passed that like Tillich and process theology. He goes "You are a liar! they do do that's just a lie." I said if you knew theology you would know how wrong you are. So he asserts "I don't have to know theology because its' stupid to believe in God so nothing in theology is worth crap."
the point is he's wrong about what he said about all Christians believing God is a big man in the sky, if he knew theology,even if they still thought it was carp, he would at least know that process theology is famous for noting thing of God as a man. they don't even think god is personal.
Instead he says "that can't be true, just don't' confuse me with the facts!"
in the first example that's just guilt by association.
[B](1) I can know Mormonism is stupid without knowing what it says" [/B]that's just dumb. that's like saying I judge a book by its cover.
All of these things are the result of the decline in education since the Regan era.
(2) the to assume If I know X is stupid without knowing what it says I can know that more orthodox forms of Christianity are stupid too with knowing what they say because of some similarity that I find bewteen the two: that is actually two fallacies in one.
(a) it's guilt by association
(b) also the black is white slide.
black is white slide says "two things that totally dissimilar are the same thing because they share one point in common."
All based upon the fallacious idea that "don't confuse me with the facts," I can know stuff without knowing about it.
that's just anti-intellectual drivel.
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