Re: A Poor Grasp of Logic

Matthew Burdette (burdette@net2.netacc.net)
Mon, 13 Jan 1997 20:31:52 -0500 (EST)

At 06:16 PM 1/13/97 +0000, you wrote:
>> McCaughan:
>> I am getting increasingly fed up of the constant barrage here of
>> "you're intellectually bankrupt -- no, YOU're intellectually
>> bankrupt -- no, YOU are". It's coming from both sides of the
>> debate; and I don't think it exhibits either the Christ-like
>> attitude Christians are supposed to show, or the rationality
>> the atheists here are so proud of.
>>
>> TILL
>> I believe that much of what you're referring to occurs when I simply "turn
>> the tables" on Matthew and adapt his line of argumentation to other
>> religions. He refers to this as "mirror testimonies" and asserts that it
>> doesn't prove anything. I am trying to get him to see that if the "mirror
>> testimonies" don't prove anything, then neither do the testimonies that they
>> mirror.
>Gareth
>No, I'm not talking about that at all. My only problem with what
>Matthew calls "mirror testimonies" is that they aren't doing their
>job because Matthew doesn't get your point.
>
Matthew 1/13
Gareth, actually, I do get the point of the mirror testimonies. My problem
with them is that they become a too-frequent tool used a block against many
lines of reasoning. Since I got fed up with all of the game playing/debating
techniques, I decided to back pressure them by showing that the mirror
testimonies have no impact on me personally, which in point of fact, they
do not. I was hoping to highlight these games so that we might get beyond
them into more substantive dialogue. Granted, mirror testimonies are not in
themselves a game, but their overuse is one.

In any case, my crusade against mirror testimonies is over, although I will
still point out game playing when I see it.

Since I mentioned publicly that I had asked for your advice, I would like to
thank you publicly for the input that you provided me privately, and I
assure you publicly that I will attempt to implement. Thank you.

May God Bless,

Matthew
burdette@net2.netacc.net

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