Wow, that was quite the tangled volley of words you lobbed at me—like watching someone trip over their own shoelaces while insisting they’re teaching everyone else to run. Let me break this down in simpler terms:
On “Missing the Point”
You keep insisting I’ve misunderstood the parent, when in fact I’m the one highlighting the exact same oversight the parent (and you) are making: popularity of a method—or “everyone doing it”—doesn’t prove correctness. You’re so busy telling me I’m off-target that you’ve inadvertently circled right back to my original statement. Bravo for that rhetorical pirouette.
The Religion Analogy
My analogy wasn’t about the specifics of Buddhism vs. Christianity any more than referencing “Homer’s Odyssey” requires you to believe in sea monsters. An analogy’s job is to illustrate a point. You chose to interpret it literally, which is about as productive as reading a metaphor and then complaining it’s not a physics textbook. If you can’t separate form from function, maybe you shouldn’t be lecturing people on clarity.
FP, Zealotry, and the Real Topic
It’s downright adorable that you think I’m pushing some “everyone agrees FP solves everything” agenda. I specifically said “nobody can prove a viewpoint absolutely”—which you just argued against by, ironically, claiming some vantage of universal correctness. This might be the first time I’ve seen someone label atheists as ‘not zealots,’ then turn around and call me one for not fitting neatly into your black-and-white categories. The mental gymnastics are impressive—Olympic-level, even.
Majority vs. Correctness
You keep shouting that the majority is wrong, that the book is aiming to correct them, and that somehow I’m “arguing into the void.” Yet my entire point (and this is the third time I’ve repeated it, but apparently you need a replay) is that a majority doing something doesn’t automatically validate or invalidate a claim. And guess what? You agree. You literally said the majority is wrong. So if I’m “missing the point,” then so are you—just from the opposite side of the mirror.
On Being a Zealot
Contrary to what you claim, being “vocal” about something doesn’t automatically make you a zealot any more than whispering your opinions makes you right. If you’re content to wander around in that nuance-free zone where anyone with a perspective is a fanatic, you’re welcome to it. Just don’t be surprised when folks point out that you’re holding an umbrella indoors to avoid a hypothetical downpour.
In short, you’re so determined to prove me wrong that you’ve ended up echoing my very premise—that “everyone doing X” doesn’t magically prove X is correct—while scolding me for saying precisely that. Next time, maybe aim for consistency before you break out the condescension. It’ll save you the trouble of repeatedly shooting down a position you’re already occupying.
On “Missing the Point” You keep insisting I’ve misunderstood the parent, when in fact I’m the one highlighting the exact same oversight the parent (and you) are making: popularity of a method—or “everyone doing it”—doesn’t prove correctness. You’re so busy telling me I’m off-target that you’ve inadvertently circled right back to my original statement. Bravo for that rhetorical pirouette.
The Religion Analogy My analogy wasn’t about the specifics of Buddhism vs. Christianity any more than referencing “Homer’s Odyssey” requires you to believe in sea monsters. An analogy’s job is to illustrate a point. You chose to interpret it literally, which is about as productive as reading a metaphor and then complaining it’s not a physics textbook. If you can’t separate form from function, maybe you shouldn’t be lecturing people on clarity.
FP, Zealotry, and the Real Topic It’s downright adorable that you think I’m pushing some “everyone agrees FP solves everything” agenda. I specifically said “nobody can prove a viewpoint absolutely”—which you just argued against by, ironically, claiming some vantage of universal correctness. This might be the first time I’ve seen someone label atheists as ‘not zealots,’ then turn around and call me one for not fitting neatly into your black-and-white categories. The mental gymnastics are impressive—Olympic-level, even.
Majority vs. Correctness You keep shouting that the majority is wrong, that the book is aiming to correct them, and that somehow I’m “arguing into the void.” Yet my entire point (and this is the third time I’ve repeated it, but apparently you need a replay) is that a majority doing something doesn’t automatically validate or invalidate a claim. And guess what? You agree. You literally said the majority is wrong. So if I’m “missing the point,” then so are you—just from the opposite side of the mirror.
On Being a Zealot Contrary to what you claim, being “vocal” about something doesn’t automatically make you a zealot any more than whispering your opinions makes you right. If you’re content to wander around in that nuance-free zone where anyone with a perspective is a fanatic, you’re welcome to it. Just don’t be surprised when folks point out that you’re holding an umbrella indoors to avoid a hypothetical downpour.
In short, you’re so determined to prove me wrong that you’ve ended up echoing my very premise—that “everyone doing X” doesn’t magically prove X is correct—while scolding me for saying precisely that. Next time, maybe aim for consistency before you break out the condescension. It’ll save you the trouble of repeatedly shooting down a position you’re already occupying.