Atheism and logical fallacies

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Atheists, family/societal origin of religious belief and the genetic fallacy

In 2012, a Georgetown University study was published indicating that only about 30 percent of those who grow up in an atheist household remain atheists as adults.[1]

See also: Atheists, origin of religious belief and the genetic fallacy

Atheists have given themselves pretentious monikers such as freethinker, rationalist and "bright" (see also: Atheism and arrogance and Atheism and intelligence and Causes of atheism).

Like many atheists/agnostics, the new atheist Richard Dawkins often arrogantly claims that a person is an adherent of a particular religion purely due to their upbringing and environment.[2] These same atheists often complain that religion is purely the result of religious indoctrination while ignoring the existence of atheist indoctrination.

This type fallacious thinking is an example of the genetic fallacy and ignores the existence of people changing their religion/worldview based on thoughtful consideration or due to divine intervention. For example, one of Christianity's greatest evangelist was the Apostle Paul who was a zealous Jew who persecuted Christians until his experience with Jesus on the road to Damascus. In recent years, there are many reports of Muslims receiving dreams/visions and becoming Christians.[3]

Atheism has a lower retention rate than other worldviews

See also: Atheism has a lower retention rate compared to other worldviews

In 2012, a Georgetown University study was published indicating that only about 30 percent of those who grow up in an atheist household remain atheists as adults.[4] Similarly, according to recent research by the Pew Research Forum on Religion and Public Life, in the United States, a majority of those surveyed who were raised in atheist or agnostic households, or where there was no specific religious attachment, later chose to join a religious faith.[5][6]

Abandonment of atheism in atheistic communist countries

In addition, in atheistic Communist China, Christianity is experiencing explosive growth.[7][8] On July 3, 2005, the New York Times reported concerning many countries in the former Soviet Union: "A return to religion in Romania and the region's other formerly Communist countries has in many places outrun the speed at which the church can screen and train clergy..."[9]

Collapse of atheism in the former Soviet Union

See: Collapse of atheism in the former Soviet Union


Atheists and the strawman fallacy

Strawman fallacy - Many atheists/evolutionist commonly use the strawman fallacy.[10][11]

A straw man fallacy (or straw man argument) is a fallacy which occurs by first incorrectly attributing an argument to someone, disproving this argument, then claiming that the person was wrong. It is a caricature of an opponent's argument, a distortion which can easily be "knocked down" (i.e., refuted) like a flimsy pile of straw.

A strawman argument is a weakened version of a debating opponent's argument, which lacks the potency of the opponent's actual argument. In debates attended by the unwary, a clever but unscrupulous debater can fool the audience into thinking that the opponent's position has been disproved. Knocking down the powerless straw man takes the place of an authentic contest with the real man.

Atheists and the appeal to ridicule fallacy

See also: Atheism and mockery

The appeal to ridicule fallacy, also known as the appeal to mockery and the horse laugh, is a fallacy of relevance. It consists of mocking an opposing argument rather than considering it on the merits.

On July 14, 1789, the Bastille was stormed by a mob and its prisoners freed, which is regarded as the start of the French Revolution.

Appeal to ridicule fallacy and the history of French atheism

The Reign of Terror of the French Revolution established a state which was anti-Roman Catholicism/Christian in nature [12] (anti-clerical deism and anti-religious atheism and played a significant role in the French Revolution[13][14]), with the official ideology being the Cult of Reason; during this time thousands of believers were suppressed and executed by the guillotine.[15]

Kenneth Weinstein wrote in The American Interest:

“ Charlie Hebdo has suddenly become the best-known example of a venerable French tradition: vituperative and unrelenting anti-religious satire, a provocative yet regular phenomenon of French public life. And now—not, alas, for the first time in that nation’s history—it has occasioned actual bloodshed.

Lampooning of the Bible, Christian doctrine, and clergy dates back almost 400 years to the “strong thinkers,” French learned skeptics in the 16th century. The primary target of anti-religious satire was France’s official religion, Catholicism, the Church’s ties to the state, and its control over education. And the ridiculing wit long directed against these targets would eventually play a central and crucial role in reducing the status and influence of religion in the French Republic...

The method of the forerunners of Charlie Hebdo—unrelenting and vicious satire of religion and clergy — proved so effective that France became a fully secular state, to such an extent that certain of its practices, laicité, would be regarded as unsettlingly alien and intolerant by most Americans.[16]

”

The tactic of employing the ridicule instead of reason has been ineffective in stopping the rapid growth of evangelical Christianity in modern France.[17]

On July 12, 2012, the Christian Science Monitor reported:

“ French scholars say, evangelicalism is likely the fastest-growing religion in France – defying all stereotypes about Europe’s most secular nation...

Daniel Liechti, vice-president of the French National Evangelical Council, found that since 1970, a new evangelical church has opened in France every 10 days. The number of churches increased from 769 to 2,068 last year.[18]

”

Ridicule has been an ineffective tactic in modern France against the growth of Islam in France. The Washington Post declared in 2015: "One widely cited study by Pew from 2010 showed estimated that France had 4.7 million Muslims.[19] At 7.5 percent of the population, this meant France had the largest Muslim population in Western Europe. A 2010 estimate projects the Muslim population to be 10 percent of France's population by 2030.[20]

In April of 2010, the British academic and agnostic Eric Kauffmann declared that "the rate of secularisation has flattened to zero in most of Protestant Europe and France."[21]

Matt Barber

Modern American/British militant atheists and the use of ridicule =

The new atheist Richard Dawkins declared to this fellow atheists:

“ I suspect that most of our regular readers here would agree that ridicule, of a humorous nature, is likely to be more effective than the sort of snuggling-up and head-patting that Jerry is attacking. I lately started to think that we need to go further: go beyond humorous ridicule, sharpen our barbs to a point where they really hurt.[22] ”

In his article, Mockery - the M.O. for atheists, Matt Barber discusses an incident in which the Freedom From Religion Foundation encouraged atheists to engage in tactics which Barber considers to be acts of hateful mockery.[23]

Hateful mockery can backfire - especially when a group in the minority. Atheists are the least trusted group in America (see: Views on atheists).

Atheists and the appeal to emotion logical fallacy

Many atheists use appeals to emotion/arguments from outrage when criticizing the Bible - especially when they are engaging in cultural imperialism.[24][25][26]

Atheists and the ad hominem abusive logical fallacy

The atheist biologist Massimo Pigliucci said of PZ Myers (pictured above), "one cannot conclude this parade without mentioning P.Z. Myers, who has risen to fame because of a blog where the level of nastiness (both by the host and by his readers) is rarely matched anywhere else on the Internet...".[27]

(photo obtained from Flickr, see license agreement)

See also: Atheism and social skills and Atheist factions

The Ad Hominem Abusive, "also known as: personal abuse, personal attacks, abusive fallacy, damning the source, name calling, needling [form of], refutation by character" is "attacking the person making the argument, rather than the argument itself, when the attack on the person is completely irrelevant to the argument the person is making."[28]

Atheists, particularly militant atheists/anti-theists, have developed a reputation for bullying and engaging in profanity (See: Atheist bullying and Atheism and profanity).

In February of 2010, the news organization The Telegraph reported that the new atheist Richard Dawkins was "embroiled in a bitter online battle over plans to rid his popular internet forum for atheists of foul language, insults and 'frivolous gossip'."[29] Richard Dawkins has a reputation for being abrasive so the behavior of his fans is not entirely surprising.

The atheist biologist Massimo Pigliucci said of the atheist PZ Myers, "one cannot conclude this parade without mentioning P.Z. Myers, who has risen to fame because of a blog where the level of nastiness (both by the host and by his readers) is rarely matched anywhere else on the Internet...".[30]

The University of Illinois psychologist Ryan Ritter published a study in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science which showed among other things that atheists used profanity significantly more than Christians do on Twitter and that Christians had happier dispositions on Twitter.[31]

Militant atheists/anti-atheists frequently accuse Christians of "lying for Jesus" despite the fact that historically atheists/evolutionists have frequently engaged in deception to promote their ideology (see: Atheism and deception and Atheist indoctrination).

See also:

Scientism is self-refuting

See also: List of atheist and agnostic pseudosciences

According to Discovery Institute scientism is an effort to use the methods of science to explain and control every part of human life, in other words, the misguided effort to apply science to areas outside its proper bounds.[32]

Scientism is self-refuting. William Lane Craig wrote: "Scientism tells us that we should not believe any proposition that cannot be scientifically proven. But what about that very proposition itself? It cannot itself be scientifically proven."[33] The Christian apologist Jason Peterson similarly wrote: "Science has to presuppose the validity of mathematics, the laws of logic, and that our senses are valid. Science is unable to prove any of those things." [34] See also: Atheism and naturalistic intelligence

C.S. Lewis was sceptical and highly critical of scientism as an ideology which in his view was confused with science and which tried to reduce everything that we can learn scientifically to materialistic blind undirected causes.[35] He argued that scientism has the dehumanizing impact on ethics, politics, faith, reason, and science itself.[32]

Atheism and the no true Scotsman fallacy

Logo for the Shockofgod YouTube channel

See also: Atheism and the no true Scotsman fallacy and Atheism has a lower retention rate compared to other worldviews

The no true Scotsman fallacy is a logical fallacy and more specifically a special case of circular logic. It involves dismissing any counterexamples.[36][37]

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy describes the no true Scotsman fallacy thusly:

“ No True Scotsman

This error is a kind of ad hoc rescue of one's generalization in which the reasoner re-characterizes the situation solely in order to escape refutation of the generalization.

Example:

Smith: All Scotsmen are loyal and brave.

Jones: But McDougal over there is a Scotsman, and he was arrested by his commanding officer for running from the enemy.

Smith: Well, if that's right, it just shows that McDougal wasn't a TRUE Scotsman.[38]

”

Atheists claiming ex-atheists were never atheists

John W. Loftus, one of the more prominent atheists in the atheist community. The ex-atheist Darrin Rasberry used to write for the atheist John Loftus’ blog site Debunking Christianity.[39] After Rasberry became a Christian Loftus said that Rasberry “was never an atheist in the first place.”[40]

The popular Christian YouTube video creator Shockofgod is an ex-atheist who left atheism because it lacks proof and evidence that it is true, while Christianity offers an abundant amount of evidential support.[41] His YouTube videos have cumulatively received over 25 million views since his YouTube channel's inception.[42] Shockofgod won over 70 Christianity vs. atheism debates.[43] There are atheists who claim that Shockofgod was never an atheist.[44]

Atheists attempting to deny/minimize the roles of atheism/atheists in atheist atrocities

Atheist apologists commonly try to minimize or deny the role of atheism/atheists as far as atheist atrocites.[45][46][47] It is as if no true atheist could be responsible for mass murder (see also: Atheism and mass murder).[48]

Atheism was an integral tenet of Maxist-Lennism/Maoist/Stalinism communism (see: Atheism and communism).

For more information, please see: Atheism and the no true Scotsman fallacy

Evolutionists who are atheists committing the no true Scottsman fallacy

See also: Christianity and science and Atheism and the suppression of science and Creation science

Evolutionists who are atheists often claim that there are no real scientists who disbelieve evolution.[49] In 2007, "Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture...announced that over 700 scientists from around the world have now signed a statement expressing their skepticism about the contemporary theory of Darwinian evolution."[50]

Since World War II a majority of the most prominent and vocal defenders of the evolutionary position which employs methodological naturalism have been atheists and agnostics (see also: Causes of evolutionary belief)[51]

  1. ↑ http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-atheists-have-lowest-retention-rate-compared-to-religious-groups-78029/ Study: Atheists Have Lowest 'Retention Rate' Compared to Religious Groups
  2. ↑ Richard Dawkins - "What if you're wrong?"
  3. ↑ LAST DAYS! Muslims Coming To Jesus Through Visions!
  4. ↑ http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-atheists-have-lowest-retention-rate-compared-to-religious-groups-78029/ Study: Atheists Have Lowest 'Retention Rate' Compared to Religious Groups
  5. ↑ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/defectors-to-faith-mark-a-growing-trend/story-e6frg7ko-1225710667095
  6. ↑ http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1204/religion-changes-affiliations-survey
  7. ↑ http://www.millennialstar.org/christianity-exploding-in-china/
  8. ↑ http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/shows/cwn/2008/August/Christianity-Growing-in-China-/
  9. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/03/international/europe/03romania.html
  10. ↑ A New Breed of Atheism
  11. ↑ ‘Excellent summary of so many strawman arguments used by anti-creationists’
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ War, Terror and Resistence
  14. ↑ Forging Freedom: The Life of Cerf Berr of M Delsheim by Margaret R. O'Leary, iUniverse (June 1, 2012), pages 1-2
  15. ↑ Multiple references:
    • James Adair (2007). Christianity: The eBook p. 461. JBE Online Books. Retrieved on July 18, 2014. “Although the Civil Constitution called for religious liberty, which was extended to Jews as well as Christians, many revolutionaries pushed for the establishment of a new state religion, either the Cult of Reason (atheists) or the Cult of the Supreme Being (Deists). Changes to the calendar eliminated references to Christian holidays, and even the ancient seven-day week, and a list of officially recognized saints included such famous thinkers such as Socrates, Jesus, Marcus Aurelius, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. A period of political persecution, often with religious overtones, broke out, known as the Reign of Terror. Thousands of people were executed by the guillotine, including many of the original leaders of the French Revolution.”
    • William Belsham (1801). Memoirs of the Reign of George III. to the Session of Parliament ending A.D. 1793, Volume 5 pp. 105-6. G.G. & J. Robinson. Retrieved on July 18, 2014. “In allusion to the monstrous transactions of this portentous period, it has been eloquently and energetically observed, 'that the reign of atheism in France was avowed the reign of terror. In the full madness of their career, in the highest climax of their horrors, they shut up the temples of God, abolished His worship, and proclaimed death to be an eternal sleep:—in the very centre of Christendom, Revelation underwent a total eclipse, while atheism, performing on a darkened theatre its strange and fearful tragedy, confounded the first elements of society, blended every age, rank, and sex, indiscriminate proscription and massacre, and convulsed all Europe to its centre, that the imperishable memorial of these events might teach the last generations of mankind to consider religion as the pillar of society, the parent of social order, and the safe-guard of nations.'
      "It is wonderful that, amid the horrors of this dismal period, while 'the death dance of democratic revolution' was still in rapid movement, among the tears of affliction, and the cries of despair, 'the masque, the song, the theatric scene, the buffoon laughter, went on as regularly as in the gay hour of festive peace.'”
    • William Kilpatrick (2012). Christianity, Islam, and Atheism: The Struggle for the Soul of the West p. 57. Ignatius Press. Retrieved on July 18, 2014. “Actually, it's helpful to think in terms of two Enlightenments: the Enlightenment that cut itself off from God. The former led to the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the abolition of slavery, and the civil rights movement. The latter led to the French Revolution, the Reign of Terror, the suppression of church by state, and the godless philosophies of Marx and Nietzsche and their offspring—National Socialism and communism. More recently the abandonment of God has led to the regime of cultural relativism that regards rights as arbitrary constructions.
      "It's this second Enlightenment tradition that Cardinal Ratzinger referred to when he wrote, 'The radical detachment of the Enlightenment philosophy from its roots ultimately leads it to dispense with man.' Actually this transition happened not 'ultimately' but almost immediately. The first instance occurred when Enlightenment worship of abstract 'reason' and 'liberty' degenerated quickly into the mass murders committed during the antireligious Reign of Terror in France. 'Liberty, what crimes are committed in your name', said Madam Rolande as she faced the statue of Liberty in the Place de la Revolution movements before her death at the guillotine. She was one of the early victims of a succession of secular systems based on rootless notions of 'liberty', 'equality', and 'reason'.
      "As many historians have pointed out, the atheist regimes of modern times are guilty of far more crimes than any committed in the name of religion. Communist governments alone were guilty of more than one hundred million murders, most of them committed against their own people.”
  16. ↑ [Charlie Hebdo and France’s Irreligious Tradition Kenneth R. Weinstein]
  17. ↑ In a France suspicious of religion, evangelicalism's message strikes a chord
  18. ↑ In a France suspicious of religion, evangelicalism's message strikes a chord
  19. ↑ France’s growing Muslim population, Washington Post, January 9, 2015
  20. ↑ France’s growing Muslim population, Washington Post, January 9, 2015
  21. ↑ British academic Eric Kaufmann says "the rate of secularisation has flattened to zero in most of Protestant Europe and France". Also, Kaufmann writes that secularism "appears exhausted and lacking in confidence"
  22. ↑ Dawkins: Mock them. Ridicule them! In public
  23. ↑ Mockery - the M.O. for atheists by Matt Barber
  24. ↑ Bible critics and arguments from outrage by JP Holding
  25. ↑ Atheists and arguments From outrage
  26. ↑ Is Yahweh a Moral Monster? The New Atheists and Old Testament Ethics by Paul Copan
  27. ↑ Reflections on the skeptic and atheist movements By Massimo Pigliucci Scientia Salon, Posted: May 13, 2015
  28. ↑ Ad Hominem (Abusive)
  29. ↑ Richard Dawkins in bitter web censorship row with fellow atheists: Professor Richard Dawkins is embroiled in a bitter online battle over plans to rid his popular internet forum for atheists of foul language, insults and “frivolous gossip, The Telegraph By Heidi Blake, 9:25AM GMT 26 Feb 2010
  30. ↑ Reflections on the skeptic and atheist movements By Massimo Pigliucci Scientia Salon, Posted: May 13, 2015
  31. ↑ Happy Tweets: Christians Are Happier, More Socially Connected, and Less Analytical Than Atheists on Twitter Social Psychological and Personality Science 1948550613492345, first published on June 18, 2013
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 N/A. The Magician's Twin: C. S. Lewis on Science, Scientism, and Society - Product Description. Discovery Institute Press. Retrieved on November 30, 2014. “Beloved for his Narnian tales for children and his books of Christian apologetics for adults, best-selling author C.S. Lewis also was a prophetic critic of the growing power of scientism in modern society, the misguided effort to apply science to areas outside its proper bounds. In this wide-ranging book of essays, contemporary writers probe Lewis's warnings about the dehumanizing impact of scientism on ethics, politics, faith, reason, and science itself. Issues explored include Lewis's views on bioethics, eugenics, evolution, intelligent design, and what he called "scientocracy."”
  33. ↑ Is scientism self-refuting?
  34. ↑ [Christianity and Circular Reasoning] by Jason Petersen at Answers for Hope Ministry
  35. ↑ The Magician's Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case against Scientism 02min:20sec. DiscoveryInstitute (18 Nov 2012). Retrieved on 27-April-2013.
  36. ↑ No True Scotsman Fallacy, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  37. ↑ The "No True Scotsman" Fallacy, Idea Channel - PBS Digital Studios
  38. ↑ No True Scotsman Fallacy, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
  39. ↑ Arguments for God’s existence leads former “Christ-hater,” Darrin Rasberry, to Christ follower by James Bishop
  40. ↑ Arguments for God’s existence leads former “Christ-hater,” Darrin Rasberry, to Christ follower by James Bishop
  41. ↑ Ex-atheist shares why he left the lie of Atheism
  42. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/user/shockofgod
  43. ↑ Atheism loses a shocking 71 debates in a row
  44. ↑
  45. ↑ Atheists Dodge Their History of Atrocities
  46. ↑ Atheism
  47. ↑ Mailvox: the "No True Atheist" defense
  48. ↑ Mailvox: the "No True Atheist" defense
  49. ↑ Many Scientists Do Not Accept Evolution
  50. ↑ http://www.discovery.org/a/2732
  51. ↑
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