Recently, I read "Crimes Against Logic: Exposing the Bogus Arguments of Politicians, Priests, Journalists, and Other Serial Offenders", by Jamie Whyte, a young English philosopher. I would have suggested a little re-organizing and editing to make the book more enjoyable to read, but other than that small criticism, I highly recommend it.
In the book, Mr. Whyte lists faith as one of his crimes against logic. He does so for the same reason that I call religion dishonest: Because it isn't honest to believe in one unproven and unprovable proposition while rejecting all similar propositions. Mr. Whyte's phrase for this it the title of my post today: Prejudice in a fancy dress. He gets the credit for coining that phrase in this context, and I would suggest we all remember it for future discussions with the religious.
The religious have been taught that this sort of prejudicial thinking is actually a virtue. They do not see it for what it is: Intellectual dishonesty and an artificial form of racism. Faith is intellectual dishonesty both in terms of the deliberate use of bad logic and in the way the fallacious conclusions are presented disguised as something other than what they really are. And, it sets people against each other (often extremely so) on the basis of a fantasy.
In the book, Mr. Whyte lists faith as one of his crimes against logic. He does so for the same reason that I call religion dishonest: Because it isn't honest to believe in one unproven and unprovable proposition while rejecting all similar propositions. Mr. Whyte's phrase for this it the title of my post today: Prejudice in a fancy dress. He gets the credit for coining that phrase in this context, and I would suggest we all remember it for future discussions with the religious.
The religious have been taught that this sort of prejudicial thinking is actually a virtue. They do not see it for what it is: Intellectual dishonesty and an artificial form of racism. Faith is intellectual dishonesty both in terms of the deliberate use of bad logic and in the way the fallacious conclusions are presented disguised as something other than what they really are. And, it sets people against each other (often extremely so) on the basis of a fantasy.
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