(April 10, 2016 at 3:36 pm)AFTT47 Wrote:(April 10, 2016 at 3:26 pm)Aegon Wrote: They're not emotion-based people, they're people who are using other people's emotions for their own personal gain (talking about the NRA and many Republicans).
Seems like you completely changed the subject here. I'm talking about people Brian is attempting to reach with the logical argument that prayer is nonsense. Most of those people are emotional - especially when they are grieving. I maintain that hitting them with logic at that time is counter-productive - unless done VERY carefully. They simply are not going to be receptive. We, as logical people, should understand that. It's a simple equation, really. Logical arguments on emotional people in a particularly emotional state = FAILURE.
You keep missing my point. Nobody is suggesting doing that face to face in person in a private moment. Again, I am talking about NEWS. Humans die all the time and we criticize the logic of prayer ALL THE TIME. The point was not to tell people to lack empathy, the point is to say that NOBODY gets a monopoly in public events to dictate public discourse.
I see people comment about prayer when churches burn down by a lightening strike or get flooded by natural disasters. I hear comments about survivors all the time talk about prayer and others say "what about the dead?" This is not new in skepticism one bit.
Now again, I have believing family members and when I die, of course they are going to do their own thing, but I am not a public figure. I certainly would not want someone causing noise violations or physically disrupting a wake for me, but I would expect my believing family to leave it at the door or have a separate memorial. Outside that if were a celebrity, which I am not, but if I were, being an atheist, it would be absurd for anyone to expect those who don't like me to refrain from making comments in media, it will happen.
I am addressing public events in news and in person intimate face to face interaction.
