Projection: Accusing your opponent of having the very faults you in fact have.
Christians sometimes claim that skepticism is an agenda. When we read the Bible and its horrors of genocide, slavery and rape by Yahweh's orders, it's because we're trying to validate our predisposition against Christianity. However, when they come up with completely obtuse interpretations, like Moses ordered his men to "keep the virgin girls for themselves" it was to use them as maidservants, not sex slaves.
See also the Christian charge that we have a bias against believing in miracles and the supernatural.
Reality: Skepticism is not an agenda. It's the application of critical thought to unproven claims. Further, it's the same approach they take to religions not their own. See also "special pleading".
Bare Assertion Fallacy: Just asserting something to be true and then going from there as if the assertion alone was enough.
Example: William Lane Craig's "Moral Proof" of (his) god.
Step 1: Without God, objective morals can't exist. (assertion)
Step 2: Objective morals exist. (assertion)
Step 3: Therefore, God exists (fallacious conclusion based upon bare assertions).
Step 4: (unspoken) ...and of course, by "God", I mean "Jesus" but that goes without even saying. (bare assertion, invalid assumption)
Christians sometimes claim that skepticism is an agenda. When we read the Bible and its horrors of genocide, slavery and rape by Yahweh's orders, it's because we're trying to validate our predisposition against Christianity. However, when they come up with completely obtuse interpretations, like Moses ordered his men to "keep the virgin girls for themselves" it was to use them as maidservants, not sex slaves.
See also the Christian charge that we have a bias against believing in miracles and the supernatural.
Reality: Skepticism is not an agenda. It's the application of critical thought to unproven claims. Further, it's the same approach they take to religions not their own. See also "special pleading".
Bare Assertion Fallacy: Just asserting something to be true and then going from there as if the assertion alone was enough.
Example: William Lane Craig's "Moral Proof" of (his) god.
Step 1: Without God, objective morals can't exist. (assertion)
Step 2: Objective morals exist. (assertion)
Step 3: Therefore, God exists (fallacious conclusion based upon bare assertions).
Step 4: (unspoken) ...and of course, by "God", I mean "Jesus" but that goes without even saying. (bare assertion, invalid assumption)
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
