Friday, September 28, 2007

If you can't beat 'em, malign 'em

Such is the modus operandi of not a few Internet atheists these days. Case in point - Frank Walton, who dares upset the "Rational" Response Squad's plans for world domination.


Another is ERV where, after I spent some time mixing it up about evolution and having a good time, the author Abbie has accused me of using 3 different handles after I denied doing so in response to another commenter's implication that I do. I wasn't sure he was accusing me, so I left it open for correction, but instead of doing the honorable thing, simply saying, "No, you misunderstood me; I wasn't accusing you of using multiple handles", he let it go and ERV stepped in.

So, mindful of the fact that the Internet is a place of anonymity where an accusation like this can almost certainly neither be 100% confirmed nor 100% denied, I'd at least like to know which handles ERV refers to. I'd like to warn them.
Super-secret link tag thing

8 comments:

John Morales said...

1. You're making a very general claim here.

2. But the ERV thread seems a clear specific case and the link supports your claim. We'll see.

3. I think you argue against yourself when you say
… the fact that the Internet is a place of anonymity where an accusation like this can almost certainly neither be 100% confirmed nor 100% denied…

4. I think ERV has made it clear she doesn't consider herself an "internet atheist" (in the sense I think you mean).

Rhology said...

1) What claim am I making? This is a request to ERV to at least back up the claim she made. Looks like she's not going to, either.

3) If you check my post again, I never said it could be proven or disproven. 'Course, if she won't even say to which handles she refers, her assertion never gets off the ground. Doesn't seem to matter to Reginal Selkirk, though.

4) Oh, OK. She's shrill enough to qualify; that might be why I made the mixup.

tim said...

Rho,

Hey man...I think that mayhaps they think you and I are the same person, because we both TAG. I wasn't able to keep in the activity for a few days, and by the time I was able to, things had moved considerably further on, and so I just bowed out.

And, before I started using my name, I wrote under the name "your mom's diary". So maybe that's where this is from?

John Morales said...

What claim am I making?
"If you can't beat 'em, malign 'em - Such is the modus operandi of not a few Internet atheists these days".

Those few beat and mock. I suppose sometimes they malign, too.

Consider the ratio of rabid Christian posts in (say) talk.origins comments to rational ones versus those of atheists in your forum.

Just saying. At least you don't question #2.

Remember, atheists share nothing but a lack belief in gods - i.e. there is no shared dogma.
Some, such as I, consider your GOTB incoherent and contradictory, others merely withhold belief.

Tim: that may be a factor, I have no idea. As I said, we'll see.

Rhology said...

Looks like ERV is not interested in answering the issue.
Interestingly, she has never talked directly to me. I've even emailed her twice to offer her the DVD (free of charge) of the Dembski thing at Univ of Okla, and she has not deigned to respond.
She's a fairly angry person.

John Morales said...

Rhology: Yes.

For once, I have no issue whatsoever with your most recent comment.

Shalini appears to have falsely accused you.

Bear in mind that, as Aristotle said, "One swallow does not make a summer".

John Morales said...

Whoops, ERV not Shalini.

(Too many blogs too quickly, sorry).

Rhology said...

Haha, I know how that is!

Thanks John.