Bad Argument

  • Bad Argument,  Rant

    Intent, Interpretation, Invention

    Over the decades, particularly the last decade, society has evolved. In most cases, this is good. Progress. Enlightenment. Empathy. Certainly, there are numerous cases where the opposite has happened. Who would have thought that nazis would see a resurgence. Instead, I want to focus on the positive. Don’t worry. It’s still me. This concerns how our messages are conveyed and received by our audience. Particularly the latter.

  • Bad Argument,  Politics,  Rant,  Religion

    Phil Robertson: Everything Wrong With Religion in a Nut(job)shell

    NOTE: This is my longest rant. So far. And I’ve been doing this site for five years. Just wanted to warn you. – Chris Last time Phil Robertson, host of Duck Dynasty, said something stupid, I didn’t say much. I might have said something on Facebook along the lines of “He’s a dude who looks like he’s in ZZ Top, what do you expect?” A lot of people agreed with me. I support freedom of speech, and think it even includes bigots. As Bill Maher said, when Hank Williams Jr. said something stupid, “Hank Williams Junior can say some ignorant shit on Fox News without the good people demanding he…

  • Bad Argument,  Rant,  Religion

    Bad Arguments: Shifting The Burden of Proof

    The misunderstanding of the burden of proof is one of the biggest reasons logical arguments with theists fail. The person making the claim has the burden of proof. That’s how it works. It’s your job to prove your point, not their job to prove you wrong. If you can’t defend your argument with proof, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re wrong, but it does mean that there’s no reason to believe you.

  • Bad Argument,  Rant,  Religion

    Bad Arguments: Pascal’s Wager

    Over the last few years, I’ve really started studying apologetics. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, “apologetics” is the discipline of defending a position, usually, religious positions. Anytime you hear someone defend or give a reason for their faith, that is called apologetics. This is a practice that has gone back as long as… well as long as people have defended their opinions. In general, and for this article, I’m limiting it to the defense of religious beliefs. Actually, I’m going to limit it even further, and talk about one argument, Pascal’s Wager.

  • Bad Argument,  Rant,  Religion

    Bad Arguments: If Man Came From Apes, Why Are There Still Apes?

    I love this question. I see it a lot from creationists. To them, it’s the ace up their sleeve or the 8 ball in the corner pocket. They expect that someone who understands evolution will see that question, and think, “Wow. I never thought of that. Evolution must be wrong.” When in reality, the smart person just shakes their head and laughs.

  • Bad Argument,  Rant

    The Anecdotal Fallacy and Case Studies

    Science is based on an ever increasing amount of knowledge. Ideas start as hypotheses. After experiments prove their accuracy, they become theories. The more tests confirm the hypothesis, the more likely the theory is correct. If, however, the tests do not support the hypothesis, we change the hypothesis to fit the new facts. There are different types of experiments science uses. We can do the double blind study, the blind study, and the case study.