How Do You Reason With This?

Published on Facebook, June 24, 2010

By Bud Powell

Illustration. Recently on FB I made the statement that feminism can grow only in the soil of Christianity and suggested that feminism try it in Iran. A person responded in this manner. "How can you say that America is Christian soil. How can it be Christian when we stole it from the natives, murdering them."

The sad thing is that so many could not see the fundamental lack of reasoning ability in this argument. America did not steal the soil of Christianity from the Indians. The word "soil' in my argument is used figuratively, for the ideas of Christianity of love and equality and respect for the individual--concepts that are perverted in defense of feminism. This "soil" was not stolen from the natives, it was transported from Europe.

This is the kind of irrationalism that rules in religion and thought in American Christianity. People jump from idea to idea without even seeing the disconnect in their thinking or even being bothered by it. They are very aware of their feelings, but do not examine their thinking. Reminds me of a grade school exercise I used to give my students.

Why are fire engines red?

Because newspapers are read, too. And and two and two are four. And four and four are eight, and eight and four are twelve.

There are twelve inches in a ruler, and King George was a ruler. Queen Mary was a ruler and Queen Mary was a ship.

Ships sail the oceans and oceans have fish. Fish have fins, and the Finns fought the Russians.

Fire Engines are always rushin' and that's why fire engines are red.

If you see nothing wrong with this chain of reasoning, then you are well qualified to bring your coin into the American market place of ideas.

The fallacy is the fallacy of four terms or the ambiguous middle. The words change meaning in the middle of the argument. But who cares about thinking when we all feel so great. Thinking is highly over-rated.

Have a good day.

Well, Duh