Friday, February 22, 2013

Today's Liar for Jesus, Bryan Taylor

I had to share this comment thread as a perfect example of the logical fallacy known as the Chewbacca Defense.  Basically, you make as much noise as you can and pretend that you're having a conversation.  Here are the elements of this fallacy illustrated by Bryan Taylor on that thread:

Tell everyone they're wrong while making no coherent arguments of your own.
Refuse to define any of your terms, so that you can make up their meanings as you go.
Demand and challenge sources from others, but for God's sake, don't provide any.

It really is the height of dishonesty.  It's the intellectual equivalent of a child putting his fingers in his ears and running around in circle yelling.

Luckily, Bryan Taylor will never get far enough in any academic discipline to hold any sort of intellectual influence.  Except maybe theology, where the standards are lower.

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