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hell-kite
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virus: atheistic mission - converting believers
« on: 2004-10-10 08:45:53 »
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...or how to make rationality memes more virulent

Being involved in discussions with intellectually average Christian
believers, and being myself an intellectually average nonbeliever (yet with
a zealous motivation), I start asking myself how to devise the most
effective way of achieving the triumph of rationality. It clearly isn't
taking off into the highest levels of logic or even worse, indulging in the
endlessly complex quarrels of
sociological-historical-epistemological-and-generally-bulky-language-philoso
phical analysis; it isn't about writing books or thousand-lines posts in
discussion forums. At least up to a certain point, it isn't about intellect
at all.

I am not saying that these approaches do not have validity, nor that they
aren't necessary as the backbone of argumentation (in case someone asks for
more than simplicity) or the foundation of self-confidence (nor that I don't
care about them, for I do).

What I am saying is, to make rationality popular, you cannot possibly rely
on rational discourse alone. I am saying that I strongly believe that in
order to eventually triumph over faith (as opposed to reason), we must make
reason more appealing. The CoV, as a "memetically engineered religion",
should actually try to construct attractive arguments for its position - or
to construct attractive, i.e. readable counterarguments, on a medium to low
level of abstraction. These arguments not only have to be rationally, but
also psychologically appealing.

Of course, this cannot mean using fallacies or memetic tricks in the narrow
sense (see overview at
http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/skepticism/blfaq_fall_index_alpha.htm;
thanks, Blunderov). It must be attained by using a clear and simple language
(without intellectual showing-off), by using the right amount of polemics or
displays of respect, by firmly establishing the notion that we are not
attacking the believers themselves but their believes (difficult for certain
reasons I shall talk about later). We have to devise as psychologically
perfidous arguments as religion has, yet in a higher, logically impregnable
quality.

In the long run, this will need some top-down support (I am thinking about
forbidding baptism and similar foundations of indoctrination in the name of
health care, but that might not be so psychological a measure)...

What do you think? And if you agree, what about trying to formulate some of
these arguments (as I am trying in the previous thread which may need some
revision in this light)?

Björn


p.s.: Could anyone offer some information about the supposed modus operandi
of the forum in regard of where to post... should I rather have posted this
in the "religion" section, or do I get more attention posting it here? Or
will it be moved there anyway? Besides, I am sorry for somewhat holding a
monologue on this, but I am simply enraged by religion... being ignored may
make me shut up eventually...

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If thou but think'st him wrong'd, and mak'st his ear
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Re: virus: atheistic mission - converting believers
« Reply #1 on: 2004-10-10 14:58:50 »
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I worked with a group that is trying to make rationality more virulent.  The problem is that rationality is rare, intense and seems very cultish to the majority of people these days. 

In order to make a rationality meme virulent, they create an urgency around evangelism of the meme.  I agree that it's urgent and that our world is is indeperate need of more rational thought.  But that only makes thr group look even more like a cult.

-----Original Message-----
From: "Gorogh" <gorogh@pallowrun.de>
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2004 14:45:53
To:<virus@lucifer.com>
Subject: virus: atheistic mission - converting believers

...or how to make rationality memes more virulent

Being involved in discussions with intellectually average Christian
believers, and being myself an intellectually average nonbeliever (yet with
a zealous motivation), I start asking myself how to devise the most
effective way of achieving the triumph of rationality. It clearly isn't
taking off into the highest levels of logic or even worse, indulging in the
endlessly complex quarrels of
sociological-historical-epistemological-and-generally-bulky-language-philoso
phical analysis; it isn't about writing books or thousand-lines posts in
discussion forums. At least up to a certain point, it isn't about intellect
at all.

I am not saying that these approaches do not have validity, nor that they
aren't necessary as the backbone of argumentation (in case someone asks for
more than simplicity) or the foundation of self-confidence (nor that I don't
care about them, for I do).

What I am saying is, to make rationality popular, you cannot possibly rely
on rational discourse alone. I am saying that I strongly believe that in
order to eventually triumph over faith (as opposed to reason), we must make
reason more appealing. The CoV, as a "memetically engineered religion",
should actually try to construct attractive arguments for its position - or
to construct attractive, i.e. readable counterarguments, on a medium to low
level of abstraction. These arguments not only have to be rationally, but
also psychologically appealing.

Of course, this cannot mean using fallacies or memetic tricks in the narrow
sense (see overview at
http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/skepticism/blfaq_fall_index_alpha.htm;
thanks, Blunderov). It must be attained by using a clear and simple language
(without intellectual showing-off), by using the right amount of polemics or
displays of respect, by firmly establishing the notion that we are not
attacking the believers themselves but their believes (difficult for certain
reasons I shall talk about later). We have to devise as psychologically
perfidous arguments as religion has, yet in a higher, logically impregnable
quality.

In the long run, this will need some top-down support (I am thinking about
forbidding baptism and similar foundations of indoctrination in the name of
health care, but that might not be so psychological a measure)...

What do you think? And if you agree, what about trying to formulate some of
these arguments (as I am trying in the previous thread which may need some
revision in this light)?

Björn


p.s.: Could anyone offer some information about the supposed modus operandi
of the forum in regard of where to post... should I rather have posted this
in the "religion" section, or do I get more attention posting it here? Or
will it be moved there anyway? Besides, I am sorry for somewhat holding a
monologue on this, but I am simply enraged by religion... being ignored may
make me shut up eventually...

---
To unsubscribe from the Virus list go to <http://www.lucifer.com/cgi-bin/virus-l>

---
To unsubscribe from the Virus list go to <http://www.lucifer.com/cgi-bin/virus-l>

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First, read Bruce Sterling's "Distraction", and then read http://electionmethods.org.
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virus: RE: atheistic mission - converting believers
« Reply #2 on: 2004-10-11 22:59:56 »
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