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Alejandro1 comments on Open Thread for January 8 - 16 2014 - Less Wrong
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Imagine we often saw people coming to LW and saying things like
"Hello. I wholeheartedly agree with the basic goals of LW and I think rationality is awesome! But, if I may make a small criticism, I think LW is being a bit irrational itself in its complete dismissal of religion. Yes, many forms of religion are irrational, but others may not be so, and one must no throw the baby with the bathwater, etc. etc."
If there was a recurring pattern of this happening, with the pro-religion arguments being made by "newbies" and being things we have seen many times before, wouldn't we get impatient with it, give it a label (such as "concern trolling") and apply the label dismissively from then on? Perhaps this is not the most open-minded attitude, and it would be very inappropriate in a forum dedicated to open discussion between theists and atheists. But in a forum where most people have decided to their own satisfaction that these criticisms are incorrect, and are more interested in discussing other topics while taking atheism for granted than in rehashing what they see as basic stuff, can they really be faulted for taking it?
You give reasons for having a dismissive label, but the particular label is about other reasons. I think that disconnect is dangerous.
Ahm, don't we in fact have a warning against doing exactly that on the FAQ?
(I speak as someone who can wholeheartedly endorse that newbie's statement.)
I endorse the newbie statement as well! (Kinda, under some interpretations and expansions).
My point was not that the impatient, dismissive reaction is the best one, or the one an ideal truth seeker would take; just that it is understandable for a group of humans with limited time and energy and who are not interested in having a discussion on matters that they perceive as settled. I was reacting against words like "literally the worst concept ever" and "horrible" in the parent comment.
And it appears that's the option we actually took, in exactly that situation! So all the more kudos to you - I think it puts this discussion in a slightly different light, myself.