Comments on: Confessions of a Lapsed [Person Who Doesn't Believe In Gods] http://www.nullifidian.net/2009/06/21/confessions-of-a-lapsed-person-who-doesnt-believe-in-gods/ Not praying for (or on) you Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:43:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Sean the Blogonaut http://www.nullifidian.net/2009/06/21/confessions-of-a-lapsed-person-who-doesnt-believe-in-gods/comment-page-1/#comment-8029 Sean the Blogonaut Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:48:22 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/?p=1313#comment-8029 That article by Jenn Public sucked 20 minutes of my life away, 20 minutes I shall never see again. If I was in america I would sue :) That article by Jenn Public sucked 20 minutes of my life away, 20 minutes I shall never see again. If I was in america I would sue :)

]]> By: BlackSun http://www.nullifidian.net/2009/06/21/confessions-of-a-lapsed-person-who-doesnt-believe-in-gods/comment-page-1/#comment-8021 BlackSun Sun, 21 Jun 2009 21:56:09 +0000 http://www.nullifidian.net/?p=1313#comment-8021 I call this "seizing the middle high ground." The moral superiority of "I don't know." Sometimes that's good for scientific questions. Nothing wrong with epistemic humility. But what this girl's talking about is something different. I'm going to call it what it is: not-even-thinly-veiled religious apology. It's a way to express sympathy for believers while still appearing impartial. But watch out! Anytime you see the word "elitism," it's code for lack of standards. If someone is smarter, or something is better, it's not a problem to say so. In fact, it's the only way society advances. Claiming "elitism" is the last refuge of the ignoramus. So of course we hear it a lot. I call this "seizing the middle high ground." The moral superiority of "I don't know." Sometimes that's good for scientific questions. Nothing wrong with epistemic humility.

But what this girl's talking about is something different. I'm going to call it what it is: not-even-thinly-veiled religious apology. It's a way to express sympathy for believers while still appearing impartial. But watch out! Anytime you see the word "elitism," it's code for lack of standards. If someone is smarter, or something is better, it's not a problem to say so. In fact, it's the only way society advances.

Claiming "elitism" is the last refuge of the ignoramus. So of course we hear it a lot.

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