Comments on: Svend, you are wasting your time….

By: plimfix

plimfix — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 09:49:26 +0000

I take you point, Willow, in respect of issues like creationism vs evolution – and indeed, that is the view taken by Dawkins, and rightly so IMHO. Creationism’s claim to have scientific validity via ‘Intelligent Design’ is akin to arguing in favour of the tooth fairy. I’m not sure I would extend that same argument to this context. This is not a rational debate in the same way as the aforementioned one. We are talking about different issues which, like it or not, do not rest on such firm and shakey foundations as Darwin vs Dum Dum.

By: null

null — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:04:25 +0000

It’s exhausting, and I honestly believe the JW crowd is beyond reason, but I appreciate the time Svend has taken to say these things.

By: johnpi

johnpi — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:44:47 +0000

Agree with Safia and bingregory regarding lurkers…

He’s not going to be “starved” by lack of response, he’s going to successfully define you. He and his ilk will frame the conversation and make you argue in his frames, and create the standards that third parties apply to you.

Spencer is going to say the same thing again and again, and so should we with our own points. Overcoming propaganda and hate-mongering is going to be a long war of attrition…if you’re tired of it that’s fine, but don’t undermine the energy of others who aren’t exhausted yet…

By: bingregory

bingregory — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:26:08 +0000

This is very true. The people who actively comment are a small fraction of the people who will read the discussion. Write for the lurkers.

By: Buzz Kill

Buzz Kill — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:55:20 +0000

I have to agree with the don't engage people strictly on grounds of lost energy. He is a charter member of Bani Bozos, a real evil hate clown who even gets center ring at the Circus on occassion.

By: Shams al-Nahar

Shams al-Nahar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:49:46 +0000

I guess that is the right place…his exegesis is all fundie/jihaadi anyways.
He’d be right at home.

By: Buzz Kill

Buzz Kill — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:40:58 +0000

That is a funny idea: a scholarship fund for i-Robart. but I don't think Al-Azhar is the destination. Too credible. He thinks all muslims are terrorists. Send him to radicalized madrassa so atleast he will know what the hell he is talking about. If we all write a letter of recommendation, do you think he can get into Jihad University?

By: Shams al-Nahar

Shams al-Nahar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:06:15 +0000

my speeling.
Al Azhar.

By: Shams al-Nahar

Shams al-Nahar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:47:05 +0000

If you engage him, Svend, he will eventually run away.
My dream is to create a scholarship fund for him, and send him to Al Ahazar to debate with real islamic scholars!
Hopefully some real islamic scholars in the Muslim Brotherhood.

By: aziz

aziz — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:25:33 +0000

Svend, I’ve engaged in him myself often – in blog, in private email, everything. In teh end you are reduced to their stereotype anyway. Its no easier or harder to do to you because you did or didnt write thousands of words in rebuttal; your words are not read, yoru arguments are not digested, they are just fodder for rounds 2, 3, … N. Its not just me, there are many others here at TI who have tried to engage his sort and found teh exact same conclusion. Its tempting and even a bit ego-boosting to think you might be the one to reason with him but ultimately youre just playing into his hands. Starvation is the only solution.