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Assuming The Worst

Posted on March 17th, 2011 by Staks

I find that after I write an article of blog entry, Christians tend to be the first to misrepresent something I said and assume the worst. When I read a theist article (even one which I know I will comment on critically or write an entire response to), I tend to read carefully the parts that I plan to comment on. I want to make sure that I am not creating a straw man argument. I want to make sure that I am assuming the best in what the theist is saying.

In my view, their best usually paints them in a bad light so I have no problem doing it. I think that the Abrahamic position is ridiculous, so I am willing to give theists the rope they need, so to speak. When they say, “Atheists believe X” or “atheists do X” my first assumption is that they mean “many atheists” or “atheists in general” and not “all atheists.” Sometimes they do mean “all atheists,” but I would want them to clarify that point. But when I say “many Christians” or “some Jews,” they frequently respond by claiming that I am making a sweeping generalizations and lumping “all” together.

It sometimes amazes me at how quickly a theist will misrepresent what I write in such obvious ways that it seems like they are often projecting what they would do on me. I really go out of my way to try to understand where the theist writer is coming from, but I rarely get that type of response from theists when it comes to my writing. It’s frustrating sometimes.