[vhawk01]

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Well, to be fair, I dont start OUT ridiculing them for making assumptions that I dont make. And really at no point is that WHY I might ridicule them. More, I ridicule them for having no idea what assumptions they are actually making until forced to name them, and then pretending like these assumptions for some reason dont apply to everyone else. IOW, "I use my own personal experience as a way to find truth but Muslims are misguided heathens."

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While i still don't think this is worthy of ridicule, I think it's much less objectionable to mock someone for this reason.

What happens when you point out the implications of their method of reasoning? How does ridiculing them help matters?

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Two seperate questions, so I'll address them seperately. What happens when I point out the implications? For the most part, hemming and hawing and special pleading. Rarely, they admit that they've never thought of these implications and they soften their stance, or modify their assumptions slightly.

In the first case, I dont care what happens when I mock them because they arent going to hear a word I have to say. Maybe peer pressure will make them change their minds, but probably not and who cares. At this point I'm just not interested in dignifying their dishonesty and treating it like it belongs in the discussion. In the second case, I dont ridicule them so I dont have to worry about it.

I hear what you are saying about my motivations having at least SOMETHING to do with making myself feel better or big and strong or whatever. I cant claim that plays no role, I dont feel like it does but I'm probably not a great person to ask, right? I can only claim to be AWARE of that possibility and try not to let it take a huge role in my actions.