Gilberto Simpson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
On 8/29/05, Scott Saylors <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Gilberto Simpson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:<Gilberto:I've never seen a Muslim attack a Bahai (physically, verbally, or otherwise).PeaceGilberto>That's good. Now does itmean that you doubt it has ever happened even when faced with evidence that it does?No, that's not what I'm saying or trying to argue.
Does it increase the stature of Islam to claim that it might be persecuted in the future if the Baha`i Faith continues to grow around the world?No. The issue would be how to objectively view and understand the significance of the Bahai faith. What does the spread of the Bahai faith mean if you aren't Bahai?Okay, What did the authority of Islamic Establishment mean to the Bab'i's and Baha`i's of the Heroic Age of the Faith? Discussing this we can point to actual history, not dire prognostication.
Is this not a "strawman" argument?No. "Strawman argument" is a specific term used for a kind of flawed technique where you try to refute another person's beliefs by misrepresenting them. So instead of arguing against what a person actually believes, you "create a strawman" and use a weaker version of their beliefs which is easier to argue against.That's not quite correct. You erect an argument based on nothing that has been said to cover the fact that you cannot argue against what HAS been put forward.The definition of "Strawman" is as follows (Merriam-Webster):"Main Entry: straw man
Function: noun
1 : a weak or imaginary opposition (as an argument or adversary) set up only to be easily confuted
2 : a person set up to serve as a cover for a usually questionable transaction "It seems that you have erected an argument of possible future persecutions of Islam by Baha`i's only to build an objection to the faith's verities. This is a "strawman" argument because you brought it up. Everyone has tried to deal with it, even though you reject all arguments against it, you still keep raising it as a shield against accusations of improprieties against Baha`i's by established Muslim Authority."If it walks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, smart money bets it is a duck."Old American adage
PeaceGilbertoRegards,Scott
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