Do you assess opinions based on WHO makes them or what they ARE?

[sibelian]

35. I don't have an agenda in particular, I suppose

I just wanted to know what people thought. I have a rather deep aversion for prioritising the messenger in assessing content, is what I guess I should say.

*I* don't place much emphasis on the content deliverer. There seems to be a great deal of it on this board. Where I come from it isn't so much like that.

It's this "throwing person X under the bus" thing. It seems to carry this enormous emotional charge. I don't see how it's different from "disagreeing with X", which I contend ought to be allowed.

For example - I agree with Richard Dawkins ideas about evolution but I entirely disagree with him about some of his problems with religion. I wouldn't "throw him under the bus" because he's anti-religion or believe what he says because he's him, I've read his work on evolution and it makes sense on its own terms and I've heard him talk about religion and sounds as if it's motivated entirely by emotional disturbance.