Religion
In reply to the discussion: How can religious moderates be said to enable hateful fundamentalists? [View all]LeftishBrit
(41,205 posts)'every person who retreats to faith bears a measure of responsibility for every act of hate and violence justified by it.'
This is an example of the dangerous fallacy of guilt-by-association.
Could not this be used to give EVERYONE who uses any argument, or has any belief, responsibility for every act of hate and violence justified by it?
For example: Communist dictators used leftist beliefs to justify actions of hate and violence. Does this mean that all leftists are responsible for the Gulags (as McCarthyites would indeed believe)?
Is everyone who disliked Saddam responsible for the Iraq war? Is everyone who disliked Reagan complicit with John Hinckley?
This is getting a little too close to the sort of ugly guilt-by-association arguments that are used by anti-atheist bigots to equate open atheists with Stalinism and Maoism.
I have huge admiration for Nate Phelps and his courage in repudiating his vile father; but I have to disagree with him on this.