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FACT!

Or, why it is asinine to believe in the proposition "you have your opinion and I have mine, and we are entitled to our opinions and therefore all our opinions should be respected."

Or, this isn't the finest example of the exercise of "freedom of speech." "Free speech" is a not a positive right, but a negative one, that is, you should be free from the governmental interference in regulating information for the authoritarian purposes. It is not a carte blanche to have and disseminate wrong information to anyone and everyone at your convenience.

Learning about the world is far more important than expressing one's half-formed and misinformed opinions about world.

AtheistReader 7 Aug 13
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17 comments

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0

Opinions are like assholes....everybody has one

2

To quote Winston Curchhill. "You are welcome to your own opinion, but what you are not welcome to is your own facts"

someone should tell that to idiot politicians lol

@redhog

I whole new chapter has been added to the Logics and Ethics curricula called Alternate facts 101. Lol. It was designed by Kelly Anne Conway.

@t1nick I think the new press secretary read it cover to cover

1

stupid people should be corrected. Otherwise their stupidity becomes infectious

1

Whoever did that post has confused opinion with scientific fact.

1

If we respect opinions then the serial rapist or murderer would also have to be correct. People may think they have a right to say or do whatever they want to but I do not share that opinion.

5

I do not have to respect your opinion. Especially if it's wrong.

2

The respondent's problem was starting off "nice." That is, they started off with "to anybody wondering" instead of just listing the facts. Call a lie a lie, no need to beat about the bush unless that is your job. Another decent opener is "you are right [red], that is crazy because it is totally wrong."
I know, not really the point, but I wonder if that is part of the problem. In trying to invite people in learn more, which we know already if they will probably be interested or not, we sugar coat it so others feel like they can engage with it as a potential debate instead of like our teachers did with "I'm sorry, that's incorrect, let's explore the correct answer." (Do teachers still do that?)

4

Typical theist. Their pride was hurt because they thought they had an aha! moment that proved the existence of their god. And when their ignorance was pointed out, it hurt their ego and pride. This is the kinda toxic theist that would escalate to violence if probed and forced to question their stance further. I know the type.

This mechanism you described works for any idea that is deep rooted in us.
When someone challenge an idea that makes part of someone's identity the person reacts on self preservation mode instead of "i am seeing a new interesting idea" mode.

It can be with any idea, nationality, political views, religious etc.

One can get defensive. But hers was a threat. Like scolding a child. Don't you everrr do that again. Because it hurt her ego. Others can go into defensive mode more logically and without making veiled threats. Just sayin

1

People like that don't want to debate, they need to tell crap and others to kiss their arse so they can feel special. You don't need that.

2

I've been partial to the expression that we have a right to our own beliefs but not our own facts.

This can get nuanced, but take a flat Earther or the AIG guys behind the creation museum and Ark encounter. I feel their right to believe in their fantasy world ends at teaching it as fact to people.

If two people agree climate change is a fact they have every right to different opinions on how to deal with it. Even if some of those ideas are on the fringe.

So opinions are good. They're fed by perspective and having differing opinions from people who don't have the same background is awesome.

Lies and fables as a belief system is potentially dangerous if the beliefs drive actions counter to well being.

Unfortunately I don't know for a fact that teaching children that creationism is a better explanation than evolution is counter to the well being of either the child or of society as a whole, but I have an opinion that it is.

See, I don't think it's a potential. That kind of like saying taking poor care of your teeth when you are a young child doesn't cause harm because they're going to lose all those teeth anyway. But if something forms a habit or pattern of behavior that will harm you later, then it is harmful. Stunting inquiry, scientific knowledge, and knowing why things happen is undoubtedly dangerous.

1

Imo, Everyone has a 'right' to have THEIR own opinion/s just as everyone else has a similar 'right' to disagree/debate upon any and all opinions, etc, that are perceived to be either irrational, false, mis-leading as per tried, tested and proven evidence/s.
Unfortunately, so it seems, since time immemorial so-called Free Speech has been the 'target' of choice for those who desire to suppress it for their own ends and means, i.e. Religions, imo, being a Prime Example.
Humans 'invented' via evolutionary processes the abilties of speech as a means of communication of ideas, etc, etc, with more clarity than mere grunts and grumbles, ergo we should ALL stand up and fight for the Right to speak our minds with absolutely Freedom and NOT have impositions, etc, placed upon that Right.

7

The funny part is when serial liars like Trump get butt hurt over people not respecting them.
It's not like we'll allow the government to lie about things without speaking up anymore.
Mr. Trump, I'm not insulting you, I'm describing you.

4

“Translation: I don’t want to learn anything, ever. I’m happy in my own mind, even if my facts are completely wrong.” What a boob. Ugh.

5

Opinions have no automatic equivalence. And no one "has" to respect your opinion, unless it is based on a judicial factual basis. "Oh, you were abducted by aliens, who did experiments on you? What evidence do you have for that claim?" Feelings are not evidence of anything other than you have those feelings, BTW!

4

One of the problems is that some people seem to think free speech should protect them from the consequences, like "I have a right to say what I want, and you can't say anything about it."

And as one of our -omosexual judges recently said "your right to swing your fist ends ¼" from my face". He was wrong of course - it ends 6' away from your face where it is perceived as ineffectual flailing and not a threat to cause gbh.

Ah, but by saying that an adverse/disparaging comment/response/reply is 'In my Opinion' then, legally speaking, one cannot NOT held accountable in a Court of Law since it IS merely an opinionand NOT a Statement of fact.

@Triphid I'm not sure just adding "in my opinion" negates any legal consequences, like defamation. Anyway, I was referring to contexts outside of the law, whether or not someone is stating something as fact or opinion. Speech has consequences, one of which is criticism.

1

It means , I know your thoughts on this topic , I disagree , but this isn't worth arguing about .

1

Good point.

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