Mormonism and apologetics/"ad hominem"/Case study/An attempt to portray FairMormon as delusional, dishonest and deceptive

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A case study in "ad hominem": An attempt to portray FairMormon as delusional, dishonest and deceptive



I used to think the people at FairMormon were just delusional but with honest intentions. Now after dealing with them for close to a year now? They're not only delusional but dishonest and deceptive.

—Jeremy Runnells, author of "Letter to a CES Director" (22 June 2014). [1]
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NAME-CALLING: the use of offensive names especially to win an argument or to induce rejection or condemnation (as of a person or project) without objective consideration of the facts.

—Merriam-Webster Dictionary [2]
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The critic says, "I used to think the people at FairMormon were just delusional but with honest intentions. Now after dealing with them for close to a year now? They're not only delusional but dishonest and deceptive."

The critic claims that a year ago he thought that members of FairMormon were "delusional with honest intentions." Now he believes that they are not only still "delusional," but also "dishonest and deceptive." What changed? The critic elaborates:

I'm glad FairMormon posted this. I stand by this statement 110%.
I gave FairMormon the benefit of the doubt. However, after nearly a year of constant and deliberate misrepresentation, obfuscation, and strawmens of my position and arguments, I'm of the firm opinion that FairMormon is both dishonest and deceptive in their tactics and responses. [3]

So, again we ask, what changed? Apparently, the author simply didn't like our responses to his Letter to a CES Director. Because we disagree with his conclusions, we are now classified as "dishonest and deceptive." Note that the critic considered us "delusional" from the beginning.


Notes

  1. Jeremy Runnells, posted as "kolobot" on the ex-Mormon subreddit, June 22, 2014.
  2. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/name-calling
  3. Jeremy Runnells, "Debunking FairMormon - Letter to a CES Director" (2014)