Why do so many christians often resort to ad hominem arguments when challenged to defend their beliefs?

Question

Ad hominem argument: attacking the person instead of his argument.

So far I count 6 common types.

1. the atheist is evil, a bad person.

2. the atheist has no standard of "morals".

3. the atheist is an agent of Satan.

4.the atheist is like a rebellious child ie., he is simply unreasonable.

5.the atheist is actually wants to believe but willfully refuses to submit.

6.the atheist reads the bible with his head not his heart ie.,the atheist over intellectualizes everything too much. He has no faith.

I suppose there are more but these are common hourly on Yahoo.

I have yet to se an atheist call a christian "evil" here. Stupid, yes, but not "evil".

Answer 1

I like ad hominem grits.

A logic term like this is not suitable here. Given modern evidence and biblical inconsistencies, to hold to an Abrahamic belief system REQUIRES a kind of intellectual failure that precludes any satisfactory answer to your question from their side.

Answer 2

How the hell can you possibly defend a position you have no hope of proving either for or against? This is the question ALL religious people have to ask themselves. Why can they not just wake up to the fact that what they believe is a choice and let the rest of the world live? It doesn't matter of you are Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or a freaking Martian, If you believe in some greater force fine and well, but don't tell everyone else that they are wrong, evil, cursed etc. Just remember this........if there is something after this life it doesn't matter what you've given, how many laws you've obeyed, how many times you've "sacrificed", what matters is how you, myself and everyone else has lived our lives. If we judge, we will be judged, if we are self-righteous,we'll be spiritually exposed for what we are, if we have contempt for others, we'll be shown contempt..............etc. I don't know and certainly can't prove what lies ahead, but neither I or anyone else has the right or the mandate to judge or persecute anyone else for their beliefs or lack of. I challenge anyone out there to prove to me with empirical evidence that what they believe is "right". If you are able to do this,I recommend everyone on the planet to follow this belief.

Answer 3

Attacking the person is the way to go if you can't support your ideas with any intellectual argument. This is an old politicians trick that goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Just tell them to focus on the matter at hand and not about you personally.

Answer 4

I don't believe athiests necessarily have these qualities. The closest I recall coming to one of the arguments is #2, but only that societal standards of morals tend to be based on religious beliefs, and that most people are influenced by the society.

Answer 5

They are fear-driven and react as such. Ad hominem attacks are the easiest way for them to lash out and feel better about their sad existences they call lives.

Answer 6

Oh, because many of them check their heads at the door whenever they enter church.

I'm a devout Christian, but I don't subscribe to any of the above. My personal experience has guided me to the faith, not the caterwauliing of a fundamentalist preacher.

Answer 7

I hear you speak highly of them as well

Ad homenims are a smoke screen for lack of substance in an argument

In actuallyity relgious folk have no monopoly on ad hominims, many Atheists are pretty slick with the ad hominims as well

Answer 8

That's what happens when narrow-minded people are brain-washed. Reasoning and proof are not taken seriously, in favour of various far-fetched excuses.

Answer 9

There minds go no further than that man written book, the bible. Don't ask them anything sexual, they may turn to stone.

Answer 10

Think about your question. Atheists are calling Christians names. Christians are calling atheists names. And one group somehow has the "moral high ground" in all this childishness??? That's rich...