Hammer, Nail, Head...

[onager]

This was posted by my online friend Phyl, over at the People's Forum. It really summarizes my feelings whenever I see the comment: "But they're not REAL Xians!" Which, of course, I see about 9000 times a day in various DU forums.

Phyl also created the neat "Ex-Fundie" blog, if you want to pay her a visit: http://exfundie.blogspot.com

Here's her post, which was in response to a LTTE someone posted about the Religious Reich:

I like that letter. But one problem I see with it is a kind of syndrome with ideologues: "They don't adhere to the 'real' beliefs, so they're not real <insert ideology here>."

When I was a libertarian capitalist, we used to laugh mockingly at communists who said, "Oh, pay no attention to the USSR/Albania/China/blah-blah-blah, because they're not practising 'real' Communism. As soon as we set up our Communist state, we'll do it the right way and then you'll see."

And of course all sorts of laissez-faire capitalists are saying exactly the same thing, and have been for many years now, "Oh, the only reason capitalism appears not to be working in <insert country here> is that they're not practising 'real' capitalism. Just let us get our hands on a country we can remake from scratch, and finally you'll see that it works when it's done the right way." (As the neo-cons are actually trying to do in Iraq right now, according to people like Naomi Klein.)

And the same has always happened with religious people too. "Oh, they're not 'real' Christians. Let me do it and I'll show you it works when it's done the right way."

Eventually I've gotten to the point where I (metaphorically) yell, "No, this is what happens every time a group tries to put into practise <insert ideology here>! Every time! Baby, this *IS* the real <insert ideology here>!"

So I know the guy means well, but...

[LisaLynne]

1. So true.

People can never see the pattern when THEY'RE doing it, you know?

[JNelson6563]

4. The ol' "Everyone's out of step

but my Johnny" routine. Seen it a million times.

Julie

[Az]

2. Its the no true Scotsman fallacy repeated over and over again

Its a classic in logic fallacy. No true Scotsman would eat quiche. Lars McDougal eats quiche. So he cannot be a true Scotsman. It doesn't work.

It should be noted that the nature of the Christian religion means that there is only one person that has the ability to define who is and who is not a true Christian. And he hasn't spoken to anyone reliably for over 2000 years if he ever existed at all.

So as long as someone refers to themself as a Christian it is only appropriate to acknowledge their self identification.

[Beetwasher]

3. And Therein Lies The Fundamental Problem W/ Religion

Everyone claims THEIR version is the REAL one and they can't all be real.