My old friend Chad at CCK has attacked Professor Schaff in language that is rather notable.
Am I the only one who thinks it's kind of funny that a guy who remains single and hangs out with conservative Catholic priests, believes that "family structure" (of course, only in the way that he defines it) is the solution to all of our problems?
Wow. A single man who "hangs out" with conservative Catholics. Come to think of it, that does make him seem a bit odd, doesn't it? People like that, well, they have a lot of nerve expressing opinions on certain subjects.
Since I am an enrolled Methodist, and married with children, I suppose there is nothing funny in the fact that I largely agree with Professor Schaff's post. Having taught logic, I would note that Chad's polemic is a classic case of an ad hominem argument. There is something funny about Professor Schaff's propositions, but not because of the arguments or evidence he presents. His propositions are funny because of the kind of person he is, and the religious views of the folks he hangs out with. Any student can see that this amounts to a fallacy, and involves both religious and personal bigotry.
And consider the logical implications of this: is there something "funny" going on when a gay person, without children, expresses opinions about marriage and child-rearing? I don't think so. But that is because I don't think about these things the way Chad apparently does.
Ad hominem arguments are nothing new at CCK. Consider this polemic:
If you're thinking about supporting 75-year-old John McCain for President of the United States, I think it's pretty important to realize what an idiot he is when it comes to the situation in Iraq.
Now a reasonable person might well believe that John McCain is too old to be president. But such a person would make that argument explicitly and carefully. He or she would acknowledge the risks involved if old age is to be a disqualifying factor in seeking office. Simply attaching McCain's age to his name is just another noxious ad hominem, more left-wing Archie Bunkerism from the website that specializes in it. Let us fondly hope and fervently pray that Chad is indeed the only one who thinks this way.
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