Stop channeling my bubbe!
How many* bubbes* to change a lightbulb?
None, don’t bother, I’ll sit in the dark…
Oh, I get that. The new roll eyes sucks. Just not seeing why White SIFL used a roll eyes at all.
Four days later and only tangentially related, but I’d like to use Stanislaus’s impeccable example on another religiously-themed case of less-than-honest meaning substitution.
I am an outspoken atheist. If you call me a militant atheist, you are being a sneaky, Brickeresque slimeball. But you’re being the ‘best’* kind of sneaky - the technically true ‘I can hide behind a dictionary’ sneaky. You can claim that you’re only using the word ‘militant’ in its mild sense as a synonym for ‘forthright’. Then you can turn round and say you think militant atheists are as awful as militant theists and, people being as careless about language as they are, you’ll probably get away with it. :mad:
*Interestingly, another dual use word, though in this case the uses are practically antonyms.
They do the same thing with “radical”…like its a bad thing.
“Dictionary sneaky”? That’s a new one. Why would anyone use a dictionary definition to define a word. :rolleyes:
Militant means active, determined, and often willing to use force.
Outspoken means expressing strong opinions very directly without worrying if other people will be upset by them.
Referring to someone as a militant means you believe they are willing to use force or have used force in an attempt to make others do their bidding.
So when the likes of Dawkins, Dennett and Harris get described as ‘militant atheists’, rather than seeing it as a slimy attempt to smear their character, you would prefer to simply call out their accusers for the bald-faced liars that they are?
That works for me too.
I should think that was obvious, isn’t it? It’s because he was responding to something posted by . . . uhhh, oh wait, no, I suppose it’s not going to be apparent to you, is it?
What are you talking about? This is what I wrote that generated the roll eyes by** White SIFL**:
[QUOTE=magellan01]
Wait—I’m not aware of the thread that this was discussed in, nor all of the details…
[/QUOTE]
You eat stupid?
Slee
My bad, I guess. In my defense, it DOES save time to just assume that if you posted it, it merits a rolleyes.
I can certainly respect a a quest for efficiency. And it’s a good way for you to zoom straight to being wrong again without having to further tax those two brain cells.
I’ll decide my own preferences, if’n that’s OK with you. Even if it ain’t, it’s what I intend to do.
If someone wants to describe Dawkins, Dennett, and Harris as “militant atheists”, that’s for that “someone” to decide. It’s then up to that “someone” to back up their statements.
Again -
Referring to someone as a militant means you believe they are willing to use force or have used force in an attempt to make others do their bidding.
The term has been debased and distorted beyond all recognition. Bet I could find someone being described as a “militant pacifist”, if I took the time.
Inventing silly definitions does not actually help one win a debate–particularly when the audience is sufficiently literate to know that the invented definition does not actually describe the term.
People are constantly inventing silly definitions, especially on the internet. I’m not sure if they are trying to win a debate, preaching to the choir, or hoping for an emotional reaction. For the record, I used the term militant atheist as an example and not to imply that anyone was actually a militant anything.
However, referring to someone as a militant does mean the speaker believes, or wants others to believe, that the subject is willing to use force, or have used force, in an attempt to make others do their bidding.
militant
adjective /ˈmɪl.ɪ.tənt/
› active, determined, and often willing to use force:
militant union extremists
The group has taken a militant position on the abortion issue and is refusing to compromise.
A militant atheist would be an atheist who is willing to use force.
Atheists (or anyone, really) who are loudmouthed but not specifically or potentially violent, I like to call “strident”.