by Simon 43 Replies latest forum announcements
If you accuse people of being stuck in JW mindset or "cult-like" mentality simply because someone has a different view of politics than you, you'll be deleted.
It's insulting and a lazy substitute for having any real argument for a proper debate.
What next ... "you smell" ?
The phenomena was identified by a brilliant poster a few years ago and described thusly:
Regarding morphs laws and its simple expression: its a direct parallel to godwins law on internet debates. Goodwins law states:
As an online discussion grows longer, the greater the probability of a comparison involving Hitler approaches. that is, if an online discussion (regardless of topic or scope) goes on long enough, sooner or later someone will compare someone or something to Adolf Hitler or his deeds. Further, when a Hitler comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever made the comparison loses whatever debate is in progress.
morphs law takes the truth of goodwins law and applies it to this forum specifically. Morphs law states:
in any debate on this board, if it goes on long enough, someone will accuse a poster of being in another cult or still having cult personality traits. More over whom ever resorted to this is themselves showing the cult like traits and has lost the argument based on their inability to reason and resorting to the ‘still in a cult’ or ‘still thinking like your in the cult’ accusation.
Im sure it could be restated and refined a bit but you get the point and no doubt see morphs law in action every day on the forum.
I believe its the left who labels conservatives as cult followers. I don't seen many liberals who can stay on topic without yelling, stomping their feet and holding their breath.
I think that personally insulting another Poster is simply wrong, and any action Simon takes regarding that sort of thing meets with my full approval. The argument should be addressed, and that alone.
If you determine that a particular Poster is in fact still in the JW mindset, or the mindset of many of a Political conviction, one that does not allow them to honestly assess the argument you have presented, it is simply time to leave that Poster to stew in their own ignorance, it is not time to insult them personally.
Thank you. I’m tired of being called a cultist simply because I endorse Trump.
Actually Morph plagiarized my post from six years ago. I got a lot of flack for it.
Another poster suggested calling "Cofty's Law". Morph waited a few years and tried to resurrect it as his own brilliant idea.
Accusing Ex-JWs of Behaving Like JWs Should be Taboo...
I am seeing it repeatedly on the forum. I think it is cowardly.
Sometimes it is appears in the form of accusing others of behaving like JW elders. To add insult to injury, it is frequently used by some who were never JWs.
Consider what many of us had to go through to get out the cult - what is cost us in terms of family and friends. The intellectual struggles we experienced to get over years of indoctrination. The courage and integrity it took to reject everything we once held dear.
To label somebody who disagrees with you as acting like a JW is a craven personal attack.
There are occasions when it is simply a statement of fact - when somebody preaches end-times speculation for example - but to use it as a cheap shot is unacceptable.
You are actually doing democrats a huge service by not rewarding this behavior. I truly think they are blind to how biased they come across to normies sometimes.
Not all cults are religious.
Cofty: Six years ago another poster suggested calling "Cofty's Law".
Actually, it was at least nine years ago in this thread by forum member, NewChapter:
At that time, I (when posting as 00DAD) suggested calling it Cofty’s Corallary because I thought it was more euphonious, but alas it never caught on!
Wow that takes me back JP!
I liked New Chapter. She was a formidable debator.
