John Loftus<\/a> and PZ Myers take an extremely confrontational, contemptuous tone towards Christians, and they\u2019ve caught a lot of flack, both from accommodationists like Chris Mooney and more hard-line atheists. I\u2019m skeptical about the efficacy of these tactics, but I\u2019d love to hear from commenters like TommyP in more detail about how mockery and contempt helped them give up their old beliefs. Even if ridicule is helpful, and worth the danger of alienation and unwarranted pride, we should be careful of adopting condescension as a default approach if we truly want to convince people. Before you unleash your disdain, think about these factors.<\/p>\nConsider your audience<\/strong><\/em>
\nAssuming that mockery can work as a shock tactic, it still won\u2019t do any good if you write a blog for a primarily atheist audience or if you\u2019re joking around with non-believing friends. If your criticism isn\u2019t accessible to the people you\u2019re ostensibly trying to help, it\u2019s hard to defend jeremiads as tactical rather than self-congratulatory. And I don\u2019t think the Christian trolls who frequent atheist blogs promising hell are likely to be reachable enough to justify any rancor as public-spirited.<\/p>\n[Read the rest at Daylight Atheism<\/a>]<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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