Talk:Name-a-fallacy fallacy

Note - if you so happen to find this content posted elsewhere, that is OK per copyright since it is my own work, including on other sites. Maratrean 16:16, 22 April 2012 (EDT)

Dear "John Roc"

I know you've been banned anyway, so you can't respond, but just in case you happen to read this, I want to point out why you are wrong. You changed this:

Christian: Everything that begins to exist, must have a cause. The universe began to exist, therefore the universe must have a cause. And the cause of the universe, we call "God".

Atheist: That's special pleading.

to read this (your additions in italics):

Christian: Everything that begins to exist, must have a cause. The universe began to exist, therefore the universe must have a cause. And the cause of the universe, we call "God". God, however, does not require a cause, because He has existed for all time.

Atheist: That's special pleading. You can't say that nothing exists without a cause and then say that God doesn't need one too.

How is that special pleading? The Christian never said that "nothing exists without a cause". They said that "nothing that begins to exist, exists without a cause". No special pleading here.

However, I don't think you are guilty of this fallacy, because even though your assertion that the Christian committed special pleading is wrong, at least you've provided enough information for others to see how you are wrong. The original dialogue is guilty of this fallacy because no one can tell if the atheist is right or wrong, because the atheist has failed to provide sufficient information for that to be determined. Maratrean 19:00, 24 April 2012 (EDT)