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Red Herring.... what happens if you feel that your defense has not been strong enough or that there are lingering doubts in the minds of the audience? At this point you should avoid sticking to the point... draw attention to a side issue where you feel particularly strong. This will give the impression that you are still in charge of the course of the discussion. (p.140)

Ad hominem. Instead of attacking the specific points of an argument, you attack the man... You tell your audience how someone falls into the trap of believing such nonsense. (p. 148)

True by definition. You can always save your position by making it true by definition. (p.151)

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Consider Robert A. Morey's 1986 book The New Atheism and the Erosion of Freedom. After complaining that "some atheists deliberately use deception to refute theism" (pg. 87), Morey cites Nicholas Capaldi's book The Art of Deception as "proof" of atheistic deception. Morey quotes page 117 of Capaldi's book thusly: "Never admit defeat... ". The only problem is that Capaldi never says this (or anything like it) on this or on any other page. Morey has numerous other false quotes attributed to Capaldi, such as: "Refuse to be convinced. Even if you feel that he has a good argument and that your case is weaker, refuse to be convinced of your opponent's case". Nowhere does Capaldi advocate, as Morey accuses him of doing, that atheists should "use any invalid or deceptive argument as long as it helps him (to) win his case". Morey concludes this amazing series of lies and defamation of character by noting that his examples provide "a small sampling of the 'dirty tricks' methodology that seems to pervade modern atheism", and that, as a consequence, "my personal experience has proven this makes rational debate with an atheist very difficult".

Morey fails to mention that, in his introduction, Capaldi specifically points out that he is writing the book "from the point of view of one who wishes to deceive, mislead, or manipulate others" (pg. 12). His reason for this novel approach is that he thinks it makes his readers more able to recognize this strategy in others. While one may quarrel with this method, ignoring it altogether and giving false, out of context quotes, as Morey does, constitutes dishonesty of a most egregious kind.

However, Morey has an "out". There are no actual quotation marks on these alleged quotes. Yet, they are separated from the main text and page numbers are given, thus giving the appearance of being actual quotes. In addition, the use of ellipses, as in the first quote, gives the definite impression that the citation is an actual quote rather than a paraphrase. The "dirty tricks methodology" that Morey attributes to atheists certainly apply to Robert Morey.

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...execution by bayonet and club was introduced for such offenses as falling asleep during the day, asking too many questions, playing non-communist music, being old and feeble, being the offspring of an undesirable, or being too well educated.

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Originally posted by Dave W.

Thinking about the things Cune has brought up, I can only wonder, is Dr. Capaldi an atheist? Obviously, if he isn't, then the premise of the unsigned atheismsucks review is just blowing smoke with the "by atheists for atheists" stuff.

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