Quote Originally Posted by Beskar View Post
Thats the argument part. The rest of it is just fluff. However, you cannot use fluff alone to justify an action such as:
"As a Christian, I believe homosexuals burn in hell, so lets make it illegal"

There is a difference between the two, you can use fluff along with the argument, but you cannot use the fluff as an argument.

It would be equal to:
"As a homophobe, I believe homosexual intercourse is nasty, so lets make it illegal".

Now, which statement is more valid than the other? There is no argument in either statements, they are simply that, statements.

"Those without money end up committing crime out of desperation, so I believe we should help them be able to help themselves, and provide that means" - Valid Argument.

"I believe as a Christian, that those without money are doing it out of desperation, turn away from teachings of God. My relationship with God helps me understand that these people need our help, in order to help themselves, we should provide that means" - Valid Argument + Religious Fluff.


Now, lets look at PVC's statement, the Anti-H one, and the "Help the Needy" one.

As you see, both PVC's and 'Help the Needy' examples are legitimate arguments which no one has any problems with being used and can be used in a secular environment.

However, the Anti-H, using both a religious and a non-religious argument, is where people have problems. Typically, it is far more associated with religion as this is historically the driving force of such laws.

Does that clear it up?
Um, Beskar, I said nothing about homosexuality, did I?

Now, your "this is the argument and this is the fluff" approach doesn't hold water, because it is not self evident, from a naturalistic standpoint, that we are all created equal. In fact, it is manifestly obvious that by every naturalistic measure we are all of us profoundly unequal. My belief in human equality is one I hold in defience of numbers and statistics because I believe in the essential equality of the human soul and the universal love which God bears all his children.

I can't see a way to defend the principle of universal equality without atleast resorting to some form of Deism.