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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 12, No. 10. September 20th, 1949

If You Can't Argue—Shout!

If You Can't Argue—Shout!

This defence against reason, the defence of unproved abuse and insinuation is over-common in Salient. The argument was not concerned with the persecution by Christianity or to be more precise the alleged persecutions by Christians. In the last issue of Salient I quoted a statement concerning the problem of the Church and Fascism. I repeat that Communism, Fascism and Nazism were all condemned by the Church in that order of time. There is not need to repeat it. The acceptance of the Fascists |by| the Church is no; a fact and nothing Junior Atheist has said in any way proves me wrong.

I have previously queried his complaints about taboos. His answer is to pity my intelligence and a refusal to discuss the point. If there are any taboos they should be called rules, and rules exist in order to help man, not to prevent man from helping his fellow men. Since neither the taboos nor their effects have been set out by my over-assertive opponent how can I dispute them?

To commence an argument by admitting a proof and then to dismiss the proof as casuistry is the height of illogical stupidity and impertinence. But who knows? Some day even a Senior Atheist may reach the dizzy heights of casuistry; certainly it will be a long time before Junior Atheist arrives at the ABC of logic—the principles of causality.