If you're against me, you must be demon-possessed

There are a lot of factors that determine our individual beliefs: our position in society, the information we receive, and our ability to sift through said information and think critically about the claims made and evidence provided. We may have harsh judgments about other people's beliefs, and we may dismiss others' claims for solid or poor reasons. What we need to realize is we all have biases. No one really has complete information. It is possible for any of us, even the best critical thinker, to come to a wrong belief. We should be prepared to come up against that, face it and change our minds when we have better information.

And it should go without saying that we come to our beliefs through purely natural means. For right or wrong, emotionally or rationally, we look at the world and make decisions about what is true and false. People who think differently from us do so based on whatever input they receive.

If you think magic is real and that supernatural forces are real, you might think that others have come to different conclusions because of demons.

In this vein, Mark Taylor went on a radio show to say that Freemasons and Illuminati are using Satan to change people's DNA to oppose Trump.

Now, you might think that Trump has said and done things that might turn people off, that he has proposed policies that parts of the American public oppose, that he has insulted various groups, that there are serious problems in the US that need addressing and he either is not addressing them or actively making them worse. What I'm saying is maybe you have real, rational reasons for your political stance and your policy positions. According to Mark Taylor, I guess, you don't have any good reason. Demons are twisting your very genetic code (?!?!) to make you think differently.

First up on what I'm wondering: why would Satanic forces need to change DNA to do this? Couldn't they simply alter my brain? Couldn't they merely give me "fake news" to read? Why does it have to be DNA?

The second thing that puzzles me is that over the course of my life I've never seen 100% agreement on even the smallest thing. 9 out of 10 dentists recommend sugarless gum. Not everyone likes chocolate. I even know people who don't come in out of the rain because they like getting wet. What I'm saying is even what I think of as really obvious topics do not garner the approval of everyone. Politics is, by its nature, something that is going to create divisions and affect people differently. There has never been a president that absolutely everyone has loved. It's the nature of the beast.

What is really ridiculous is the notion that if I don't agree with you, it must be a combination of conspiracy theory and supernatural forces that are poisoning your brain. There is no argument here about why a position is correct, why we should change our thinking, why what is happening is positive. There is simply this appeal to god, a god that just happens to believe exactly what you do and who can't be wrong. There is no arguing with a god because the god is all-knowing and all-powerful. He is the gatekeeper of reason and logic and morality. 

We will not solve our problems or find common ground with people who refuse to engage our concerns or present evidence.

The appeal to god or Satan is not an argument. It is a way to get out of one.

(Via: RightWingWatch.org)