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Dear Christian, threats don't make things true.

Lion IRC said:
Yes I do.

By the way, I think your last post violates a basic element of logical argument - attempted conclusion unsupported by any reasons whatsoever.

There's no logical fallacy in attempting to dissuade people from smoking by warning them there is a causal relationship between smoking and lung cancer. The logical fallacy arises in argumentum ad baculum because there is no necessary inference.

Me - stop smoking because it will or might cause cancer.
Thee - so what?
Me - aren't you worried about getting cancer?
Thee - no
Me - Oh well I guess my argument/reasoning is faulty
Thee - yes, you should reword your argument to say "If you want to avoid cancer you should stop smoking"

The logical error is in thinking that the stick necessarily persuades towards the attempted conclusion. It doesn't.

In fact, as I said earlier, one person's stick might be another person's carrot.
Click to expand...

When we warn people that smoking causes lung cancer, we can cite evidence that smoking causes lung cancer.

In order to be equivalent, someone would have to use the threat of lung cancer to prove that fairies are real.

You'd better believe in fairies or else you will get lung cancer! Look, ink just trying to warn you about what will happen if you don't believe in fairies. I'm only doing it because I care about you.

There, did my warning convince you that fairies are real?

Remember, it's not a threat, but a warning, so there logic of my argument is completely valid and not an example of an argumentum ad baculum fallacy!
 
Oh, and as per the original argument about Ted and the moon being made of green cheese, some people are into kinky masochism and like to be tortured, therefore when I said that you must believe the moon is made of green cheese or else Ted will torture you, what I said want a threat, therefore the logic of my argument is sound.

Therefore, my warning about Ted torturing you proves that there Mon is made of green cheese.

Remember, not a threat, but a warning. Also, some people like it.

So do you agree that my warning proves that the moon is made of green cheese?

Look, you have a choice to make. The decision is entirely up to you. Ted is coming.
 
Ted was eaten by Mr. Horsie, the Horse God of Jupiter's seventh moon. All allegiance to Ted must be transferred to Mr. Horsie by 6 p.m. EST...today. Every knee must bend, every head must bow, to Mr. Horsie. The Gospel of Mr. Horsie available for $29.95, to me, via emarketing. Sorry, no bitcoins.
 
Your neigh saying will not influence my decision making process, despite the fact that it must have some truth to it because it costs money.
 
To me the threat is eternal life. I really don't think people think this through. In thirty trillion years you'll still be a youngster with your whole life ahead of you. But there is no light from which you could read a good book if you haven't already read everything ever published. In other words how does one fill time when time itself has no more meaning. I suppose spending literally trillions x trillions of years telling god every one of those days how great he is will never get dull.
 
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