Refraction (Bent Thinking) #66

Appeal to Tradition (argumentum ad antiquitam) – a conclusion supported solely because it has long been held to be true.  Refutation: Long standing traditions may have emotional value, but that doesn’t make for a logical reason why the tradition should continue. Example: Abernathy: Beulah, America has always been a Christian country, so we should be able to put a nativity on the courthouse lawn. Side Note: One of the more frustrating things for Christians in the United States is having to watch the country move to a place where Christianity is no longer protected nor respected in public policy.  What might be helpful to remember is: 1) throughout history Christianity has more often than not played a limited role in public policy in the nations of the world. Those Christians had no special privilege or tradition to which they could appeal. Many of them have had just the opposite experience with their religion being scorned at best, and illegal at worst; and 2) a better  solution to Christianity losing it grip and appeal in a nation is for Christians to be salty and full of light, such that others are drawn to them and want to know what it is inside them that make them constantly full of joy.  Complaining about a lost tradition makes people look like sourpusses, and no one is drawn to that.