MtheGM, I need to say that you have not been a jerk in any of these conversations.


If I start a conversation with "you are deluded" or "you have a delusion." I am putting you on the defensive and bringing all of the mental illness connotations of the word into the conversations. Do you honestly believe that Mr. Dawkins and his publishers were not aware or this? I think not. I think they were drawing a line in the sand trying to provoke as many "God botherers" as the could to denounce the book and "debate" him.

As per the choice of words, I think you and Mr. Dawkins are quite capable of thinking of respectful ways of saying the you disagree with Christians without the strong and fairly clear implication that you are saying that they are crazy.

As per my choice of words... Please keep in mind that I saw Mr. Dawkins "defend" his title in a discussion with an Anglican cleric. Please pardon my weak vocabulary but I cannot think of a word for someone who uses a word that implies that I am crazy in an effort to pick a fight with me and everyone who shares my beliefs but who

a. Does not have the integrity to say that he does not mean to say that he thinks that I am crazy. and

b. Does not have the courage to come right out and say that he thinks I am crazy.   

Scaredy-cat fight-picking word-weasel, is as close as I can think of. But "jerk" gets the point across, I hope.