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1. they read a “study” that showed that most sex offenders have looked at pornography, so therefor, pornography makes people become sex offenders. That line of reasoning makes total sense

   The study may be bogus to begin with, but even assuming it's valid their reasoning is completely invalid.

   The only conclusion that could be drawn from the results presented is "some sex offenders have looked at pornography". To show a correlation (not a cause!) you would need to compare "has looked at pornography" between sex offenders and others. To show a cause, you would need to have two sizable groups of people, have only one of them look at pornography, and then compare the proportions that become sex offenders.

   As important as peer-reviewed research is, but correct reasoning is crucial.

   Related: Less Wrong is a lovely community blog devoted to rationality,

   Comment by nikolasco — May 17, 2009 @ 8:50 pm

2. That's like saying all rapists have consumed bread at some point in their life and bread = rape.
   People like that though are like human soundbites, it is impossible to give them any emperical evidence because they generally don't respond to facts of logic, they've made their mind up and they'll use any flimsy science to back it up.
   Avoid contact with these people at all costs!

   Comment by Christine — August 31, 2009 @ 5:53 pm

3. It's a shame that most educational systems do not teach logical thinking. "All heroin addicts drank milk as babies" does not mean that drinking milk makes you a junkie.

   But you can't argue with people like this - if the facts don't support their prejudices, they just make up their own facts. I once read a claim that human beings are the only species that practises the sin of homosexual behaviour. Any zoologist can tell you that's nonsense.

   Comment by Private Beach — November 26, 2010 @ 4:39 am

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