The main idea behind the teachings of the Church of Euthanasia is there are too many humans on this earth, and it is destroying the environment as well as the proper way of life. They actively promote abortion, suicide, and cannibalism as effective ways to decrease the population of humans on this planet, thus saving it. Although it is very brief and hard to pick up on, one of the main advocates on the Jerry Springer show use logos as a way to reason with the audience with their chosen lifestyle. The total population number of humans is brought up frequently and used almost in a "cause and effect" format to prove that this increasing number is the reason for many problems. These problems range from environmental, social, economic, etc., although the threat of environmental issues is the most emphasized.
The official website for this cult also uses some data to present their argument and eventually recruit more members. The website includes the current human population as well as statistics on the rate in which our current population is growing. Given the scientific and concrete basis that the cult is based on, it makes sense that their most effective mode of persuasion would be through logos. Statement on the effects human procreating has on global warming, water pollution, etc. can only be concluded through actual facts gathered through research, regardless of how far-fetched the conclusion may be.
Church of Euthanasia website:
http://churchofeuthanasia.org/index.html
Interesting how a group with such radical ideas can use logos as a means for recruitment. You would think that their ideas go against logic completely and thus should resort to fantasy and coercion. I am interested to know which specific statistics you reference, it would be helpful if you quoted at least one specifically.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you mentioned their appeal to logos in terms of recruitment. Many churches appeal to a higher being, yet ironically, here, the church refers to facts and figures to justify their beliefs. I also find it interesting that the group justifies abortion as a means for population control, whereas liberals justify it due to human rights, demonstrating that reason does really matter in terms of the resulting decision. This Church using logical figures to justify their practices reminds me a lot of a satire called "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift that emphasizes how logic is not the end all for making the morally correct decisions (the satire emphasizes the logic in eating babies to control population).
ReplyDeleteInteresting how in some sense their argument is very purely logos, as they are okay with the idea of killing people because there is a logical reason. They do not incorporate any emotion in their decision.
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