“Well that’s a slippery slope.”
When having religious discussions I often hear the counter-argument (if it could even be called that), “That’s a slippery slope.”
As I see it, that is tantamount to:
I don’t disagree with what you’re saying, but I’d rather be wrong than critically examine my underlying beliefs, which may lead me to your conclusions (or worse, beyond your conclusions and into a set of beliefs that I currently find offensive).
In and of itself, the “slippery slope” argument is likely only ever presented to people already on the slope. In that light, perhaps I’m missing the intent, which would be:
You’re already on a slippery slope, and as such, you will likely continue your slide. I choose not to join you, or to open myself up to this dialog.
A discomfort with the gray areas in life may be the root cause of this view, as it suggests a belief that views can be black or white, but gray most certainly will lead from one to the other; it most likely will not just remain gray.
This perhaps is an attempt to avoid being lukewarm at all costs. That makes sense to me. But I still find the “slippery slope” argument very unsatisfying. And as always, I could be wrong on all of this.
