Oh, and skeptics aren't guilty of being closed minded and very self-righteous in the same way?
Some can be. Being skeptical doesn't necessarily make someone better, just...skeptical. But skepticism isn't about making up your mind that you don't believe in something. A skeptic keeps an open mind at all times and is always willing to accept evidence that's commensurate with the claim. The key is that a skeptic isn't so open-minded that they'll accept any evidence claimed just because it conforms to their bias, which is the primary sin of conspiracy theorists.
Being a good skeptic is hard work.
At the end of the day, if you have to resort to name calling to deal with passionate opinions, you need to reevaluate yourself.
Sometimes people resort to name calling because the people being called names have made themselves so obnoxious and have dismissed rational discourse for so long that they've earned the name. After a while, it just doesn't pay to keep banging your head against the wall and you have to fall back on other tactics to get your point across.
Some can be. Being skeptical doesn't necessarily make someone better, just...skeptical. But skepticism isn't about making up your mind that you don't believe in something. A skeptic keeps an open mind at all times and is always willing to accept evidence that's commensurate with the claim. The key is that a skeptic isn't so open-minded that they'll accept any evidence claimed just because it conforms to their bias, which is the primary sin of conspiracy theorists.
Being a good skeptic is hard work.
Sometimes people resort to name calling because the people being called names have made themselves so obnoxious and have dismissed rational discourse for so long that they've earned the name. After a while, it just doesn't pay to keep banging your head against the wall and you have to fall back on other tactics to get your point across.