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In reply to the discussion: Studies showing "benefits of circumcision" highly flawed [View all]Confusious
(8,317 posts)Doug Walton has argued that ad hominem reasoning is not always fallacious, and that in some instances, questions of personal conduct, character, motives, etc., are legitimate and relevant to the issue,[13] as when it directly involves hypocrisy, or actions contradicting the subject's words.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Walton
Your thinking is fallicous. If every criticism is an ad hominem, then no one could criticize anyone.
If a ballet dancer decided they wanted to criticize NASA for the way it's sends people into space, or the way it constructs it's satellites, it's not ad hominem to say she has no place to criticize becuase she has no education, training or experience in that field.
In your world, the ballet dancer opinion has just as much relevance as the engineer, and to say as much is an ad hominem attack.
Let the denials begin.
PS, you're using the fallacy of argument from authority. He is no authority.