more ad hominem attacks

I had thought this thread would be old news, but “goldenrule” responded:

"...but remember that it’s far easier to complain about a writer’s tone than to address his argument..."

"We’re far too individualistic for that, as the word “freethinkers” implies."

Again, your arrogance and self-importance rear their ugly heads. You could easily make your point in half the time and 25% of the verbiage you seem to love to share with all of us. We are not impressed. You would better use your time helping others instead of proselytizing. It must be so difficult for someone of your learned credentials to be surrounded by such cretins. How DO you manage?

I believe everyone has the right to pray in silence. Who cares?

As for the pledge of allegiance, your hard-earned money and their linking with "God"...can you really waste your valuable time on this earth worrying about such minutiae? History tells us that this nation was founded by people who came here to escape religious persecution. Have a blessed day.

My response:

You’re right: I could use significantly fewer words, particularly if I didn’t “waste my valuable time” responding to baseless attacks. Eliminating minutiae such as supporting evidence for my arguments would also help achieve the brevity you claim to value so highly. If I simply spit out ad hominem insults rather than contributing to the discussion, my comments could be even more succinct.

Thank you for the advice.

update: A follow-up is here.