Monkeys to Men

[DogmaHunter]

What if you were one of the 500?

I'ld understand that if I only had my anecdote to show for it, nobody would be justified in believing me.

 

[AV1611VET]

I'ld understand that if I only had my anecdote to show for it, nobody would be justified in believing me.

What if 499 others observed it too?

 

[DogmaHunter]

What if 499 others observed it too?

I'ld still understand that those not part of the 499 would not be justified in believing it if all we have to offer is an anecdote.

It doesn't matter how many people make the claim.

 

[AV1611VET]

I'ld still understand that those not part of the 499 would not be justified in believing it if all we have to offer is an anecdote.

How about an empty tomb to go along with their story?

 

[DogmaHunter]

How about an empty tomb to go along with their story?

Far too weak to support the fantastical claims.
An empty tomb is only evidence of it being empty.

An "empty tomb" is evidence of christianity in the same way that an unused bed is evidence of alien abduction.

 

[AV1611VET]

Far too weak to support the fantastical claims.
An empty tomb is only evidence of it being empty.

An "empty tomb" is evidence of christianity in the same way that an unused bed is evidence of alien abduction.

How about I throw in a few martyrs? will that do?

 

[DogmaHunter]

How about I throw in a few martyrs? will that do?

No.

 

[AV1611VET]

No.

How about I toss in time being broken up into "Before Christ" and "In the Year of Our Lord"?

 

[DogmaHunter]

How about I toss in time being broken up into "Before Christ" and "In the Year of Our Lord"?

It would have the same effect as tossing in how the Chinese and Muslims count their years.

 

[AV1611VET]

It would have the same effect as tossing in how the Chinese and Muslims count their years.

How about I toss in the world's dominant empire, who was willing to spend a large part of its assets to quell Christianity, which was based on Jesus' resurrection, before it ever got off the ground?

 

[DogmaHunter]

How about I toss in the world's dominant empire, who was willing to spend a large part of its assets to quell Christianity, which was based on Jesus' resurrection, before it ever got off the ground?

It would, again, have the same effect as pointing to other empires where the "official" religion was any religion you don't buy into.

It's actually funny that this "dominant empire" lost its dominance once it adopted christianity. So, I'm not quite sure why you say that "it didn't get off the ground" before it adopted christianity. You should brush up on your history.

The Roman Empire was at its all-time high when it was polytheistic.
After it became christian, it crumbled like a snowman in the sun.

In any case, it doesn't matter. You don't support claims by pointing at people that believe the claims.

 

[JasonClark]

In any case, it doesn't matter. You don't support claims by pointing at people that believe the claims.

But that's exactly what they do.
How can billions of people who have believed for such a long time possibly be wrong? the billions and billions of Muslims, Hindu's and all the rest who were wrong before they even started believing don't count because everyone knows they are wrong.
The fact that most of the stories in the bible were either taken from religions that went before it or were simply made up means nothing because the bible stories are the ones Christians believe, they honestly don't care where the stories came from they just want to believe in something.

 

[DogmaHunter]

But that's exactly what they do. How can billions of people who have believed for such a long time possibly be wrong? the billions and billions of Muslims, Hindu's and all the rest who were wrong before they even started believing don't count because everyone knows they are wrong.
The fact that most of the stories in the bible were either taken from religions that went before it or were simply made up means nothing because the bible stories are the ones Christians believe, they honestly don't care where the stories came from they just want to believe in something.

This.

 

[gadz]

This.

You have got it wrong about true christians. Maybe nominal Christians believe that. True Christians have asked Christ into their lives by faith and it opens up from there. I don't think anyone ever got converted through a Christian forum anyway. I suspect you will believe what you want to believe as I will.

 

[DogmaHunter]

You have got it wrong about true christians. Maybe nominal Christians believe that. True Christians have asked Christ into their lives by faith and it opens up from there. I don't think anyone ever got converted through a Christian forum. I suspect you will believe what you want to believe as I will.

I think it's against the forum rules to make a distinction between "true" christians and "other" christians.

Anyhow, I'm talking about people who believe things while the evidence points in the other direction. No matter if they are christian, atheist, muslim, hindu, santa-ist,...

 

[JasonClark]

it,

You have got it wrong about true christians. Maybe nominal Christians believe that. True Christians have asked Christ into their lives by faith and it opens up from there. I don't think anyone ever got converted through a Christian forum anyway. I suspect you will believe what you want to believe as I will.

Can people believe what they want to believe? could you if you chose to believe in Islam? thinking about it, as a Christian I suppose you could because you already believe something without any evidence backing it up.
If you don't mind me asking, what else do you believe without evidence?

 

[Ophiolite]

What if you were one of the 500?

I certainly don't trust my own eye witness testimony, so it would make no difference whatsoever. I trust data that has been independently corroborated using systematic methods that minimise the risk of error. As human, you have surprisingly little understanding of our cognitive limitations. Ironic really.

 

[Loudmouth]

How about I toss in the world's dominant empire, who was willing to spend a large part of its assets to quell Christianity, which was based on Jesus' resurrection, before it ever got off the ground?

Are you talking about the Crusades run by the dominant Christian Empires to quell the upstart Muslims?

 

[AV1611VET]

I certainly don't trust my own eye witness testimony, so it would make no difference whatsoever.

I'd say that about settles it then.

If you can't trust your own eyes, you're surely not going to trust someone else's eyes, are you?

So I guess the YOU WERE THERE? argument doesn't apply to you?

 

[AV1611VET]

Are you talking about the Crusades run by the dominant Christian Empires to quell the upstart Muslims?

Actually I was going to bring something to that effect up next, but he wisely got off that merry-go-round.