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From: aeq@pucc-h (Jeff Sargent)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Replies to Bickford/Sargent on Christian mythology
Message-ID: <645@pucc-h>
Date: Sat, 7-Apr-84 11:41:18 EST
Article-I.D.: pucc-h.645
Posted: Sat Apr  7 11:41:18 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 9-Apr-84 04:15:30 EST
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Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
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Reply to Darrell Plank:

> I don't want to be too critical here, but please, before you make any
> comments regarding Christianity, ask yourself if the same comments would
> apply to other religions just as easily.  If so, there's no sense putting
> them up.  The fact that the same "compelling evidence" applies to several
> religions only implies that many, many people are being duped.  This will
> eliminate many, many unconvincing arguments (Christianity changed my life,
> why would Christians suffer for their faith unless it was true, I accepted
> Christ and the next day my girlfriend and I were back together, etc.).
> It's a simple test to apply and it will save the skeptics in the group
> from having to reply over and over again to the same arguments.

Why is there no sense posting something that's true?  While I grant, for
instance, that Christians are not the only ones who have suffered for their
faith, I don't know of any other belief whose partisans were so thoroughly
persecuted *when the faith was still brand-new* and which survived.

The fact that there is strong evidence (one might call it compelling) for the
efficacy of Christianity (as to other religions, I don't know), and yet many
people don't believe it, indicates that those who DON'T believe are the ones
being duped.  I still don't understand why you consider "Christ changed my
life" to be an unconvincing testimony; if someone's life was going nowhere
but downhill before he accepted Christ, and Christ turned him around, that
ought to be convincing.

Which brings me to a general point:  When you're about to post something,
you might ask yourself whether all it consists of is persistent refusal to
see the truth.  It's a cliche, but "there are none so blind as they who WILL
not see."

Also, another general request:  When you're about to post something, you
might ask yourself whether all it is is a flame.  Darrell's note was not
what I'd call a flame, but some other postings have been.


-- 
-- Jeff Sargent
{allegra|ihnp4|decvax|harpo|seismo|ucbvax}!pur-ee!pucc-h:aeq
Software maintenance:  It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.