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From: rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Professor Wagstaff)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Merrill, "why he DOES believe..."
Message-ID: <539@pyuxd.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Feb-85 10:43:51 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxd.539
Posted: Thu Feb 14 10:43:51 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Feb-85 05:25:09 EST
References: <561@decwrl.UUCP>
Organization: Huxley College
Lines: 22

> I believe in God because he answers prayers.  [MERRILL]

I'd like to analyze this statement in terms of the concepts I've been
referring to, the idea that belief in god stems from an assumption of
the existence of god first and analysis after.  The above is a prime
example.  It is equivalent to saying "I believe in the Tooth Fairy because
the Tooth Fairy brings me money when I leave teeth under my pillow."
If you already believe that the Tooth Fairy exists, then it is "clear"
that the Tooth Fairy is the cause of the appearance of the money.  Money
appeared under my pillow, I *believe* that a Tooth Fairy exists who performs
this function, therefore the Tooth Fairy did it.

This analysis can be applied similarly to belief in god.  Prayers are
"answered", god (according to my beliefs) answers prayers, therefore god
exists.  Statistically, one can look at the soldiers who nearly died in
combat whose "prayers were answered", and we can hear their testimonies.
Unfortunately, we can never hear testimony from those soldiers whose prayers
were NOT answered, and some may not even consider it when evaluating the
large number of positive testimonies, thus concluding "See?  There is a god."
-- 
Now I've lost my train of thought. I'll have to catch the bus of thought.
			Rich Rosen    pyuxd!rlr