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From: sxnahm@ubvax.UUCP (Stephen Nahm)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: Courtroom fallacy (It goes both ways)
Message-ID: <545@ubvax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Sep-86 12:31:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: ubvax.545
Posted: Wed Sep 17 12:31:36 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 23-Sep-86 01:44:56 EDT
References: <1145@cybvax0.UUCP> <3476@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Reply-To: sxnahm@ubvax.UUCP (Stephen Nahm)
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In article <3476@umcp-cs.UUCP> mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate) writes:
>Mike Huybensz writes:
>>                            Once you rid yourself of the premise that the
>>bible is infallible (a premise that could never stand in an "unbiased
>>courtroom"), the bible is suddenly very unconvincing.
>
>Of course, the counterarguments are even poorer as far as evidence is
>concerned,  since they are unquestionably speculatory.  It doesn't seem to
>me that this is a particularly useful way to examine scripture or to decide
>religious questions.

It is an extremely useful way to examine scripture and to decide religious
questions.  Each person must stand in judgement of the claims of the Bible
and decide for her- or himself what metaphysical conclusions should be drawn.

That person has on the one hand the evidence of her or his life: It rains
for a few days and then it stops.  There are uncounted multitudes of animals
and plants.

On the other hand that person has the claims of the Bible: At one time it
rained for 40 days over the entire Earth.  Noah was lucky enough to be clued
in on this by One that Knew, and so collected two of every animal and placed
them in a large boat.  The flood killed everything not in the boat.

With the evidence in, what conclusions should be drawn?  That Noah was lucky
to be on God's good side?  Or that the story is fantasy?

The Resurrection myth has the same test to pass:  How does it compare to the
reality that I observe?  (I have observed that people who are clinically
dead for three days do not become alive.)  If it doesn't pass, why should I
now believe that observed reality is wrong?  Because a large book of
uncertain origin says it's so?  Sorry, that's not enough.
-- 
Steve Nahm                  UUCP route:       {amd|cae780}!ubvax!sxnahm
sxnahm@ubvax.UUCP           Internet address: amd!ubvax!sxnahm@decwrl.DEC.COM