This is of course of particular relevance to those who want to dismiss Jesus as a figure of history.
H'mm, it is worth clipping a note from Bill Pratt of ToughQuestionsAnswered blog, on the implications of the sort of selective hyperskepticism involved in that tactic. He defines: A hyper-skeptic is someone who will not ever consider any evidences, arguments, or reasoning given for Christianity.
He then remarks, in the vein of "you might be a hyper-skeptic if . . . " A sampler:
You
don’t need to read anything actually written by Christian scholars,
because you are just smarter than they are (and you’ve heard it all
before).
You think it’s doubtful that Jesus ever lived.
You believe that Christian apologists are lying most of the time.
You actually think that the evidence for a flying spaghetti monster is as good as the evidence for the Christian God.
When you read a blog post written by a Christian, you aren’t reading for understanding; you’re reading to find isolated phrases or sentences that you can attack.
You believe that Antony Flew renounced atheism only because of old age and senility.
You don’t understand theology or metaphysics, but you’re certain it’s just a bunch of made-up mumbo-jumbo.
You almost never agree with anything a Christian apologist writes, even on the most uncontroversial subjects.
You believe that if you ever publicly agree with a Christian, you are contributing to the downfall of civilization.
You are 100% certain that people cannot rise from the dead, and no amount of historical evidence would ever be convincing.
You think that the strength of the historical evidence supporting the stories in the Book of Mormon is roughly equivalent to the strength of the historical evidence supporting the New Testament accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
You think that The God Delusion is a tour de force that annihilates all of the best Christian arguments for God.
You think that the Bible contains nothing of value.
- See more at: http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2013/10/04/you-might-be-a-hyper-skeptic-of-christianity-if/#sthash.f9C0Agps.dpuf
You think it’s doubtful that Jesus ever lived.
You believe that Christian apologists are lying most of the time.
You actually think that the evidence for a flying spaghetti monster is as good as the evidence for the Christian God.
When you read a blog post written by a Christian, you aren’t reading for understanding; you’re reading to find isolated phrases or sentences that you can attack.
You believe that Antony Flew renounced atheism only because of old age and senility.
You don’t understand theology or metaphysics, but you’re certain it’s just a bunch of made-up mumbo-jumbo.
You almost never agree with anything a Christian apologist writes, even on the most uncontroversial subjects.
You believe that if you ever publicly agree with a Christian, you are contributing to the downfall of civilization.
You are 100% certain that people cannot rise from the dead, and no amount of historical evidence would ever be convincing.
You think that the strength of the historical evidence supporting the stories in the Book of Mormon is roughly equivalent to the strength of the historical evidence supporting the New Testament accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
You think that The God Delusion is a tour de force that annihilates all of the best Christian arguments for God.
You think that the Bible contains nothing of value.
- See more at: http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2013/10/04/you-might-be-a-hyper-skeptic-of-christianity-if/#sthash.f9C0Agps.dpuf
You
don’t need to read anything actually written by Christian scholars,
because you are just smarter than they are (and you’ve heard it all
before).
You think it’s doubtful that Jesus ever lived.
You believe that Christian apologists are lying most of the time.
You actually think that the evidence for a flying spaghetti monster is as good as the evidence for the Christian God.
When you read a blog post written by a Christian, you aren’t reading for understanding; you’re reading to find isolated phrases or sentences that you can attack.
You believe that Antony Flew renounced atheism only because of old age and senility.
You don’t understand theology or metaphysics, but you’re certain it’s just a bunch of made-up mumbo-jumbo.
You almost never agree with anything a Christian apologist writes, even on the most uncontroversial subjects.
You believe that if you ever publicly agree with a Christian, you are contributing to the downfall of civilization.
You are 100% certain that people cannot rise from the dead, and no amount of historical evidence would ever be convincing.
You think that the strength of the historical evidence supporting the stories in the Book of Mormon is roughly equivalent to the strength of the historical evidence supporting the New Testament accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
You think that The God Delusion is a tour de force that annihilates all of the best Christian arguments for God.
You think that the Bible contains nothing of value.
- See more at: http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2013/10/04/you-might-be-a-hyper-skeptic-of-christianity-if/#sthash.f9C0Agps.dpuf
You think it’s doubtful that Jesus ever lived.
You believe that Christian apologists are lying most of the time.
You actually think that the evidence for a flying spaghetti monster is as good as the evidence for the Christian God.
When you read a blog post written by a Christian, you aren’t reading for understanding; you’re reading to find isolated phrases or sentences that you can attack.
You believe that Antony Flew renounced atheism only because of old age and senility.
You don’t understand theology or metaphysics, but you’re certain it’s just a bunch of made-up mumbo-jumbo.
You almost never agree with anything a Christian apologist writes, even on the most uncontroversial subjects.
You believe that if you ever publicly agree with a Christian, you are contributing to the downfall of civilization.
You are 100% certain that people cannot rise from the dead, and no amount of historical evidence would ever be convincing.
You think that the strength of the historical evidence supporting the stories in the Book of Mormon is roughly equivalent to the strength of the historical evidence supporting the New Testament accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
You think that The God Delusion is a tour de force that annihilates all of the best Christian arguments for God.
You think that the Bible contains nothing of value.
- See more at: http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2013/10/04/you-might-be-a-hyper-skeptic-of-christianity-if/#sthash.f9C0Agps.dpuf
For those fair-minded
skeptics out there who don’t want to become like this, here are the
warning signs I’ve seen. What makes a person a hyper-skeptic? Well, you might be a hyper-skeptic if …
You don’t need to read anything actually written by Christian scholars, because you are just smarter than they are (and you’ve heard it all before).
You think it’s doubtful that Jesus ever lived.
You believe that Christian apologists are lying most of the time.
You actually think that the evidence for a flying spaghetti monster is as good as the evidence for the Christian God.
When you read a blog post written by a Christian, you aren’t reading for understanding; you’re reading to find isolated phrases or sentences that you can attack.
You believe that Antony Flew renounced atheism only because of old age and senility.
You don’t understand theology or metaphysics, but you’re certain it’s just a bunch of made-up mumbo-jumbo.
You almost never agree with anything a Christian apologist writes, even on the most uncontroversial subjects.
You believe that if you ever publicly agree with a Christian, you are contributing to the downfall of civilization.
You are 100% certain that people cannot rise from the dead, and no amount of historical evidence would ever be convincing.
You think that the strength of the historical evidence supporting the stories in the Book of Mormon is roughly equivalent to the strength of the historical evidence supporting the New Testament accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
You think that The God Delusion is a tour de force that annihilates all of the best Christian arguments for God.
You think that the Bible contains nothing of value.
- See more at: http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2013/10/04/you-might-be-a-hyper-skeptic-of-christianity-if/#sthash.f9C0Agps.dpuf
You don’t need to read anything actually written by Christian scholars, because you are just smarter than they are (and you’ve heard it all before).
You think it’s doubtful that Jesus ever lived.
You believe that Christian apologists are lying most of the time.
You actually think that the evidence for a flying spaghetti monster is as good as the evidence for the Christian God.
When you read a blog post written by a Christian, you aren’t reading for understanding; you’re reading to find isolated phrases or sentences that you can attack.
You believe that Antony Flew renounced atheism only because of old age and senility.
You don’t understand theology or metaphysics, but you’re certain it’s just a bunch of made-up mumbo-jumbo.
You almost never agree with anything a Christian apologist writes, even on the most uncontroversial subjects.
You believe that if you ever publicly agree with a Christian, you are contributing to the downfall of civilization.
You are 100% certain that people cannot rise from the dead, and no amount of historical evidence would ever be convincing.
You think that the strength of the historical evidence supporting the stories in the Book of Mormon is roughly equivalent to the strength of the historical evidence supporting the New Testament accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
You think that The God Delusion is a tour de force that annihilates all of the best Christian arguments for God.
You think that the Bible contains nothing of value.
- See more at: http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2013/10/04/you-might-be-a-hyper-skeptic-of-christianity-if/#sthash.f9C0Agps.dpuf
You
don’t need to read anything actually written by Christian scholars,
because you are just smarter than they are (and you’ve heard it all
before).
You think it’s doubtful that Jesus ever lived.
You believe that Christian apologists are lying most of the time.
You actually think that the evidence for a flying spaghetti monster is as good as the evidence for the Christian God.
When you read a blog post written by a Christian, you aren’t reading for understanding; you’re reading to find isolated phrases or sentences that you can attack.
You believe that Antony Flew renounced atheism only because of old age and senility.
You don’t understand theology or metaphysics, but you’re certain it’s just a bunch of made-up mumbo-jumbo.
You almost never agree with anything a Christian apologist writes, even on the most uncontroversial subjects.
You believe that if you ever publicly agree with a Christian, you are contributing to the downfall of civilization.
You are 100% certain that people cannot rise from the dead, and no amount of historical evidence would ever be convincing.
You think that the strength of the historical evidence supporting the stories in the Book of Mormon is roughly equivalent to the strength of the historical evidence supporting the New Testament accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
You think that The God Delusion is a tour de force that annihilates all of the best Christian arguments for God.
You think that the Bible contains nothing of value.
- See more at: http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2013/10/04/you-might-be-a-hyper-skeptic-of-christianity-if/#sthash.f9C0Agps.dpuf
You think it’s doubtful that Jesus ever lived.
You believe that Christian apologists are lying most of the time.
You actually think that the evidence for a flying spaghetti monster is as good as the evidence for the Christian God.
When you read a blog post written by a Christian, you aren’t reading for understanding; you’re reading to find isolated phrases or sentences that you can attack.
You believe that Antony Flew renounced atheism only because of old age and senility.
You don’t understand theology or metaphysics, but you’re certain it’s just a bunch of made-up mumbo-jumbo.
You almost never agree with anything a Christian apologist writes, even on the most uncontroversial subjects.
You believe that if you ever publicly agree with a Christian, you are contributing to the downfall of civilization.
You are 100% certain that people cannot rise from the dead, and no amount of historical evidence would ever be convincing.
You think that the strength of the historical evidence supporting the stories in the Book of Mormon is roughly equivalent to the strength of the historical evidence supporting the New Testament accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection.
You think that The God Delusion is a tour de force that annihilates all of the best Christian arguments for God.
You think that the Bible contains nothing of value.
- See more at: http://www.toughquestionsanswered.org/2013/10/04/you-might-be-a-hyper-skeptic-of-christianity-if/#sthash.f9C0Agps.dpuf
You don’t need to read anything actually written by Christian scholars, because you are just smarter than they are (and you’ve heard it all before).
You think it’s doubtful that Jesus ever lived.
You believe that Christian apologists are lying most of the time.
When you read a blog post written by a Christian, you aren’t reading for understanding; you’re reading to find isolated phrases or sentences that you can attack.
You believe that if you ever publicly agree with a Christian, you are contributing to the downfall of civilization.
You think that the Bible contains nothing of value.
Bill Pratt
His advice to those tempted down this line of hostile closed-mindedness is refreshing: If you are a hyper-skeptic, you are not reasonable and you are not thinking clearly when it comes to Christianity. Take some time off from the blogosphere [--> I would add, web forums, YouTube, Amazon reviews etc] and figure out why you’ve crossed this line. I sincerely doubt it is a purely intellectual issue.Worth thinking about. END
