I found a great weekly podcast put out by the Atheist Community of Austin. It's called The Atheist Experience and is available for free on iTunes.
In this week's show, they referred to Hebrews 11:1 (KJV):
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Doesn't that sum up Christianity perfectly? While Christian apologists often attempt to engage in logical debates, they invariably retreat into a world of personal experience - they'll say things like:
One night he showed up in my room. He zipped me up into the sky and showed me what he wanted me to do. [this is an actual diect message that I received recently on twitter]
Mormons are particularly fond of describing visits from The Holy Spirit. What intrigues me is how people who have these experiences decide they are not hallucinations or psychiatric episodes. I guess they've never had a college roommate slip them a hit of LSD. I assure you, from personal experience, that will zip you into the sky ....
What I find particularly strange is that these descriptions of visits from the Holy spirit and trips into the sky do not garner anywhere near the type of skepticism as the stories from those who say they were swept away by aliens only to be returned after some fantastic experience aboard a spaceship. Why is that?
ReplyDeleteOne of the characteristics of a psychotic episode is not recognizing it as a psychotic episode.
ReplyDeletewell said, Rosemary!
ReplyDeleteI spoke with a Methodist pastor today,who was defending Faith. My argument was that blind faith was essentially worthless and signals a cessation of rational thought and fosters belief in spirits and magic. He had a flimsy response that he does not beleive in 'blind faith', and that faith in christ is not blind. Talk about circular reasoning!!!
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