by SwedishChef 116 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I just wanted to add, that there are many other logical fallacies, such as ad hominem, appeal to authority, straw man, beggin the question, false dilema, red herring, slippery slope, etc.
There are many sites on the web that explain them, and I'm not sure that I've found a completely comprehensive list yet. Here is a site that lists many of them:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/
Or a quick search of "logical fallacies" on google or yahoo brings up many good results.
rem
Hey Look people, Christianity is based on a faith system, what is faith ? Believing in something you cannot see taste or touch..So because of that noone should have to prove to anyone wether it is true or not. We all live our lives in a same type belief, so why would it matter if it is true to one person and not the other. It`s what fits for that individual. So in retrospect of the first post I think this is a waste od discussion. hahahaha Ya Man I do believe in the one who has saved me.....AMEN
KGB,
That is fine if some want to follow something by "blind faith" but don't argue as if every word in the bible is a proven fact.
Will
Sunstar,
The fact is, neither you nor the Jesus Seminar can offer any proof that the original texts were altered to suit ideology. No thanks. Take your 200 "scholars" and go back to the left (I mean west) coast.
Then you would have to agree that the FACT is, you nor anyone else can offer any PROOF that the original texts were NOT altered........correct?
gumby,
You are correct. The fact is, I cannot offer proof that the original texts were not altered. However, it is not mine to offer proof. We (as in renowned historians as well as the average Joe) accept plenty of ancient documents as historically accurate with no corroborating evidence to back them. The "burden of proof" is not on those accepting the texts as accurate. The burden is on those who would claim it to be inaccurate. Otherwise we would have very little evidence of anything in ancient history. Now, if you ask whether or not I believe the bible deserves scrutiny, I would answer yes. Further, I cannot say that the bible is the exact representation of the original texts. The point is that it's no less historically accurate.
rem,
I don't believe the "special pleading logical fallacy" applies to me in this case. In my opinion, quite the opposite is true. I believe the bible deserves the same credit as any other ancient document that we, as a civilization, accept as accurate. As I said in the preceding paragraph, I believe the bible should be scrutinized. Yet, it should not be immediately discounted as a "fairy tale" simply because the earliest documents date back to within one generation of when Christ walked the earth. This is certainly much closer of a time from original writing to existing copies than is the case with many other documents held as accurate.
Sunstarr,
Now you are guilty using a Straw Man argument. You are arguing a caricature of what critical analysis really is. I don't know of anyone arguing that the bible should be discounted as a fairy tale because there is a generation gap between the events and the written account. The argument is much more complicated than that.
Also, on your argument with gumby, the standard is that copies are corrupted over time. This is borne out through study of many documents over time. The claim that the bible's copies are more accurate than other documents is a positive claim that needs evidence. Without such evidence, we can only conclude that what is true of other texts is just as true with the bible.
rem
The point is that it's no less historically accurate.
When you find out that the people around them believed identical things about other Gods and how CLOSELY it fits with the Jesus story....it makes the Jesus story much more probable many things about him were added to diefy him as were their present Gods.The odds are TOO great against the bible being God's infallable word and Jesus being the person the bible describes.
Those who study deeply on this subject are more than likely to change their opinion and that option should be presented to all the same as the gospel should be told.
