Atheist Incredulity

[rogue06]

Off-topic, but is Christ myth theory supported by ANY serious historians and academics? I mean, even ONE?

Only a boatload of Google scholars who take themselves seriously.

[Rushing Jaws]

Or consider this golden piece from Jerry Coyne.

“The following (and admittedly contorted) scenario would give me tentative evidence for Christianity. Suppose that a bright light appeared in the heavens, and, supported by winged angels, a being clad in a white robe and sandals descended onto my campus from the sky, accompanied by a pack of apostles bearing the names given in the Bible. Loud heavenly music, with the blaring of trumpets, is heard everywhere. The robed being, who identifies himself as Jesus, repairs to the nearby university hospital and instantly heals many severely afflicted people, including amputees. After a while Jesus and his minions, supported by angels ascend back into the sky with another chorus of music. The heavens swiftly darken, there are flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, and in an instant the sky is clear.

If this were all witnessed by others and documented by video, and if the healings were unexplainable but supported by testimony from multiple doctors, and if all the apparitions and events conformed to Christian theology—then I’d have to start thinking seriously about the truth of Christianity.” Faith vs. Fact p. 118-119

That is just - infantile. To regard anything like that as evidence for Christianity, would be foolish in the extreme. What is really depressing, is that any thinking person could seriously suppose that tosh like that is what Christian theology is about.

It makes one wonder whether what anti-Christian atheists reject, is the same as what Christians affirm. Quite often - as in this instance - I think the two are not the same. STM that - as has been said - what is rejected is often not what is believed, but an (unwitting ?) caricature of what is believed. It would be interesting to know how many atheists had a good understanding of Christian theology. It seems fairly clear that many do not. The objection seems often (usually ?) to be, not to a more or less systematic representation of God, such as can be found in books of systematic theology, but to some version of God as represented in the Bible.

[carpedm9587]

That is just - infantile. To regard anything like that as evidence for Christianity, would be foolish in the extreme. What is really depressing, is that any thinking person could seriously suppose that tosh like that is what Christian theology is about.

It makes one wonder whether what anti-Christian atheists reject, is the same as what Christians affirm. Quite often - as in this instance - I think the two are not the same. STM that - as has been said - what is rejected is often not what is believed, but an (unwitting ?) caricature of what is believed. It would be interesting to know how many atheists had a good understanding of Christian theology. It seems fairly clear that many do not. The objection seems often (usually ?) to be, not to a more or less systematic representation of God, such as can be found in books of systematic theology, but to some version of God as represented in the Bible.

I cannot speak for "atheists," in general. I agree many do not have an understanding of Christian theology. For myself, I can only say that, after being an evangelical catholic from my late teens into my early thirties, and even spending almost 5 years in seminary and the Jesuit novitiate, I finally came to believe I was following a set of ancient traditions and mindsets that simply did not withstand scrutiny. Christianity has done much good and bad over the years, as any human institution would, but the core theology of this religion, or any other I have examined over the years, simply doesn't hold out - and there is a simpler explanation (I believe) for why religion continues to dominate the species - though that shows signs of waning, at least in western countries.

[MaxVel]

Frankly though there's a lot of incredulity amongst Christians.

I simply don't find that at all believable.

[Sparko]

I simply don't find that at all believable.

Incredulous!